In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, Bill Banham is joined by future of work strategist Danny Stacy to unpack the growing disconnect between what employees now expect from work - flexibility, trust, and purpose — and the legacy systems many organisations still rely on.

The result of that gap? Disengagement, burnout, and quiet opting out.

Danny argues that the fix doesn’t start with perks or platforms, but with clarity. Leaders must define what “good work” looks like today, decide how AI-driven productivity gains will be shared, and equip managers to lead with empathy and accountability.

We also explore how hiring has changed. Even in slower markets, candidates are more selective, prioritising culture, adaptability, and long-term fit over pedigree. Danny explains why skills and potential now matter more than traditional credentials — and how to assess for capability without undermining fairness.

Looking ahead to AI in 2026, we challenge the idea that it’s simply a tech rollout. AI is a leadership decision. That means setting clear privacy guardrails, training middle managers to coach realistic use, and answering the question employees are already asking: who keeps the time AI saves?

We also get practical about well-being. Perks don’t fix broken work design. Real well-being shows up in workload, role clarity, trust, and manager quality. Danny shares the leadership behaviour that shifts culture fastest — empathy with accountability — and why moments of pressure reveal what organisational values are really worth.

We close with one actionable move to future-proof your talent strategy: write and share your people principles before buying the next shiny tool, then align hiring, development, and performance to those commitments.

In this episode, we cover:

• The gap between new employee expectations and old systems
• Why hiring now favours skills, adaptability, and long-term fit
• AI as a people decision — with clear value sharing
• Manager readiness and practical AI enablement
• Well-being as an operating model, not a perk
• Empathy with accountability as the leadership edge
• One action to future-proof talent strategy this year

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