Burnout is brewing, layoffs are looming, and AI is changing the game! SHRM’s Chief Human Resources Officer Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, sits down with host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, from his HR team for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s workplaces. From reductions in force to managing worker well-being to reimagining HR’s role in business risk, learn how HR can lead with agility, safeguard employees, and prepare for the future of work. This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires Sept. 1, 2026. Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r
Burnout is brewing, layoffs are looming, and AI is changing the game! SHRM’s Chief Human Resources Officer Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, sits down with host Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, from his HR team for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s workplaces. From reductions in force to managing worker well-being to reimagining HR’s role in business risk, learn how HR can lead with agility, safeguard employees, and prepare for the future of work.
This podcast is approved for .5 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. Listen to the complete episode to get your activity ID at the end. ID expires Sept. 1, 2026.
Subscribe to Honest HR to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/voegyz
---
Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r
[00:00:00] Nicole Belyna: Welcome to Honest HR, where we turn real issues facing today's HR departments into honest conversations with actionable insights. I'm your host, Nicole Bena. Let's get honest. Today we're diving into the state of HR, how socioeconomic pressures, layoffs, burnout. Fast moving technologies and real challenges are impacting the workplace and how HR professionals can help their organizations navigate it all.
Joining us is our Fearless HR leader here at SHRM. Jim Link, our Chief Human Resources Officer. He's bringing not just his expert perspective, but also a more personal, unfiltered take on what it really means to lead HR right now. Welcome to Honest HR Jim.
[00:00:53] Jim Link: Thank you, Nicole. How you doing today?
[00:00:56] Nicole Belyna: I'm good. How are you?
[00:00:57] Jim Link: I am fantastic. I'm looking forward to this.
[00:00:59] Nicole Belyna: Me too. so we'll dig right in.
[00:01:02] Jim Link: Let's go.
[00:01:03] Nicole Belyna: Yep. when people ask you how HR is doing right now, what's your go-to response?
[00:01:10] Jim Link: I tell them that this is a time whenever HR leaders in general have an opportunity to really shine because there are so many things that are happening right now, both in our society, in our communities, in our workplaces.
And those things together give the perfect opportunity for those of us who work in this profession, who want to work in this profession. Even those of us who've been doing this for a really long time, it's a new opportunity to just shine and to really show what you're capable of doing in the business world, but also for, the communities in which you live and work.
So, yeah, there's a lot going on and, but I think that's a good thing, right? It gives us the opportunity. To really get out there and make a difference.
[00:01:55] Nicole Belyna: Yep. Yeah, absolutely. don't let a good crisis go to waste, as they said.
[00:02:00] Jim Link: Right. I have heard, I have heard that said, and I actually, I believe that, and we are in a crisis mode, so why not rise to the occasion
[00:02:07] Nicole Belyna: Little bit. Yeah. So in times of socioeconomic strain, what's the biggest challenge for HR? Is it supporting employee wellbeing, managing business risk, or just staying agile through it all? Or the, all the above or? Something else.
[00:02:22] Jim Link: Yeah, it's a combination of all of those things, and I think it's incredibly situational.
there are days right where that we are very, much focused on our internal employee population here at SHRM. There are other, moments, sometimes days or multiple days where that we're dealing with membership issues or where, that we're trying to build something new to aid our members in whatever it is that they're seeking or looking for.
So the, it's a situational environment and that ability to pivot. To, go from one thing to the next thing to the next thing, and all while trying to keep it all in a broader frame of what's really important. That's, how we roll. Yeah, and that's, those are the important things I believe. For anyone who finds themselves in a human capital advisory or leadership role right now is to keep it in perspective because yeah, it's a whole crockpot crazy out there right now in the world, and we absolutely need to manage our way through it.
And there are no. People more qualified to do that than the people who have expertise in the human capital, human resources field.
