Embracing 2025: Santa Stories, AI in HR and Performance Trends

In the first episode of 2025, Chris Bjorling, President at Fidello Inc., returns to the HRchat show for a heartwarming kickoff! From sharing his first adventure as Santa Claus to his hopes for the year ahead, Chris fills our episode with personal stories and professional wisdom.

Listen as Bill Banham and Chris journey through the expanding role of AI in HR, offer a nostalgic nod to the evolution of AI since the late 80s, and Chris shares his optimistic outlook on technology's growing presence in HR.

As we navigate the shifting tides of 2025 HR trends, discover how performance measurements are embracing flexibility with ongoing success discussions that cater to diverse work styles. We delve into the rigorous recruitment processes of today's employer-driven market, emphasizing structured interviews and transparent job descriptions. 

Looking ahead, Chris and Bill preview season 14 of the People and Performance Podcast, featuring elite sports figures sharing lessons for the corporate world. Plus, learn why attending conferences like SHRM and ATD can offer fresh perspectives on HR and performance management. Connect with us on LinkedIn and explore our website for more exciting content!

Chapters

• 0:03 2025 HR Tech Trends and Reflections
• 6:43 Evolving Performance Measurement in 2025
• 13:14 Elite Sports and HR Events

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to the HR Chat Show, one of the world's most downloaded and shared podcasts designed for HR pros, talent execs, tech enthusiasts and business leaders. For hundreds more episodes and what's new in the world of work, subscribe to the show, follow us on social media and visit hrgazettecom.

Speaker 2: 0:26

Chris Bueling, welcome to the HR Chat Show.

Speaker 3: 0:29

Happy 2025, bill. It is a wonderful thing. I've experienced this with you and we've already used up a quarter of a century. Who thought this when because I'm ancient I was thinking back the other day of you know the Y2K bug, you know years ago, and all of a sudden it's like we're 25 years into this new year, you know, into the century. So, anyway, welcome to 2025.

Speaker 2: 0:56

I have spent the majority of my life in the 21st century and I've got to say, generally speaking, it's got scarier and scarier as we've gotten into the century actually. But, uh, let's not be pessimistic, let's be optimistic, we've got a year ahead of us. So let's, let's spread the optimism and uh and share some good vibes with our, with our folks. Um, so, very recently, we had you on the show talking about 2024 and reviewing that, um, so I would direct folks to that episode to get the uh two minutes, uh summary from chris in terms of who he is and what he gets up to. Instead, my first question for you for this particular episode, chris, is what is one thing that our listeners do not know about?

Speaker 3: 1:48

Ooh, ooh. That's a great question. One thing people don't know. Well, I finally did it Last year. Okay, I dressed as Santa Claus for the first time and entertained 100 kids and then my own grandkids. So there's something, bill, that you can put in your Santa pipe and smoke. It was that moment that I did that and you know it was fun. I've got this voice, Ho ho, ho. You know kids loved it.

Speaker 2: 2:17

So, as I look back at 2024 and something that nobody really knows about, I did that and it was fun, and maybe I'll do it in the future too I've got to say if I was a little lad again and you came in dressed as santa with your big booming voice and and listeners, you can't see this right now, but chris, chris is a pretty tall guy, he's an imposing guy. I would totally buy that you were santa.

Speaker 3: 2:42

I've got to say well, thank you, I will share a picture with you. Okay, all right, and you can. You can have it just on screen, capture it and share it with everybody else.

Speaker 2: 2:52

So chris, what are you most looking forward to in 2025?

Speaker 3: 2:58

I am most looking forward to 2025.

Speaker 3: 3:00

I like, maybe just so personally we're going to get two new grandkids this year, so I'm excited about that, that opportunity, so that's a that's a fun thing and getting time with those grandkids.

Speaker 3: 3:10

But let's talk about the professional world that you brought me here for Um. I am looking forward to the continued energy around the utilization of artificial intelligence into our HR workspace and, more specifically, into a lot of our tools that are there because it makes sense. Now, some people have, you know in the past, have been putting tools in and pieces in place and they do a great job, and some are just tools that are AI tools that are wonderful, but as you integrate into, like a talent management system, you got to get the right balance, and so I'm looking at getting that right balance and equating that right balance over tool sets that I look at this year as we're going forward and tool sets that we create for our clients too, where you know what's the right balance, that it's there. What, when you provide a performance review for somebody, should ChatGPT be the one that gives you that data, or should it be a little bit of both you and chat gpt, or should it just be you supported with chat, gpt thoughts.

