Featuring scholarly and practitioner insights from HR and people leaders, industry experts, and researchers.

In this HCI Webinar, I talk with Eric Saylors about how AI is a "cognitive acid test" for leaders. Eric Saylors is the author of Quantifying a Negative (2015), Sense Making in Risk Assessments (2022), and The 7-Year Active Shooter Study (2026). He is a Fire Chief with over 30 years of experience and holds a Doctorate in Leadership from the University of Southern California. In addition to serving as Product Lead for HEN Technologies, Eric currently serves as Fire Chief of the El Cerrito–Kensington Fire Department, having previously spent 25 years with the Sacramento City Fire Department. Over the course of his career, he has served in every rank from firefighter/paramedic to Fire Chief, including engineer, captain, battalion chief, and assistant chief. His operational experience includes assignments on ambulances, fire engines, ladder trucks, a Type 1 HazMat team, and a heavy rescue unit. He has responded to and managed a wide range of incidents, including high-rise fires, large commercial fires, wildland-urban interface incidents, basement fires, and balloon-frame construction fires. Prior to joining executive leadership, he served as Battalion Chief 1 in downtown Sacramento, one of the busiest operational areas in the region. In addition to his doctorate, Chief Saylors holds two associate degrees, a bachelor’s degree in finance, and a master’s degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. He regularly consults with fire departments nationwide on active shooter response, leadership development, succession planning, and post-incident analysis, and has published more than twenty articles on homeland security and fire service topics.

This research explores the complex challenges organizations face when transitioning employees from flexible remote work back to mandatory office attendance. The research highlights how these restrictive mandates often violate the psychological contract between employers and staff, leading to increased turnover and decreased trust. To mitigate these risks, the research advocates for transparent communication and the adoption of outcome-based performance evaluations rather than monitoring physical presence. It also emphasizes the importance of capability building, such as training managers to lead distributed teams and optimizing office spaces for collaboration. Ultimately, the research argues that long-term organizational success depends on creating adaptable systems that balance business needs with employee expectations for autonomy. Successful transitions are presented as a matter of procedural justice and strategic infrastructure rather than simple policy enforcement.

This research explores the complex challenges organizations face when transitionining employees from flexible remote work back to mandatory office attendance. The research highlights how these restrictive mandates often violate the psychological contract between employers and staff, leading to increased turnover and decreased trust. To mitigate these risks, the research advocates for transparent communication and the adoption of outcome-based performance evaluations rather than monitoring physical presence. It also emphasizes the importance of capability building, such as training managers to lead distributed teams and optimizing office spaces for collaboration. Ultimately, the research argues that long-term organizational success depends on creating adaptable systems that balance business needs with employee expectations for autonomy. Successful transitions are presented as a matter of procedural justice and strategic infrastructure rather than simple policy enforcement.

This research explores the complex challenges organizations face when transitionining employees from flexible remote work back to mandatory office attendance. The research highlights how these restrictive mandates often violate the psychological contract between employers and staff, leading to increased turnover and decreased trust. To mitigate these risks, the research advocates for transparent communication and the adoption of outcome-based performance evaluations rather than monitoring physical presence. It also emphasizes the importance of capability building, such as training managers to lead distributed teams and optimizing office spaces for collaboration. Ultimately, the research argues that long-term organizational success depends on creating adaptable systems that balance business needs with employee expectations for autonomy. Successful transitions are presented as a matter of procedural justice and strategic infrastructure rather than simple policy enforcement. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Abstract: The widespread adoption of virtual work arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered employment relationships and workplace expectations. However, recent return-to-office (RTO) mandates by major organizations have created significant tensions between employers seeking traditional oversight and employees who have adapted to flexible work arrangements. This article examines the organizational and individual consequences of abrupt work arrangement transitions and synthesizes evidence-based approaches for managing these shifts. Drawing on psychological contract theory, organizational justice frameworks, and change management literature, we identify five strategic intervention categories: transition communication and procedural fairness, capability development for dual-mode operations, redesigned performance management systems, technology infrastructure optimization, and psychological contract recalibration. Through analysis of organizational responses across technology, financial services, and professional services sectors, we demonstrate that successful transitions require deliberate attention to employee voice, transparent rationale provision, and systematic capability building rather than unilateral policy enforcement. The article concludes by outlining long-term organizational capabilities necessary for sustainable work arrangement flexibility, including distributed leadership structures, outcome-focused evaluation systems, and continuous learning mechanisms that prepare organizations for future workplace disruptions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This research explores the complex challenges organizations face when transitionining employees from flexible remote work back to mandatory office attendance. The research highlights how these restrictive mandates often violate the psychological contract between employers and staff, leading to increased turnover and decreased trust. To mitigate these risks, the research advocates for transparent communication and the adoption of outcome-based performance evaluations rather than monitoring physical presence. It also emphasizes the importance of capability building, such as training managers to lead distributed teams and optimizing office spaces for collaboration. Ultimately, the research argues that long-term organizational success depends on creating adaptable systems that balance business needs with employee expectations for autonomy. Successful transitions are presented as a matter of procedural justice and strategic infrastructure rather than simple policy enforcement. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This research examines the backfire effect of premature AI-driven layoffs, revealing that many organizations are now forced to rehire for roles they once thought were obsolete. Research shows that over 30% of managers have reinstated positions after discovering that algorithms cannot replicate essential human judgment, institutional knowledge, and emotional intelligence. The research argues that executives often prioritize technological hype over rigorous capability assessments, leading to operational failures and diminished customer satisfaction. To recover, companies must shift from a strategy of human substitution to one of complementarity, where AI augments rather than replaces expert staff. Ultimately, the research serves as both a critique of hasty automation and a guide for rebuilding organizational trust and resilience.

In this episode, the hosts tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in corporate America today: that AI is primarily a tool for cutting white-collar jobs. Drawing from recent research on frontier AI firms and labor economics data, they unpack why the "AI will replace workers" narrative is not only wrong, but potentially damaging to companies betting their futures on it. The conversation explores surprising findings about how AI is actually being deployed in organizations—not as a replacement for human workers, but as a powerful augmentation tool. Sarah breaks down the hidden costs of AI implementation that go far beyond software licensing, while Marcus shares eye-opening case studies of companies that got their AI strategy right (and wrong). They discuss why "workforce redesign" rather than workforce reduction is the real opportunity, and what it means to thoughtfully combine human expertise with machine capabilities. If your organization is navigating AI adoption—or if you're simply curious about what AI really means for the future of knowledge work—this episode offers a refreshing, evidence-based perspective that challenges the hype.