[00:03:25] Nicole Belyna: Certainly. Yeah. I, would also say all of the above. but also emphasis on the agility. And certainly, you challenge our team every day to be agile, to be flexible and, in turn, just always have our brains on to think of, what's next, what if, what else?
And I think that helps. Answer all of the other, all the other things.
[00:03:49] Jim Link: It does, and like every profession I've ever come into contact with in my professional career has an opportunity to make sense of things. And in human resources, sometimes we get so caught up in what we have to do at that moment.
Whatever platform is burning, whatever outcome it is that we're seeking, that we forget to really focus on the fact that what we're doing is trying to help businesses navigate. Through effective management of their human capital. That's what it all comes down to at the end of the day. And yes, there are all kinds of things going on out there in our environment right now, which are distracting us from doing that particularly well.
But the core issue remains our job as human capital leaders is to help businesses succeed by the enablement of their workforces. Some days we're focused more on the business. Some days we're focused more on the workforce. But at the end of the day, that is our objective. And if we do that particularly well.
then the both workers and the workplace will benefit.
[00:04:53] Nicole Belyna: So that's a lot of things,
[00:04:54] Jim Link: right? Yeah.
[00:04:55] Nicole Belyna: And as I talk to other HR professionals, sometimes we, even deal with it ourselves. The topic of burnout. Burnout come, is coming up. And it reminds me a little bit of. The height of the pandemic.
Right. So burnout isn't anything new, but do you think we're reaching a tipping point in the HR profession, and how do you see this playing out in the future?
[00:05:19] Jim Link: Yeah, I think about this often, not just for myself, but for us, right? For our team, for all of our colleagues who are out there dealing with these things every day.
There's a side of me, and I hate to say this out loud, but there's a side of me that says that if we're not burned out and stressed out right now, we're probably not dealing effectively with our jobs, and the environment in which we find ourselves. Now, if you're burned out and you're stressed out, obviously you need to find ways that you can manage that yourself.
there are also resources I hope, that most employers provide to employees to help identify if you're burned out, and then solution sets if you are stressed out or burned out. But all that to say, a sense of burnout happens whenever we feel like we're out of control. Not just ourselves personally, but the world around us.
Now we know that the world around us feels a little out of control right now. Matter of fact, it feels a lot out of control right now. So that means we need to find our center right, find our moment of calm or peace and, again. I, know what I do. I do something physical, right? I take a walk, I ride my bike.
I, I literally walk around the block sometimes. I think there's an opportunity to, just get just a breath of fresh air to breathe, to find whatever it is that you need to do to. To find that peace. Just the other day, I remember we were having a discussion and I knew that I was in a place where I couldn't hear another word that anybody was gonna need to say or that y'all needed to say.
So I'm like, pause. I literally did a couple laps around the building right back at it. Right. Just because at that moment in time, I think I realized that what I was going to hear. Whether it was right or wrong, or whether y'all agreed or disagreed was just not something that at that moment in time I could process well.
So I needed to get to a place where I could process that information better. I think many times we don't give ourselves a timeout. Right. Which is kind of what I did. Sure, right. I gave myself a timeout. Because you all deserve to be heard in that particular case, and what you said was salient and important, but I wasn't prepared to listen.
[00:07:28] Nicole Belyna: Sure.
[00:07:29] Jim Link: I wasn't prepared to listen because I had other things on my mind. I was stressed out. I was burned out because of other situations, and so I just found that mo, that moment of clarity for me, I encourage anybody who's listening out there to take advantage of that and to know what your triggers are before.
You're triggered, right? So if you do those things, then that's an effective way to manage burnout. At least for me. I know people in the audience are probably thinking, okay, well what can I do? Number one, breathe. Take a breath, take one or two, right? Take more than that if you need it. That's first. Second is find the thing that brings you some sense of peace or calm.
Number three, utilize the resources that you have, and finally realize that you're not in this alone. There are so many people out there, many people probably listening to this right now who are thinking, okay, I know what Jim's talking about. I'm one of those people. If you are one of those people, take those four steps or whatever it is that works for you.
