Tami Nutt, Vice President, Research & Insights
Ten Years In: What Makes Workhuman Live Different
Ten years ago, Workhuman held its very first conference in Orlando, Florida. I remember those early years well. At the time, I was still an HR practitioner and my leadership team attended Workhuman Live as part of an off-site planning and team-building trip. To be honest, I was so jealous. The speaker lineups included Michelle Obama, Brené Brown, Amal Clooney, and Cy Wakeman. Even then, it was clear this wasn’t your typical HR or vendor event.
A decade later, that same spirit still defines the experience and attending fills my mind with knowledge and my heart with joy. It’s literally just so nice! The locations are nice, the expo (“Hub”) is nice, the food is nice, the sessions are nice. And the people - presenters, staff, attendees - are just so nice! They are engaged, eager to learn and share, and to have fun.
The 2025 event brought together over 4,000 attendees for four days of programming, including 65+ speakers and more than 50 hours of educational content. The theme - Change Your Altitude - captured what Workhuman Live has always done best: invite people to step back, reflect, and rethink how we work and lead.
Unlike most vendor-hosted conferences, this one isn’t built around product announcements or user training (though they are available). In fact, many attendees aren’t Workhuman customers (yet!). The conversations focus less on tools and more on outcomes and approach of recognition, culture, performance, equity, and the growing role of AI in shaping how people experience work.
Recognition as a Source of Insight, Not Just Gratitude
One of Workhuman’s strongest differentiators remains its ability to turn recognition into strategy. CEO Eric Mosley opened the conference by reinforcing a core belief: the data we gather through human interactions can reveal meaningful insights about culture and performance, if we capture it and know how to use it.
This year, Workhuman announced updates that aim to make that even more actionable:
- Culture Hub: Surfaces what’s being celebrated across teams and aligns it with company values, creating visibility into the lived experience of culture.
- Recognition Advisor: Guides employees to write more meaningful recognition, improving the quality of both the message and the data it produces.
- Reward Stories: Shares stories of how employees use their rewards, showing others the effect of giving and giving the organization a chance to connect with the community.
- AI Assistant: Gives managers new visibility into employee impact and performance patterns, especially for those who aren’t always the loudest in the room.
There’s early experimentation with predictive analytics too. One example shared: employees who received 9+ high-value awards in a year were 5x more likely to receive a future innovation award. While still a directional signal, it shows the potential for recognition to play a broader role in performance, succession, and workforce planning.
Adam Grant on Potential, Feedback, and Learning
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant returned to Workhuman Live this year with a focus on “hidden potential” - defined as the capacity for growth that’s often overlooked. My ears perked on this, as it’s an issue I’m researching related to talent acquisition.
He encouraged organizations to shift their focus from polish to trajectory. Some key points:
- Look beyond first impressions; track progress, not perfection.
- Recognize culture carriers, even when they challenge norms.
- Build psychological safety by modeling vulnerability as a leader.
- Replace backward-looking feedback with forward-focused advice.
- Don’t wait for confidence; action builds it.
He also offered practical strategies for improving hiring and development. He shared a story of a colleague who calls candidates ahead of time to learn about their interests, prepares interviewers to bring out a candidate’s strengths, and asks interviewees how the process could improve. It’s about seeing potential as something you nurture, not something you identify.
AI: Progress, Caution, and the Need for Context
Like most conferences this year, AI was a central theme. But Workhuman approached it with more nuance than hype. There was a consistent focus on the importance of data quality and context - without those, scaling AI can just mean scaling bad assumptions.
AI can offer visibility into hidden contributors, patterns, and risks. But it only works if the data is clean, the assumptions are challenged, and the outcomes are clearly defined. That was echoed from leaders at ADP, Cisco, BP, and others - many of whom are building internal audits, ethics councils, and AI literacy into their adoption strategies.
HR Leadership in an Era of Complexity
Sessions featuring senior HR leaders from organizations like Cisco, BP, and ADP reinforced a broader truth: HR’s role is no longer just about compliance or programs; it’s about navigating complexity with clarity.
Key takeaways included:
- You can’t separate culture from business performance - they’re connected.
- Resilient leadership means having the courage to speak up and slow down when needed.
- AI, if applied thoughtfully, can enhance human conversations, not replace them.
- Recognition doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective; what matters most is that it’s authentic, timely, and aligned to purpose.
The complexity of courage was highlighted by a story from Kerry Dryburgh from BP. She shared how prioritizing their people and integrity shaped their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. BP decided to exit its business operations in Russia and support employees’ exit to safety. “Business is important; but sometimes it's the people first and the business second.”
