Jay Polaki, Founder and CEO of HR Geckos (https://hrgeckos.com/), sits with Jon-Paul Ales-Barnicoat, CHRO at AliveCor, a global health tech startup, where, as CHRO, he set the stage for next-stage growth. We cover why AI is best used to enhance—not replace—your unique leadership voice, how to truly map career journeys with tech, and what it means to keep the “human” at the center of human resources. Jon-Paul’s take: “Use AI for qualification, not disqualification, and let recruiters build real relationships.” Plus, why Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” is the perfect soundtrack for change.

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Reach Jon-Paul AlesBarnicoat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonpaul/

Jon-Paul’s connection recommendations: Emel Kott

Jon-Paul’s HR Book recommendation: Zero to IPO by Frederic Kerrest

Jon-Paul’s HR Playlist recommendation: Shake it Off (Taylor Swift)

📣Give our work from anywhere Spotify HR Music Playlist, Geckos Grooves, a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cgLqXsUutUyfBha9ICNFT?si=06dd8ea87f0a4810

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Jay Polaki, Founder and CEO of HR Geckos (https://hrgeckos.com/), sits with Kandi Gongora—Chief Transformation and People Officer at Goodway Group and now CHRO at The Car Group, a visionary HR leader with over 20 years of global experience.

In this episode, Kandi shares a practical approach to embracing AI in HR: start with curiosity, experiment with small processes, and seek learning opportunities from mentors and digital forums.

Key takeaways:

• Being open and adaptable is critical—yesterday’s best practices may not solve tomorrow’s problems.
• Human-AI collaboration is essential; tools like “Ruby” enable strategic impact while keeping the human touch at the core of performance management.
• AI empowers HR to move faster, become more strategic partners to the business, and focus on high-value work.
• Start experimenting on a personal level, remain proactive about new tech, and always align technology adoption with business objectives

HR Bytes is powered by HR Geckos; check out our copilot for HR Operations at https://hrgeckos.com.

Tune into more insightful #HRBytes at https://hrgeckos.com/podcast.html.

Kandi’s connection recommendations: Eva Feng

Kandi’s Podcast recommendation: The Ready

Kandi’s HR Playlist recommendation: Love Shack

Give our work from anywhere Spotify HR Music Playlist, Geckos Grooves, a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cgLqXsUutUyfBha9ICNFT?si=06dd8ea87f0a4810

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Copyright @HRGeckos 2025

Jay Polaki, Founder and CEO of HR Geckos (https://hrgeckos.com/), engages in a fascinating conversation with Margaret Ruvoldt. Margaret shares her excitement about the evolving role of AI and automation in HR. She emphasizes the importance of understanding AI fundamentals and encourages her team to utilize generative AI in everyday tasks to become familiar with its capabilities. Margaret discusses striking a balance between high-value human interactions and technological efficiencies, enabling her team to focus on more impactful work. She also provides insight into her role at Learn Behavioral, a company that offers autism services across 26 states. Margaret highlights the growing recognition of HR as a vital business driver and expresses her enthusiasm for working in a company that values people's function. She envisions a future where AI and automation are seamlessly integrated into HR practices, enhancing efficiency and the employee experience while maintaining meaningful human engagement.

HR Bytes is powered by HR Geckos; check out our copilot for HR Operations at https://hrgeckos.com.

Tune into more insightful #HRBytes at https://hrgeckos.com/podcast.html.

Give our work from anywhere Spotify HR Music Playlist, Geckos Grooves, a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cgLqXsUutUyfBha9ICNFT?si=06dd8ea87f0a4810

Visit #HRBytes' Web Home at https://hrgeckos.com/podcast.html

Copyright @HRGeckos 2025