Find that moment of burnout before it's a moment of burnout and think through. How you're going to respond to a situation, and then if all else fails. I know in my mind when I tell people this, they think, that I've, lost it, but there's, I have this place in my head and it's a meadow, and I can sit there and there's a gurgling stream nearby.
I know. Doesn't that sound crazy? But I can picture myself there. Yeah. I really can picture myself there, and that's where I find that moment of peace. some people call it your zen moment. Sure, yeah. There are hundreds of names for those kinds of things, but whenever I need to recenter and refocus, I go to that meadow.
Yeah, those are all good points. You've covered a lot of points and, but I just, I want, I wanna go back to a couple of them. Okay. And okay. And also give you a little bit of a pat on the back because, you certainly give us a, safe space to, to be able to do the same things, right. Have the, ability to have awareness.
[00:09:33] Nicole Belyna: When we feel like maybe we're feeling overwhelmed or what may come out of our mouths next is not the right or appropriate response for that time or not the best reflection of you. The best, yes, the best reflection of me at that time. And so, it's okay for us to walk away from each other for that moment and then we, come back after some reflection.
And so you certainly have created this really. lovely environment. thank you. Within our, team that I appreciate and admire tremendously, and to the extent that, the entire team takes care of each other. Beth, your executive assistant might remind you when perhaps your awareness isn't the, at the same level to say like,
[00:10:13] Jim Link: She's been known to do that.
[00:10:14] Nicole Belyna: Yeah. Yeah. Let me, why don't you go. Go for a walk or, go check on your tomatoes. something like that. but you, and so we hold each other accountable In that way. But it's better for all of us.
[00:10:27] Jim Link: It is. And I, think that the way a great team dynamic works is if you know the people that you work with well enough to know when they're.
Up and when they're down and in their middle and when they need space to sometimes, like y'all sometimes just need to talk, right? Just need to say things to me to just make for sure that another living, breathing, human being with it, with two, two ears listens to what it is that you have to say. And I think that's important.
What we often underestimate. That capability.
[00:11:02] Nicole Belyna: Yeah,
[00:11:02] Jim Link: So the art of listening is still alive and well in any effective managerial role, and I still think the best bosses are those who listen to me when I have something to say, even if they don't agree with me. But I've always said, I can always work in a place as long as I'm heard.
Sure, you don't have to agree with me, but as long as I'm heard, that means I'm valued and appreciated. And for me, that's a calling card. Right. That's a foundational component of what I need as a chief Human Resources officer. And I get that with Johnny. Yeah, right. Whenever he and I are engaged in conversation, I'm sure I've said many things to him that he doesn't want to hear or doesn't need to here.
Yeah. At that particular moment in time, but he listens to that.
[00:11:48] Nicole Belyna: Yeah.
[00:11:49] Jim Link: I try to emulate that, and the best bosses I've ever had across industries and across the course of my career have been those who would just take that moment to hear.
[00:11:57] Nicole Belyna: Sure.
[00:11:58] Jim Link: what you have to say too, that's listening. Right?
And that, I think that's vitally important. Reduces stress, reduces burnout. Sometimes you just need to get things off your chest. Sure. In the right way.
[00:12:09] Nicole Belyna: Yeah.
[00:12:09] Jim Link: and I've never received, like from you and your colleagues and other people I've worked with over the course of the years, I've never heard anything from any one of those people that today, I think was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time.
[00:12:24] Nicole Belyna: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we're very fortunate, right, to have each other. There's certainly been times in my career where I didn't feel I had a great boss, or I felt I could go to them and say. I'm not feeling my best. I need, can I get this off my chest? And to that
[00:12:41] Jim Link: And how long did you stay there? Yeah. In those jobs? I hope not long.
[00:12:43] Nicole Belyna: Probably longer than I should.
[00:12:45] Jim Link: Oh, there you go.
