Nine To Thrive HR

Fresh from the SHRM 2026 Annual Conference, OrgChart CEO, Tom McCarty, breaks down the trends that defined this year's conference: from the rallying cry of "Taking Back HR" and the shift from reactive to strategic, to AI's growing role in the function, and Oprah's challenge to build cultures where people truly feel seen. Plus: what HR leaders should prioritize for the rest of 2026.

HR has always been at the center of the employee experience, but today's most effective HR leaders are storytellers. They’re shaping the narratives that define culture, drive engagement, and align organizations through change, and, in order to do this, they need the right tools and skillset.

In this episode, we sit down with Kimberlee Henry, CMO of OrgChart, to explore how HR can step into the role of chief organizational storyteller, from crafting authentic hiring narratives to communicating through layoffs and reorgs with clear visuals and data points.

Tom McCarty, CEO of OrgChart, recently visited the podcast to speak about the growing importance of strategic workforce planning. We discussed the need for continuous iterations when scenario planning and the importance of having a strong baseline of HR data, but we didn’t get to discuss one area that all HR leaders are considering when planning for the future: AI. In this podcast, we will discuss how leading HR teams are shaping their workforce to incorporate AI.

In this episode of Nine to Thrive HR, host Cindy Koetzle speaks with OrgChart CEO Tom McCarty about why strategic workforce planning is more important than ever as organizations face rapid growth, transformation, and the growing influence of AI. The conversation explores how leaders can better prepare for the future by defining a clear long-term vision, understanding their current organizational structure and talent landscape, and continuously monitoring progress through scenario planning and agile decision-making. They also discuss the limits of spreadsheet-based planning and the value of visual, real-time workforce data in helping HR leaders move beyond administrative tasks and into more strategic, human-centered conversations that support both business goals and employee success.

The workplace is shifting again and HR is caught in the middle. In this episode, we explore isolved’s HR’s New Balancing Act: 7 Trends to Watch in 2026 report and what it reveals about today’s talent market, the rise of AI in HR and the growing importance of trust and clarity.

From rethinking hiring and upskilling to simplifying benefits and protecting employee data, this conversation breaks down how HR leaders can balance business needs with employee expectations and turn change into a strategic advantage in 2026.