#30 Scaling HR Operations with a 2-Person Team & AI Automation with Dom Dib, Head of HR at Maplewave

#30 Scaling HR Operations with a 2-Person Team & AI Automation with Dom Dib, Head of HR at Maplewave

Dom Dib is Head of Human Resources at Maplewave, a technology firm that won the Digital Nova Scotia Talent Champion Award and recognition as one of the best places to work in Atlantic Canada. Dom runs a two-person HR team supporting a globally distributed workforce across Canada, South Africa, and the Middle East, and his core operating principle is "Continuous Curiosity" — a company value that drives both product innovation and how his team adopts AI. After 20 years in HR, starting in retail sales management, Dom treats automation as a way to remove administrative load so the team can focus on strategy. This episode addresses the friction point People leaders hit between 100 and 1,500 employees: informal communication stops working, leadership can no longer oversee everything directly, and a small People team must scale culture and decision-making without scaling headcount. Dom Dib explains the specific systems Maplewave built to solve this with two people. Challenges Addressed * Scaling a lean People team across borders: Dom Dib runs HR for a globally distributed company with only two people, requiring standardized processes and intentional connectivity instead of in-office proximity. * Preserving culture and psychological safety in remote/hybrid setups: Maplewave lost natural in-person connection during the COVID transition and had to rebuild it deliberately across time zones. * Keeping human judgment in AI-assisted talent decisions: Dom Dib stresses that AI at Maplewave produces recommendations only, and personal employee data is never fed into AI systems for assessment. Actionable Takeaways 1. Map behavioral interview questions to each core value: For "Continuous Curiosity," Dom Dib's team asks candidates how they stay current with technology and whether they use AI in their work, so cultural fit is measured, not assumed. 2. Automate 30/60/90-day check-ins for both sides: Maplewave sends automated survey links to new hires and managers on each milestone, then uses AI to analyze sentiment on satisfaction, psychological safety, and onboarding gaps. This surfaces relationship and training gaps without manual tracking. 3. Build AI learning paths from de-identified role data: Have leaders map skills and competencies per role, then let AI recommend training against those gaps. Dom Dib confirms Maplewave uses only role-based data, never personal employee data, and advises checking privacy laws first. Questions This Episode Answers * How do you scale HR across multiple countries with a tiny team? Dom Dib relies on process standardization and rollout so every location knows the same values, tools, and processes. Maplewave also assigns intentional connectivity work to keep distributed teams aligned, a practice that became critical during COVID. * How can you use AI in talent development without violating privacy laws? At Maplewave, leaders first map role competencies, and AI recommends training only against that de-identified, role-based data. Dom Dib advises checking your jurisdiction's privacy laws before deploying AI in any talent assessment or screening. * How do you get leaders to buy into HR initiatives? Dom Dib leads by giving the end result and ROI first, then explaining the work, rather than telling the full story upfront. He frames HR as a partner that enables leaders, defining its own success by the success of leaders and employees. Links & Resources Mentioned: * Connect with Dom Dib [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dom-dib-cphr-shrm-scp/] on LinkedIn * Email Dom Dib directly: dom.dib@maplewave.com [dom.dib@mapleware.com]  * Maplewave website: www.maplewave.com [http://www.maplewave.com]

#29 Connecting People Decisions to EBITDA at Scaleups with Ted Forbes, Co-Author of Making HR Matter