[00:12:45] Nicole Belyna: But I'll tell you why. Because sometimes you have to look for external avenues. Right. And at that time, that's really when I became involved in my local SHRM chapter.
You know, you find other HR professionals, you find your people who then take care of you, who. That you might not have at work.
[00:13:01] Jim Link: That's right, that's right. I believe in external networks, by the way, for sure. I think a pro a, a term today that people use to describe this as your own personal board of directors. Yeah. I. That's a great term. I had that a long time before. It was cool to have your own personal board of directors because I needed those people to keep me balanced and also to bounce things off of.
There have been multiple times in my career where I'd pick up one of those people who's in that network of mine and. Trusted colleagues who I'm pick, I'm like, why is this bothering me? Yeah. Like, like, why is there a little tickling at the back of my neck? What, is this? what am I missing?
And there have been times whenever I've been completely enlightened by what those people had to say. There have been other times whenever they're like. Jim, be, you need to get over it, buddy. This whatever's going on, you just need to forget about it. 'cause that little tickling back there is you know, you
Just not comfortable with the outcome. And in those cases that I recall, they were absolutely 100% right.
[00:13:59] Nicole Belyna: Yep.
[00:14:00] Jim Link: But, that network of people that you trust, and it can't just be HR practitioners by the way. Sure. Even though that's a good start. It needs to be, people in your community, people that you trust.
People that you just gel with, right? Yeah. because of who they are and what they believe and how they act and how they respond to things. So my, network is this hodge, moge, is that a word? Moj Hodge. Hodge podge of all kinds, ver of very interesting people. And I will, call them or utilize them.
Sure. Used to be phone calls. Now it's a quick text and sometimes followed up by a phone call, but it's vital, important.
[00:14:37] Nicole Belyna: Sure. Yeah. So having your people And then, just wanted to revisit one more thing you said and then we can move on to the next question. But, HR professionals actually leveraging the resources that we are promoting to our, Workforce. And so, we've got a number of wonderful, mental health resources here at SHRM that we can, lean into. and I think we're very, fortunate in that way. We are so, it's perfectly okay for HR people to lean into the resources that they're providing to. The rest of their organization.
[00:15:12] Jim Link: Matter of fact, if you don't have mastery of those resources, yeah. How can you with any degree of effectiveness, recommend those to other people?
[00:15:19] Nicole Belyna: Right. Yeah.
[00:15:19] Jim Link: I think the most powerful testimony you can give is, Hey, I hear you. I didn't have your exact situation, but I had a similar one and when I dialed or whatever, right.
That resource. Yeah. This was the experience I received. It's all about setting that expectation.
[00:15:34] Nicole Belyna: Yeah, absolutely. So we're seeing, A wave of reductions in force, rifs, as we, we call them, or realignments, restructuring, all of those things. What role should HR teams play, in helping organize those, scenarios within their organization?
[00:15:58] Jim Link: Well, I've never trusted anybody to do it correctly except those of us in human resources. So I hope, that human resources leader is playing. A starring role right in that production. And is that glamorous work? The answer, the question is no. It's the antithesis of glamorous work. Yeah. It, but it's oftentimes necessary to, rightsize, to restructure, to do whatever is necessary.
A business is just like any other living, breathing entity in that it needs to be able to adjust to its environment, to respond, to put on a coat when it's cold, to shed that coat when it's warm. To do whatever it else, it, is that, that any other living, breathing entity would do to adapt to its environment.
It is our job as human capital leaders to understand those environments uniquely and deeply. Then to go to our leaders, to our colleagues and say, look here in this environment, this is, these are the things that are causing us problems or upon which we're not performing effectively or any other way. You are providing guidance to the business now.
That means sometimes you need to shift reporting lines. It means sometimes you need to go find a particular talent or skill in the workplace and bring it in. Sometimes it means that you may need to shed some resources that you have today that are no longer necessary for the effective operation of that business.
