The Human Side of HR Transformation with Special Guest Karen Kaplan

In this episode, Pete and Julie welcome Karen Kaplan, CHRO at People Incorporated, for a real-world look at what it takes to lead HR transformation inside a complex, mission-driven healthcare nonprofit.

Karen shares her journey from operations and administration into HR leadership, and why the mission of supporting mental health care professionals has kept her in the field for more than two decades. The conversation explores the unique workforce challenges of a highly regulated nonprofit healthcare environment, including 24/7 residential programs, community-based care, mobile workers, shift differentials, scheduling complexity, credential tracking, and the need to equip frontline managers with tools that work.

The group unpacks People Incorporated’s HR and payroll systems transformation journey, from persistent friction, manual workarounds, data reliability issues, and trust gaps to a more structured assessment, RFP, and implementation process. Karen offers a candid view into the hard decisions leaders must make before replacing technology, including where to change policy, where to adapt process, where to preserve requirements, and why stakeholder engagement is essential to rebuilding trust.

The episode also highlights what happens after go-live, including phased implementation, benefits enrollment, talent acquisition, communications planning, employee paycheck previews, reduced manual checks, and the growing role of analytics and AI in supporting workforce planning and care delivery.

Connect with Karen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kaplan-sphr/

Connect with the show:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0

X: @HRPayroll2_0

X: @PeteTiliakos

X: @JulieFer_HR

BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0

WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20

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