Speaker 2: 4:10

So it's kind of getting that balance right to keep it personal still, while utilizing great influence that we have in this world of knowledge that we live in isn't it weird to think when you and I started working together, doing episodes on this show and then starting the People in Performance podcast chat, GPT was not a thing. Isn't that weird to think, Kenny?

Speaker 3: 4:35

Yeah, it's like when I first started we were like what is fire? We didn't know I'm that old, no, I'm just kidding but it is. It is something that's there and you know it's one of these reflective things I you know to to, since I have a long and tenured career. Let me just share one thing. I was dealing with artificial intelligence back in the late 80s. It was actually being used for us to write courseware within a major corporation, and so we would feed it these variables and it would kick out responses and offload a lot of course development for us at that time. So to watch it come forward is great, you know, and to see it where it is now, which is so far advanced from where I had seen it back so so long ago you know it was, it's been interesting.

Speaker 3: 5:26

I've had the pleasure over the years of going to different conferences and seeing different things, you know, and listening to Mr Gates in person talk about some things and seeing some technology things that took 10 to 15 years to actually come to full fruition and reach the product world. So, yeah, chat, gpt, you know just that evolution that from when I first, you know, played with something in that area to what it is now. Wow, you know what? How does it tie everything together? And and the continuous learning that it has and the ability to do the you know structured requests and get very data out and then even query the data set again.

Speaker 3: 6:08

It's, you know, I I find myself sometimes, bill, to be honest with you inside the space, just being polite. Hey, thank you very much. Oh, you're welcome. You know, and just you know, just like I'm having a conversation with a real human and, uh, you know, maybe we're all going to be at that stage someday. Thanks for listening to this episode of the HR chat podcast. If you enjoy the audio content we produce, you'll love our articles on the HR Gazette. Learn more at hrgazettecom. And now back to the show.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Okay, my next question was going to be around tech trends, but I feel like we've just done the generative piece, so let's skip over that one Instead. How Chris has measuring the performance of employees, because this is something you and I focus on heavily in the People and Performance podcast. How is measuring the performance of employees changed over recent years, perhaps partly because of generative technologies, and how will it continue to evolve in 2025? And, of course, the context here is that it is currently an employer's job market.

Speaker 3: 7:17

Yeah, you know the employer's job market. Yeah, you know the employee's job market is. There's really two facets here to this question that you gave me, and so let me go back to how do we measure performance. One of the biggest things that we're seeing over that is that several years ago there was a an article by a major consulting company that said, oh, we're scrapping the annual and everybody's kind of reacted this way or that way. And you know, you get a mix of people that still do an annual performance or still do quarterlies or semi-annual and and this and that, and it's very rigid and it's it goes through that process and then you have others that have relaxed that and they pull it together. But what we're seeing a lot is, you know, because of the factor that we now have so many generations, that we've been able to identify different work habits, different work styles, different work needs, different employee needs. That you kind of moved it. We've kind of moved it for a lot of our clients into the concept of performance discussion or success discussions, and it's really around focusing on hey, what'd you do, how can we make, how can we help you do better as an organization, how can you do better for us. And then also, hey, where do you want to be? What's your next position? Because a lot of people are expecting these opportunities to go and and I know, at the end of the year you're asking me about some of the career management and succession planning. You know a lot of that has to deal with these conversations of you know what can you do, how can you prepare yourself, how can you develop yourself, moving forward and to go into that light, you know, and it puts you out there and so working inside that space is really great. Second aspect of your question there, which was you know it's an employer's market. We were seeing that last year and you know we didn't really address it in the 2024 wrap up, but I think it's going to continue again going into this year until we get some more sparks into our economies globally as well as country by country, because there are a lot of people looking for positions and a lot of people and a lot less positions to be looked at, and so that gives the employer a little bit more of an upper hand.