But what we're talking about are the things which you open. This thing, this, What are we calling this? Where are we?
[00:17:30] Nicole Belyna: Podcasst. This.
[00:17:32] Jim Link: It's a, I learned today. A vodcast What you started with was agility and flexibility and adaptability. And I add collaboration and entrepreneurship with an I. Right? Because our ability to be that creative entrepreneur within a space is so vitally important. So when you put all those things together, human resource leaders have that capability to understand their markets, their micro and macro environments. And then build effective plans.
There's, I have never gone to a CEO or any other leader I've had in the course of my career and said to them. Yeah. Based on these observations, here are a set of those observations I'd like for you to consider. No one to this day yet has kicked me out of their office whenever I've said that. Yeah. Now, sometimes they've said, well, what do you mean?
Where'd you get that? How in the world did you come up with that? I mean, all those things have happened, but the, outcome was there was somebody in this, in, in the cases I'm describing to you, it happened to be me, but I know it's many of the people that are in this audience out there. Yeah, they're picking up the vibes of what's going on in the wor in the world around them, and they are trying to help their organization survive.
Yeah. And thrive. And those kinds of things are vitally important. And if we do nothing else well as human capital leaders, whether it's a reduction in force or a massive upscaling, upskilling, adding new staff, whatever it is, it can work on both sides of that equation, obviously. Sure. We have to own it. We have to be good at that for the reasons leading up to it, and then we have to execute it flawlessly.
[00:19:16] Nicole Belyna: But that's a lot for HR professionals. It is. all of the things that we're talking about warrant, I think long responses. Oh, joking. Joking aside. Aside, because they're, complex, right? Yeah. And I think sometimes people try to bucket HR and very clean. Clean ways. Right. By function. H recruiting talent management.
Sure. Total rewards
[00:19:39] Jim Link: Comp.
[00:19:40] Nicole Belyna: Right.
[00:19:40] Jim Link: But just none of those stand alone. Yeah.
[00:19:42] Nicole Belyna: No, they don't.
[00:19:44] Jim Link: Matter of fact, if we're doing our jobs well, they're seamlessly integrated.
[00:19:46] Nicole Belyna: Yeah. Yep. And it's, all of those things and Right. you talked about the agility and flexibility and, I think also we started off the conversation, HR professionals have to be aware of what is going on outside of our buildings.
the socioeconomic climate, All, of it, the, marketplace and have a really good understanding of that to make decisions internally. And then internally you're talking about change management, having a really good understanding of the talent that you have in your building.
Those are, I think all of those things combined are what helps. inform those re reorgs, the rifts and so that you can do something which is incredibly challenging in the most effective way possible.
[00:20:40] Jim Link: You mentioned something I think is really important. Change management is in many ways, the most quintessential skill.
That a human capital leader can possess. Matter of fact, if no one else in the entire organization is good at change management, it should be that person who sits in the head of human resources seat in that organization. Whether you're a plant manager or a plant human resources manager, or you're a CHRO or you're an entry level human capital leader in your organization, whether you're fresh out of college learning how to do this.
If you possess that skill in spades, you're going to do quite well in the human capital space. Sure. There's no doubt in my mind.
[00:21:21] Nicole Belyna: Yeah, no, absolutely. So,
[00:21:23] Jim Link: and now I've told you about my change management theories, right. I don't believe any of that stuff, that change management theories, all the, you should read all those books, right?
You, should know every change management theory out there. Sure. And get yourself smart about those things. And then you should throw them all away. And consolidate the change management practice that works best for you.
[00:21:45] Nicole Belyna: Yeah, of course.
[00:21:45] Jim Link: As a leader,
And for the place in which you work. I think I sometimes I, get off on a tangent about this because there are so many people who want to follow a particular model.
Rather not, it fits the circumstances for that particular place, leader, environment, situation, whatever. Don't do that. Yeah. Right. Please don't do that. Know all the theories and there are some good pieces in each one of the change management theories, and then find the one that works for you as a leader and for the place in which you're employed.