Ted Forbes, co-author of Making HR Matter: What CEOs Want and How to Deliver It, spent 25 years running HR functions at companies ranging from United Airlines (85,000 employees) to the startup Cotopaxi (70 to 300 employees). Ted introduces the "Relevant HR" framework and income statement thinking—a method that connects every people decision directly to EBITDA and cash flow. Ted started in consulting on merger integration before moving into HR at Capital One after the 1991 downturn. For People teams in scaling companies, Ted addresses the moment when HR can no longer justify its work by activity alone. As headcount grows, leadership demands proof that talent, development, and well-being spend moves financial outcomes. Ted explains how to translate HR work into the numbers executives already track. Challenges Addressed * CEO expectations are capped by past experience: Ted Forbes explains that if a CEO's prior HR was tactical and compliance-focused, that becomes the ceiling for what they expect from the People function. * Activity over outcomes: HR leaders struggle to justify development and well-being investment because they report training attendance instead of results like sales improvement or EBITDA impact. * Expensive hires made blind: Forbes describes how technical hiring decisions get made without visibility into their effect on company-wide bonus and EBITDA metrics, and how HR sits isolated from FP&A. Actionable Takeaways 1. Apply income statement thinking: Map every HR initiative to a line on the income statement. If a People program has no connection to the financials, Ted Forbes advises questioning whether the work should continue. 2. Build a fixed labor cost metric: Bundle salary, benefits, relocation, bonuses, and perks into one number reported monthly against a ±2% tolerance. Ted used this to make hiring decisions transparent to the CEO and CTO. 3. Identify growth drivers with a modified nine-box: Plot employees by cultural role modeling against economic value creation. Ted invests differentially in the upper-right quadrant—typically 15–20% of staff who open markets, design products, or improve distribution.   Questions This Episode Answers * How do I connect leadership development ROI to financial outcomes at a scaleup? Ted Forbes recommends income statement thinking: tie each program to a financial line item and measure outcomes, not attendance. He invests more in the 15–20% of employees who drive economic value while maintaining baseline development for everyone else. * What metrics should HR report in monthly business reviews for a high-growth company? Ted built a single fixed labor cost metric—salary, benefits, relocation, bonuses, and perks combined—tracked monthly against a ±2% target. One aggregated line lets executives see how people spend affects EBITDA. * What financial literacy does an HR leader need when scaling from 100 to 1,000 employees? Ted Forbes advises building a relationship with FP&A and requesting walkthroughs of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. He stresses using the right outcome-focused numbers, not vanity metrics. Links & Resources Mentioned: * Connect with Ted Forbes on LinkedIn: search "Ted Forbes [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedforbesdivitiuspartners/]"  * Making HR Matter: What CEOs Want and How to Deliver It (200 pages) — available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Making-HR-Matter-What-Deliver/dp/B0H2C66T8P/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3ONRQRZK8M7DW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GwZpCGS3uBmA1Hi-aiW7Gb6pSrGatG7i6OrHOK9Er2K5vPG96EesXbODxqUzbQvd64l7PDodkcWW32zSJOF4kwYGFot5wnTigjnQA4g07czI2igyGIoVqgZTdDO0Z0S5dFd76unmq810SUFVlVC9Xw0rGVv363wi5KmStDA6_DMxWRa85d06zkkMMJ4Y_geV3gvbPd3xB0JZAi0tPMAXsoip4xb_hUSA4oIgKAfJK_o.UbBd1kL5wIs7xpuoIfwlt2di-cRN_Jyd-FQv2VFjpO0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Ted+Forbes&qid=1782123144&sprefix=ted+forbes%2Caps%2C261&sr=8-2]

#28 Managing Executive Stress & The Physiology of Pressure with Ed Howard

In this episode of Built by People Leaders, host Daria Rudnik sits down with Ed Howard, founder of One Breath Leadership and author of the One Breath Leadership book and app. Ed spent 20 years as a global compliance executive in investment banking before combining that high-stakes corporate experience with three decades of Zen training to create practical micro-recovery tools for corporate skeptics. Together, they break down how sustained stress physically alters our cognitive state, and how people leaders can help executives maintain decision quality, emotional regulation, and sanity without needing hours out of their packed calendars. Challenges Addressed * The Stress Hijack: How the physiological threat response silently alters a leader's perception, causing intelligent, values-driven people to narrow their honesty and miss critical signals. * The Failure of Standard Wellness: Why traditional corporate mindfulness programs fail when they are simply bolted onto a high-speed culture that actively rewards hustle, speed, and reaction over reflection. * Email Apnea: The physical habit of holding your breath when opening stressful inbox messages, and how this oxygen-starved state reduces an executive's day-to-day effectiveness by 30-40%. Actionable Micro-Habits for Leaders The One-Breath Rule: Demystifying meditation by stripping it down to the bare bones—breath, mind, and attention—to switch the brain out of "cognitive wheel-spinning." Trigger-Based Habit Stacking: How to spread micro-recovery throughout a 12-hour day by anchoring a single deep breath to existing operational triggers like opening a laptop, sitting at a desk, or getting into an elevator. The Professional Athlete Model: Shifting the executive culture from performative, fear-based busyness to a high-performance framework where recovery is valued just as much as performance.   Links & Resources Mentioned: * Connect with Ed Howard on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-howard-a86aa823/] * Learn more about the book and app at One Breath Leadership [https://www.onebreathleadership.com/]