Speaker 3: 9:23

One thing that I am watching and witnessing, and it's annoyance for those looking for a job, but I seem to see us, or interviewers or recruiters, putting more effort in and maybe I'm just selling it short from the past, but more effort into being more conscientious about getting better qualified candidates into a position, and that's usually done through more multiple interview bases and structured interview questions with expected understandings of responses and a lot of you know, shows and tells and you know. Come demonstrate this for us. You know they've been around before, but I think the companies are spending more time getting an understanding of what that position is from a transparency standpoint, because a lot of times in the past we would, you know, post a job and it was an outdated job description, and so you get into the workplace and all of a sudden it's not there. You looked at a job on LinkedIn or you looked at a job at a job board and it said X and you get into the organization and it's X minus Y, z and A and you're like whoa, I didn't sign up for that originally.

Speaker 3: 10:31

So I think the groups and the employers have been doing a better job, getting an understanding of what it really means to be in that seat and asking better questions around it. So, while it's been harder for us or for people that are looking for employment. I think the experience is better for them and if they focus on it and learn and figure out their skill sets better, they're going to represent themselves better to an organization. But I also think from an organizational standpoint on it, and learn and figure out their skill sets better, they're going to represent themselves better to an organization. But I also think from an organizational standpoint it really brings in a better candidate when you do the due diligence and you bring them to the table.

Speaker 4: 11:07

This episode of the HR Chat Podcast is supported by Nebula Academy, a technology industry-focused workforce accelerator that offers learning programs to prepare individuals for successful careers. Our approach is centered around cognitive neuroscience research, combining the latest research and modern learning methods to create informative and psychologically safe learning experiences. Our programs enable individuals to achieve career readiness and immediate impact in their chosen field. Moreover, we help businesses create positive learning experiences, increase productivity, enhance team performance and build upskilling resources to meet the needs of today's modern workplace. Learn more at nebulaacademycom. Thanks, and now back to the HRr chat show okay, thank you very much, uh.

Speaker 2: 11:55

So next question uh, I would guide our listeners to listen to the uh 2024 in review episode for for a longer uh insight here. But, um, very briefly, in 60 seconds or less, I'm going to challenge you in 60 seconds or less to answer this one. As fidello looks to 2025. Chris, what are what key takeaways from 2024 will shape your approach to improving human performance and helping orgs achieve better results?

Speaker 3: 12:25

yeah, um, for me, it's around repackaging ideas we've had for a long time, and part of that is that repackaging ideas that we've had for a long time and part of that is that repackage, rebrand, update, refresh is the fact that, with the multiple generations of the workforce that are, you know, continuing to be here and continuing to need more time and addressing, we kind of have to change some of the ways we've done things, and I think that refreshment and update is important for us to go forward along these lines and it's, you know, sometimes it's term-based that we work on and sometimes it's really hey, how do we change the whole process and how do we make it more fun and how do we put it into a better position for everybody involved, not just, you know, the older baby boomer set, or just the gen A's or gen Z's or gen Y's or gen whatever's, or just the Gen A's or Gen Z's or Gen Y's or Gen whatever's you know that are out there.

Speaker 3: 13:14

You know, getting something that's palpable across the spectrum is really important for us, and that's kind of where our focus is going to be this year. Is that and bringing AI pieces into a smarter, more intelligent way.

Speaker 2: 13:27

Very good. Okay, now it's time for a shameless plug listeners. So I'm going to take over the microphone just for a moment just to make you aware of upcoming content from the People and Performance podcast. So regular listeners of the HR Chat Show will know that I have the pleasure and wonderment to spend many an hour with Mr Bueling recording the People and Performance podcast. With Mr Bueling recording the People in Performance podcast, we have pretty much just wrapped up season 13, and season 14 is on its way, and it's a special season that you should absolutely check out.

Speaker 2: 14:02

Why is it special, bill? Well, for the first time in the history of the People in Performance podcast, our guests are all from the world of elite sports. So we've got a bunch of different guests who are going to be talking about some of the lessons that they've taken from elite sports and carried those over into the corporate world when it comes to improving the performance of organizations and individuals. So I do hope that you can join chris and I. For season 14. Guests include cory samuels, player over at bristol basketball team. Emma ross, co-founder and chief scientific officer at the well hq and former head of psychology at the english institute of sport. Carl dixon, who is a terribly famous rugby referee, including uh refereeing quarterfinals and semifinals of the rugby world cup. Zoe Thompson, who's a former British strong woman, uh Steve Mellor, an ex-Olympic swimmer. Felicia Rickards and many, many, many more amazing guests. So do check out those, and then we'll be back with a standard season, season 15.

