Ep: 33 — Practical 2026 Employee Relations Initiatives: Calendars, Competence, and Risk Assessment
Release Date: 01/03/2026
Ep: 39 — The Future of AI is Dark: Productivity, Workflows, and the Future of Human Talent
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
Alan explores how those promised, massive AI productivity gains will actually be achieved in business. He maintains that while AI tools boost quality and speed for employees, true workforce productivity requires a total shift in organizational design. Building paradigm-changing, end-to-end AI workflows designed for human intervention is key for HR leaders. Finally, he examines the 'dark factories' emerging not just in China, but also in Europe, and what this wave of automation means for the future of human talent management. Key Takeaways: Technology and job loss. [1:42] How...
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Ep: 38 — 8 Actions Every CHRO Needs to Know About Supply Chain Risk and Responsibility
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
Alan explores the difference between employment strategies and workforce strategies. HR leaders who focus on employment models, rather than workforce models, across their value chain are leaving responsibility for their biggest ‘people’ risk in the hands of people often least able to manage it, and leaving themselves and their companies open to financial and reputational shocks. Key Takeaways: History of workforce management in the supply chain. [1:56] How gig economy labor models blur the lines of responsibility. [3:42] Challenges and ramifications for companies...
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Ep: 37 — A Blueprint for Regional Leadership: What Every CHRO Needs to Understand about Supply Chain Risk and Responsibility
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
Alan explores how global employment models create blind spots in the value chain. He discusses how neglecting strong workforce strategies risks liability and suggests empowering regional leaders to maintain oversight and reduce fiscal shocks in a changing market. Key Takeaways: Adaptable Human Resource Managers are essential to business success. [2:14] HR practices drive regional and global business outcomes. [4:37] Economic models that shape global HR delivery. [6:05] Country-by-country examples of how to achieve regional HR success. [6:52] Resources: ...
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Ep: 36 — Shut Up & Lead: How “Quiet” CEO’s Improve Employee Experience
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
The shift from Milton Friedman’s "the business of business is business" to the era of the activist CEO has reshaped the modern workplace. While the rise of corporate political speech initially empowered employees, it also triggered a wave of polarization and internal dissent. As leaders begin to quiet, is a return to executive neutrality actually the secret to a better employee experience? Key Takeaways: A CEO’s public statements about social issues. [1:50] The rise of open social warfare in the workplace. [4:09] Corporate navigation of liberalized speech. [6:51] 5...
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Ep: 35 — The AI Mandate: 5 Global Challenges for HR
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
It’s impossible to ignore the flood of AI content in HR today—much of it generated by AI itself. At the CHRO Association, we provide expert guidance led by IBM’s Nickle LaMoreaux: AI is 'the big thing' for a reason, as it will reshape work globally. HR leaders are pivotal to this success, but first, they must master five global challenges. Key Takeaways: In the age of AI, a CHRO needs to embrace rapid and continuous change. [1:53] Global AI challenges, by country. [2:46] Building an environment of trust. [3:53] Implementing AI tools with Trade Unions and Work...
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Ep: 34 — Union Organizing Risk in the US Decoded: Transforming Anxiety into High-Performance
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
In the U.S., many companies are gripped by a "union-free" obsession, pouring massive budgets into positive employee relations programs that often feel anything but positive to the actual workers. While these expensive strategies are designed to keep unions at bay, they frequently miss the mark on what actually drives a business forward. Alan explains how a true "Employee Experience" agenda is broader and more proactive than simple union avoidance, as it focuses on performance and culture rather than defense. Key Takeaways: Streamlining U.S. Labor Relations for Lower...
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Ep: 33 — Practical 2026 Employee Relations Initiatives: Calendars, Competence, and Risk Assessment
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
Demands on ER functions have increased in recent years and show no signs of slowing. In part two of the blueprint for success in 2026 Wild Side Pod, Alan offers a practical look at the initiatives that will lead to Employee Relations success this year. Alan covers three practical high-impact strategies that increase success potential. The building blocks of an essential ERT calendar, leveraging data to predict areas of risk, and establishing ER competence deep within the organization. Key Takeaways: Constructing an Employee Relations calendar. [2:33] Anticipating...
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Ep: 32 — A Seat at the Table of Influence: Shaping Strategy & Action Plans
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
The Wild Side Pod kicks off the New Year by providing Employee Relations leaders with a strategic blueprint for success in 2026. Alan emphasizes the importance of securing a seat at the decision-making table and details how to organize for success. He provides a framework for mastering role clarity, elevating employee experience and engagement by fostering the relationships necessary for the fair and fast resolution of workplace issues. Key Takeaways: How ER Managers can set themselves up for success in 2026. [3:47] Employee Relations leaders must prepare for strategy...
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Ep: 31 — Workplace Negotiations, Santa Style: How to Solve a Christmas Strike
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
The Wild side updates the traditional poem by Clement Clarke-Moore … “A visit from Saint Nicholas” into a modern-day setting involving offshoring, sustainability complaints, and strike action in Santa’s workshop. ’Twas the night before Christmas, the elves were on strike, not a candy cane ready, no presents in sight. The workshop lay quiet, with Christmas in doubt, the headlines on Reddit were “out comrades out”. Tune in to find out if an Employee Relations hero can step in to save Christmas … of course, she can. Key Takeaways: An ode to...
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Ep: 30 — Revision of the European Works Council Directive: Babies, Bathwater, and Golden Geese
A Walk On The Wild Side - Managing employee relations in global and millennial times ... 10 minutes at a time
For the specialists dealing with European Works Councils, this is for you. The European Works Council (EWC) 3.0 directive has been agreed upon by the Council of Ministers, European Commission, and Parliament. While this new text is less detrimental to businesses than initial proposals (which included penalties and injunctions against restructuring), it still necessitates negotiations for every existing EWC agreement. Crucially, pre-1996 EWC agreements will need to be replaced. This can be managed effectively with careful planning. Key Takeaways: Every EWC agreement in the...
info_outlineDemands on ER functions have increased in recent years and show no signs of slowing. In part two of the blueprint for success in 2026 Wild Side Pod, Alan offers a practical look at the initiatives that will lead to Employee Relations success this year.
Alan covers three practical high-impact strategies that increase success potential. The building blocks of an essential ERT calendar, leveraging data to predict areas of risk, and establishing ER competence deep within the organization.
Key Takeaways:
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Constructing an Employee Relations calendar. [2:33]
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Anticipating disruptions through risk assessment and prediction. [5:24]
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Limitations of employee engagement surveys. [9:13]
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Building Employee Relations competence in line management. [12:07]
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