[00:22:19] Nicole Belyna: Yeah.
[00:22:19] Jim Link: That's the best change management practice you can ever deploy.
[00:22:22] Nicole Belyna: Oh, for sure. I mean, you know when I. See someone coming with a very clean, framework from John Kotter. I know for sure this is their first time, this is their first rodeo. Oh,
yeah. Yeah.
Nothing that we're gonna do for the next, 30 days is gonna fit, follow that in those boxes for sure.
[00:22:42] Jim Link: But it goes back to a adaptability, flexibility, right? I mean, fine. Use that as your starting point and just get prepared for a lot of edits. Yeah. Because those edits are gonna come. As situation changes, as a, as the environment shifts around you, and never for one moment believe that is actually going to be what's going to happen in that order because it won't.
[00:23:02] Nicole Belyna: Sure. Yeah. Good points. So, just as a quick follow up, do you think we'll see more or fewer layoffs coming in the next year?
[00:23:12] Jim Link: it's a good question and like most economists, I'm going to give you my answer and then if I'm wrong, no one will give. Right. But, kind of here's how it works. We are in an environment right now of rapid change driven primarily by technological capability.
So the, speed and pace at which redundancies or layoffs or changes in how people are employed is going to come at us is go, is going to increase. What the really smart companies are doing is they are thinking about. How to upskill their employees so that as this rapid technological change comes upon them, those employees are ready.
Organizations that aren't thinking about this should be.
Because they're the ones who are gonna find themselves in one of those moments in time where they have to make really hard decisions about their competitiveness in the marketplace, about the capability and competencies of the employees they have.
And we're the leaders in those organizations are actually taking those companies. I don't wanna work in one of those places where it's an afterthought.
[00:24:21] Nicole Belyna: Sure.
[00:24:21] Jim Link: I wanna work in a place like here at SHRM where there is an investment in the employees. To bring them up. To a new level of skill. I talk about upskilling, new skilling and re-skilling, and all three are applicable in most organizations.
in which I've been employed anyway, including here at SHRM because our capability to serve our members and our various customers and our audiences will only be as good as our own ability to adjust from within. So, we're all over that. I know. We're all over that. And I think most people who work here feel that we are all over that.
[00:24:57] Nicole Belyna: Sure.
[00:24:57] Jim Link: Because that lack of ability to adjust and shift is what will least lead to the demise of those who do not do it. Again, I probably sounded like an economist whenever I said that, but here's the deal. We're going to see more of these shifts. Do I think that number of people hitting the street is going to rapidly increase or decrease?
No, but I do believe we're going to see a pretty steady pace
Of companies making adjustments, to deal with the, impact of technological capability either on their competitive marketplace or on their workforce itself. And those companies who adjust will, will make the decision at some point in time that they need to continue to trim their workforces.
[00:25:38] Nicole Belyna: Sure.
[00:25:39] Jim Link: So steady pace.
[00:25:40] Nicole Belyna: Yeah. I think, looking ahead and you've. I feel like you've kind of answered this question, but I'm gonna give you some time to add on.
Ooh, specifically,
but looking ahead, how do you see AI and technology continuing to shape the role of HR? And what skills do you think will be non-negotiable?
For HR? . Leaders.
[00:26:00] Jim Link: Alright, hold on. That last part, 'cause that's gonna be interesting. Human resources. Leaders in organizations, human resources, employees across organizations should own hi for their workplaces. Should, did I say I?
That's human intelligence.
[00:26:13] Nicole Belyna: Yeah.
[00:26:14] Jim Link: You should own both human intelligence and artificial intelligence for your workplaces, right?
Matter of fact, here at SHRM, we believe those two things put together hi plus AI gives you a great ROI, no doubt about it. Matter of fact, I think that those numbers are actually exponential for each other, right? I think human intelligence exponentially increased by artificial intelligence is going to produce so a so much more favorable outcome.