Speaker 3: 15:14

Bill, that is so exciting, you know, having those interviews, done those interviews with you. These people are great. They've got great pearls of wisdom for the business community and it's just fun. I mean, we talked with a, we talked with an Olympic meddling coach this this past fall and it was a blast. You know know they just came out of the summer olympics and and it was good to hear, you know what he was saying and was there and you know lessons pertinent for all business world coming out of this stuff.

Speaker 2: 15:42

So I'm excited for this this season me too, as, as should you be listeners, watch this space. It's coming to airwaves near you very, very soon. Uh, okay, chris, uh, events, events in 2025. You and I were talking about this very recently, when we're on a call which wasn't recorded and we're talking about some potential events coming up in 2025. Um, one of them will, of course, be disrupt hr buffalo. You and I are co-organizers of that. We'll be bringing that back to the fine city of Buffalo. That's exciting. Lots of other conferences happening this year that we possibly, or probably, should attend ATD, shrm, hr Tech and others. Any events you want to highlight that you are looking forward to, slash hoping to attend in 2025?.

Speaker 3: 16:31

Excellent. Well, first of all, I'm going to start with Disrupt Buffalo. That is going to be a blast and I look forward to it. If we have as much energy and excitement as we had last time. It was just wonderful and I think it would be great to do. Well, I know it's going to be great to do again, but if we have that same energy it's going to be wonderful and I look forward to that. And that's a local activity for me Now. Shrm, atd, those are wonderful events unto themselves.

Speaker 3: 16:56

You know, it's kind of like. It's kind of you know, I was thinking the other day after we talked and it's kind of like in the States you're going to the state fair and seeing all the prize winning things you know that were done over the year in different areas. Because when you go to a SHRM and you have these conference session breakouts or an ATD, and you have the breakouts sessions and you're learning and you're seeing, you're seeing you know concepts that people had a challenge and then a focus and then a you know a brainstorming session and then a focus on how to solve that for their organization. And then how did that successfully, you know, manifest it, and then they shared those values with us and it's not always like, oh, I'm just going to do that in my organization, but what it does is it's a seeding or opportunity for you to learn things, learn success measures that are out there, apply, you know, different decision tools into how you can handle a challenge.

Speaker 3: 17:50

You may have slightly different by thinking outside the box or by thinking into some of these examples that were given at a SHRM or an ATD, examples that were given in a SHRM or an ATD. And also for you and I, it's great to be on the floor and to see the advancements with the organizations, with the tools and their support needs that are out there, and see where creative thinking has come along and somebody's taking the chance to go forward or organization has really made a great improvement in something that they've been doing for years, but now it's on the cutting, cutting edge. So going to any of these events is great. I'd love to be at sherman, love to be at atd and hopefully, you know, as as time permits, we can make that happen again this year thank you, mr buehling.

Speaker 2: 18:28

And just finally, how can our listeners connect with and learn more about all of the cool stuff that you get up to?

Speaker 3: 18:34

yeah, you're welcome to join me on linkedin. Christopher buehling uh, it-j-o-r-l-i-n-g. You'll see me out there not in a Santa suit, but you'll see me out there, and that's for me personally. But then our organization is wwwfidelolocom, and feel free to take a look at what we do for across the board. See some of the clients we worked with over the years. It's been a great range. We don't discriminate, and so you're going to see a lot of fun names there and there's stories behind every one of those. So reach out to me and ask me hey, what'd you do for this group? And we'd love to tell you and I'd love to connect on LinkedIn just because you've got a story and I'd love to hear it.

Speaker 2: 19:15

Perfect. Well, that just leaves me to say Christopher Bueling, my good friend love you lots, thank you very much for being my guest. Well, thank you, sir, and the love goes back to you. Thank you and listeners, as always until next time, happy working.

Speaker 1: 19:33

Thanks for listening to the HR Chat Show. If you enjoyed this episode, why not subscribe and listen to some of the hundreds of episodes published by HR Gazette and remember for what's new in the world of work. Subscribe to the show, follow us on social media and visit hrgazettecom.