#27 Why AI Transformation Fails Without Human Readiness with Marina Morgan, Fractional Strategy Leader

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Marina Morgan, fractional strategy leader, executive facilitator, and founder of AIQ Impact, about why successful transformation depends less on technology and more on human and organizational readiness. Marina shares insights from her journey across corporate leadership in Russia and her transition to entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, where she now builds the AIQ framework for measuring how prepared organizations are for AI adoption. The conversation explores how leadership mindset shapes organizational culture, why strategy cycles are shrinking in the age of AI, and how companies must rethink adaptability as a core capability. Marina also reflects on the challenges of scaling organizations in a non-linear environment, the importance of aligning executives around execution rather than planning, and why enjoyment and neurophysiological well-being are essential for creativity, resilience, and sustainable performance in fast-changing systems. Takeaways * AI transformation success depends on human readiness, not technology. Even the best tools fail if employees and leaders are not aligned in behavior, mindset, and adoption. * Organizational culture is a direct reflection of leadership mindset. Founders and top leaders shape how strategy is executed far more than any formal HR system or structure. * Strategy cycles are collapsing due to AI-driven speed. Companies have moved from 5-year plans to real-time, data-driven decision-making, making adaptability a core leadership skill. * HR and strategy must be tightly connected to business KPIs. Influence comes from linking people initiatives directly to revenue, market position, and operational outcomes. * AI is reshaping identity at both individual and organizational levels. Professionals and companies must continuously redefine roles, capabilities, and direction in a rapidly shifting environment. * Enjoyment is a performance driver, not a luxury. Psychological well-being directly impacts creativity, resilience, and cognitive flexibility needed for adaptation and growth. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinamorgan-sf [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinamorgan-sf] aiqimpact.com [http://aiqimpact.com]

#26 What European Companies Get Right About HR with Anastasia Minko, Senior HR Project Manager at Smart Europe

In this episode of the Built by People Leaders podcast, host Daria Rudnik speaks with Anastasia Minko, Senior HR Project Manager at Smart Europe, about how HR leadership changes across cultures, industries, and stages of company growth. Drawing from her experience in global corporations, fast-growing tech companies, and German organizations, Anastasia shares practical insights on navigating complexity in international HR, building systems that support business growth, and why leadership culture matters more than processes alone. The conversation explores the differences between German and Russian management cultures, the role of HR in creating business structure without overcomplicating processes, and why leadership behavior during difficult moments shapes employees far more than formal policies. Anastasia also reflects on coaching, organizational maturity, psychological safety, and how leaders can create environments where disagreement stays productive rather than personal. Takeaways * Strong leadership is revealed in how managers handle mistakes. Employees recover and grow faster when leaders treat mistakes as solvable problems instead of personal failures. * Professional disagreement creates stronger organizations than personal conflict. Healthy cultures allow leaders to challenge ideas without attacking individuals or damaging trust. * HR maturity shows up when leaders no longer question the need for people systems. In mature organizations, performance management, pay structures, and leadership development are viewed as business infrastructure, not HR bureaucracy. * Organizational culture is shaped less by slogans and more by everyday leadership behavior. The way managers react under pressure becomes the real culture employees experience. * International HR becomes easier when leaders focus on human similarities before cultural stereotypes. Understanding people first creates better collaboration across countries and teams. * Leadership development delivers the most value when connected to real business feedback. Coaching works best when it reflects actual employee experience and organizational realities, not abstract self-improvement goals. https://de.smart.com/de/ [https://de.smart.com/de/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-minko/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-minko/]