These aren’t theoretical conversations; they’re leadership decisions made in real time, under pressure.
DEI: From Acronym to Embedded Practice
A standout panel took on the oft-heated and recently avoided topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Holly Ransom guided the conversation with Alaysia Black Hackett, Kia Afcari, Valeisha Butterfield, and Verna Myers.
Speakers challenged the tendency to treat DEI as rhetoric rather than operational design. They called for:
- Disaggregating data to uncover gaps and assumptions
- Using recognition and performance data to surface equity issues
- Reframing belonging not as “nice to have,” but as core to business integrity
As Holly Ransom put it after reviewing the definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion: “None of this should be controversial. It’s just humanity.”
Launch of the WSJ CPO Council
A major announcement underscored just how much the role of HR is evolving. Workhuman and The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute unveiled the WSJ Chief People Officer Council.
“The Council cements what we’ve long believed: people leadership is business leadership,” said KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman. The invitation-only Council will bring together senior HR leaders from global enterprises to tackle big questions around AI, culture, DEI, and the future of work.
In a time of global disruption, this move signals what many HR leaders have known for years: the most pressing business challenges are people challenges. You can find out more about the WSJ CPO Council here: https://cpocouncil.wsj.com/
Leadership Lessons from Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah didn’t take the stage at Workhuman Live 2025 to entertain, even though he did get plenty of laughs and lots of applause. What stood out most was his perspective on leadership: honest, authentic, and relevant.
1. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you do have to speak up.
“Fear breeds in uncertainty,” Trevor said. And it’s true. When things are unclear, people get nervous. And there a great many things unclear at the moment! Leaders don’t need to pretend they know everything. But they do need to communicate. Saying, “Here’s what we know, and here’s what we don’t” goes a long way.
2. The best leaders aren’t above the team, they’re part of it.
A lot of people picture leaders as being separate, standing above the rest. Trevor sees it differently: real leadership is about being with your people. It’s about showing up, asking questions, and being present, not making decisions from a distance.
3. Doubt isn’t a weakness, it’s where growth starts.
“In order to do great things,” he said, “you have to have some measure of doubt.” That doubt drives curiosity, and curiosity drives better thinking. The leaders who keep asking why and how are the ones who uncover better ways to work.
4. Not everything deserves your attention.
In a world full of noise, leaders need to help teams focus. We’re constantly flooded with information that feels urgent, but most of it isn’t. Trevor reminded us to slow down and focus on what actually matters to people and the business.
5. Tech means nothing without people.
Whether we’re talking about AI or new systems, Trevor kept it simple: “Without the people buying into it, the tech will be useless.” No matter how advanced the tools, they only work if people understand them, trust them, see how they help, and use them.
6. Listening might be the most powerful thing a leader can do.
Trevor shared research from the education world based on the work of his foundation: one of the biggest predictors of student success was having someone who simply listened. It’s the same at work. People usually don’t need direction or fixes; they need to be and feel heard.
Trevor Noah’s take on leadership wasn’t polished or packaged; it was real. He made the case for leading with curiosity, honesty, and connection. And in a time when everything feels a little uncertain, that kind of leadership might be exactly what people need most.
Final Thoughts
Workhuman Live serves as a think tank for the modern workplace. Recognition is the entry point, but the conversations stretch well beyond that, into culture, leadership, technology, and inclusion (by the way, so does their product).
For HR professionals, business leaders, and really anyone who works with people, it’s a useful pulse check and one of the most delightful conference environments. There’s great practical insights, not just on where HR technology is headed, but on how we continue to bring more clarity, connection, and care into the way we lead and follow.
Around the Campfire – Event Extras
The Gaylord Rockies was a fabulous venue! The resort is built with a gorgeous view of the mountains, framed by deluxe lodge architecture. The conference facilities were large but easy to traverse. I’ll definitely be going back for a family retreat.
The final mainstage session with Trevor Noah was highly anticipated with the line to snag front-section seats wrapping through the Hub and down the hall. A thunderstorm blew in on the last afternoon/evening, right when Trevor Noah’s plane was trying to land… and didn’t - at least not when it was supposed to. The audience was notified that the diversion to another landing location and subsequent drive to the event caused a delay and that it would push the session back about 45 minutes. Serendipitously, the post-party drinks and snacks were already set out, so the audience got the party started a bit early and promptly returned to their seats with the announcement that “Trevor is in the building!”
The Workhuman Dance Floor was put to good use at the after party, where many HR professionals and prominent speakers could be found doing the “Wobble.”
