HR, AI, and the Future of Work with Laura Maffucci

Joey Price speaks with Laura Laura Maffucci, Head of HR at GP, about what the latest World at Work report says about employee sentiment, AI adoption, and the shifting power balance between employers and workers. The conversation centers on one big question: how can HR leaders use AI without losing trust, talent, or the human side of work?Laura argues that many organizations are underestimating how stressed, skeptical, and disengaged employees feel right now, and that AI is often being rolled out faster than companies can manage the change. The episode is a practical look at why HR needs to lead with judgment, not hype.

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Key topics

• In this episode, Joey Price and Laura Laura Maffucci unpack Laura’s hot take that many employees are simply not okay right now, and that distrust in institutions is shaping how people react to work and AI.
• Laura shares that the World at Work report shows employees are still active in the job market, with 52 percent globally either searching or likely to search in the next few months.
• The discussion explores the power shift in employment, including the idea that 74 percent of employees and 59 percent of executives believe companies now hold the power in the job market.
• Laura warns that return to office mandates can backfire when top candidates can choose remote roles elsewhere.
• The episode covers why “human in the loop” remains essential, especially when AI systems are used for reporting, decisions, and workflow automation.
• Laura explains that curiosity, learning agility, critical thinking, and tech savviness matter more than pretending candidates need years of experience in brand-new AI tools.
• Joey and Laura discuss how HR should evaluate candidates by their ability to learn, adapt, and apply new tools quickly, rather than by unrealistic AI experience requirements.
• The conversation highlights employee anxiety around AI, including the fact that 31 percent fear replacement and 26 percent worry their contributions will be undervalued if they use AI.
• Laura argues that HR must challenge leadership when AI is being treated like a magic solution and instead push for real change management, workflow redesign, and employee involvement.
• The episode closes with a warning that companies who over-automate may eventually have to market human support as a premium experience.

Timestamps

00:00 - Joey opens the show and introduces the conversation on work, data, and AI 00:29 - Laura Laura Maffucci is welcomed as Head of HR at GP 01:04 - Laura’s hot take: most people are not okay right now 02:46 - What the World at Work report reveals about employee mobility 04:22 - Who has the power in the job market now? 05:00 - Why return to office mandates may backfire 06:50 - Hiring globally when local talent is scarce 08:05 - Why human judgment still matters in AI workflows 09:49 - How to evaluate candidates for curiosity and learning agility 11:29 - Employee fear that AI could replace them 12:38 - HR’s role in challenging AI hype inside the organization 14:30 - Why change management fails when AI is bolted onto broken processes 16:20 - Younger workers’ skepticism toward AI 18:29 - Why old ideas about loyalty and career paths no longer fit 20:44 - Why younger generations are rejecting performative work 22:37 - Safe ways for HR to start AI adoption 23:29 - Starting from a white space and redesigning the work 24:30 - Why AI adoption data can hide fear, not enthusiasm 25:35 - What separates companies that navigate AI well 26:35 - Why the future may reward real human interaction

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