The Future of Work Has Already Changed—Here's What's Coming Next

Is the term HR outdated? We discuss the future of work, the evolution of human resources, and the reality of People's Strategy 2030. This conversation is for anyone interested in the future of work, HR strategy, and practical approaches to building better organizations. We move past the traditional corporate jargon to have a frank, human discussion about what actually matters in modern business. We are not interested in boring suit podcasts; instead, we aim to shoot the breeze about real problems and honest solutions. Today, we tackle one of the biggest debates in the industry: is it time to officially retire the term HR? We look at how human resources is shifting, why the label might be holding professionals back, and what a more modern People's Strategy 2030 might look like in practice. This discussion aims to address critical topics in human resource management and human resources in a practical, engaging way. We dive into questions others might avoid, such as whether the term "HR" is still relevant, and explore the future of work and people management. HR is getting automated, rebranded, and quietly side lined in too many organisations and that is exactly why we want to talk about it properly. Kieran Gilmurray and Laura Lawless open People Strategy 2030 with a blunt question: is it time to retire the term HR? Not as a cheap rebrand, but as a serious look at what should disappear (paper pushing, policy obsession, outsourced “service desk” moments) and what must become more valuable as AI accelerates. TL;DR / At A Glance retiring transactional HR work that technology can automate Ulrich model lessons and why admin should not define HR why rebranding to People Ops rarely changes outcomes the trust gap and whether employee advocacy should sit outside HR pushing people responsibility back to leaders and making HR the architect the leadership capability gap in feedback, coaching and tough conversations whether AI-generated feedback can be fair, trusted and useful AI plus human coaching as the practical middle ground designing jobs for humans and AI, not just automation who should own agentic AI, workforce strategy and organisational design shifting success measures from compliance to capability Kieran Gilmurray and Laura Lawless dig into why the Ulrich model promised a shift away from admin, yet many teams still operate like process owners rather than capability builders. From employee trust to ethics and advocacy roles, they explore whether HR can realistically represent both employer and employee, or whether those responsibilities should be separated. The thread running through it all is simple: if leaders do not own hiring, coaching, feedback and performance, the system collapses and HR becomes the substitute manager nobody actually trusts. Then Kieran Gilmurray and Laura Lawless take on AI in the workplace head-on: agentic AI, feedback generated by machines, and the uncomfortable idea of “AI coaching” replacing human conversations. Their take is practical: AI can augment preparation and insight, but humans still carry empathy, judgement and accountability. The future of work needs job redesign for humans and AI together, plus clearer ownership across business strategy, people strategy and tech strategy. If you want a smarter conversation about HR transformation, people strategy, organisational design and leadership development in the AI era, listen now, subscribe, and share your view. Should we retire HR or rebuild it from the ground up? 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱? 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲. ☎️ FREE introductory meeting: https://calendly.com/kierangilmurray/... ✉️ Email: [email protected] 🌎 Visit my website: https://KieranGilmurray.com. Kieran