Not just for the people who have that intelligence, but for. Businesses and our societies 100% believe that. So technology will continue to move, it'll continue to increase in the pace that we're seeing now, if not get faster. And it's going to be really, it already is the next wave in industrialized society.
There's just no doubt about it. Yeah. So if, you're not playing around with AI now, find you a safe place to go and do that, right? Sure. Experiment. there are so many free tools and resources out there now to utilize AI and the people who are getting familiar with this are finding themselves enthralled by this.
[00:27:18] Nicole Belyna: Yeah,
[00:27:18] Jim Link: right. I mean, I can't remember the last time like writing a video script right where I'm needed to say something to our audience at, SHRM. I can't remember the last time I actually. Sat at the keyboard and put all of that, every word in. So what happens now is I use chat GPT to prompt, and by the way, we have a, these people don't know, we probably have SHRM, GPT.
Right? Which we use behind the scenes that Yeah. Digs up all of our research knowledge and information. So I start there.
[00:27:48] Nicole Belyna: Yep.
[00:27:48] Jim Link: Ask to put together, I'll put in what I want to talk about into the prompt, and I'm learning how to prompt better too, by the way. Yeah. But you put the correct prompt in and you get a product, you get an outcome.
To me, that's the beginning. So I don't have to do that early work now I can just refine what's there, make sure it's accurate, put, make it sound like it came from me and produce a better product in a quarter of the time. Yeah, that maybe, more than a quarter of the time that it used to take me, to do that.
So think effectiveness, think efficiency, think accuracy. Once you check it, you have to do it yourself, right? Sure. And then just make the determination that what you're producing, utilizing this technology is a better outcome, done more effectively and efficiently than you would have done prior.
[00:28:38] Nicole Belyna: Right.
Yeah. Isn't, that what its all about? Wouldn't want that, right? Yeah. Ta-da. Right? Like with like HR professionals have all the time in the world.
[00:28:46] Jim Link: So yeah. It's not like I'm sitting around twirling my thumbs. Right? I mean, there, there's so much opportunity there. I think for us as a profession to also.
Get good at this ourselves, teach others how to use it, own that space. It's tied to upskilling, new skilling and reskilling. And by the way, there's this great study, I can't remember where it came from now, that says that the people who get the most advantage from this are the people who are afraid to touch it in the first place.
Is that not interesting? Yeah, that is interesting. So you're giving somebody a new competency, a new capability, and they get more of, a lift outta that of someone like me than someone like me who likes to use it and play with it. Sure. So, I don't know. When we see change occurring at the pace that we're seeing change occurring now we know it's enabled by generative artificial intelligence in particular, but all technology, in human resources.
I just hope we realize that this is our moment to really take something that's. That has that much of a potential for massive change in our society and in our workplaces, and by golly, just own it.
[00:29:49] Nicole Belyna: Sure. Right. Get out there. Yeah.
[00:29:50] Jim Link: And you, and I know that SHRM has all kinds of resources to help put this that absolutely true.
On the SHRM dot org website, all you do. Please go and, you can look at AI Plus Hi. you can look at several different things that will help you understand what you can do with artificial intelligence in your organization.
[00:30:06] Nicole Belyna: Yep.
[00:30:07] Jim Link: But by all means, go out there and get yourself smart about it, so you can get others smarter about it.
[00:30:11] Nicole Belyna: Yeah, no, that's exactly right. Give it, a shot.
[00:30:14] Jim Link: Give it a whirl.
[00:30:16] Nicole Belyna: Perfect. Well. You've given us a lot of good information in 30 minutes.
[00:30:21] Jim Link: That went fast.
[00:30:21] Nicole Belyna: We are already out of time if you can believe it. And that's gonna do it for this week's episode of Honest HR. A big thank you to you, Jim, for taking the time to join us and we'll see you next time.
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