Up Next @ Work

Up Next @ WorkTech: Reading the Room on AI During Grad Season

Welcome to another packed episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, the crossover podcast featuring George LaRocque and Kate Achille. In this edition, George and Kate break down the rapidly shifting intersections of AI and the technological developments redefining the modern workplace. * The Gen Z Dilemma: The hosts dissect a recent viral commencement speech where graduates booed a corporate narrative praising AI and billionaires. * Forced Tech Adaptations: AI is reshaping academia. Princeton University has phased out its 133-year-old unproctored honor code to combat AI cheating, while a massive Instructure Canvas outage recently derailed finals week at Rutgers and other schools. * The Benefits Scale-Back: Major employers like Zoom and Deloitte are cutting 401(k) matches and parental leave. Kate and George consider how leveraging the current employer market power to slash benefits risks cultural backlash when the talent market swings back. * The Solopreneur Illusion: Reviewing the new Workday, Anthropic, and LISC accelerator, Kate and George argue that giving 15 solopreneurs just $10,000 and limited Claude AI credits is more of a corporate goodwill exercise than a structural business accelerator. * Big Tech Infiltrates HCM: Intuit is making an aggressive move into the SMB payroll and HCM space with QuickBooks Workforce, posing a direct threat to legacy players like ADP and Paylocity. Meanwhile, AWS is entering high-volume recruiting with an agentic platform, though George warns they may underestimate the complex 12-to-18-month enterprise sales cycle. * M&A and Funding Wins: Following key acquisitions by Greenhouse and Ashby, asynchronous Voice AI is overcoming historical candidate pushback to become a core recruiting interface. Finally, the hosts celebrate Kashable’s $60 million Series C round as a massive win for employee financial wellness.

Up Next @ WorkTech! Returns to Take a Look Beyond the AI Smokescreen

Kate Achille and George LaRocque are back after taking time off for travel and industry events, ready to dissect the complex, often contradictory state of the modern workplace. This latest episode of Up Next @ Work Tech dives into April's "layoff season," considering the different strategies companies are taking; the rise of token maxing and AI leaderboards; the potential impact of recent changes at DOL; and an exclusive breakdown of the Q1 WorkTech funding and M&A report. Episode highlights include: * Recent observations at industry events * The "AI of it all" amid more tech layoffs * George's "Market Squeeze" model * Considerations for the balance of the year

Up Next @ WorkTech! Lawsuits, Layoffs, and the AI Panic Button

In the latest episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, Katie Achille and George LaRocque navigate another packed week of industry turbulence, from Workday's ongoing age-discrimination lawsuit to Senator Hassan's public rebuke of data-broker practices reaching HR Tech. Episode highlights include: * Meta's recent acquisition spree [https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/10/meta-acquired-moltbook-the-ai-agent-social-network-that-went-viral-because-of-fake-posts/], followed by rumors of major layoffs [https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-planning-to-cut-up-to-20-percent-of-its-staff-in-upcoming-layoffs-160812304.html] * New research from Brookings forecasts profound AI disruption [https://www.brookings.edu/articles/research-on-ai-and-the-labor-market-is-still-in-the-first-inning/], with a recommendation of how to adjust the path forward * The potential for 30 percent unemployment [https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2026/servicenow-ceo-predicts-30-college-grad-unemployment-due-to-ai/] for new grads entering the job market * What corporate jargon really signifies [https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/15/corporate_jargon_research/], according to a study out of Cornell * One of the biggest TA tech funding rounds in recent memory - Series B secured by the folks at Juicebox [https://juicebox.ai/blog/juicebox-raises-80m-series-b]

Up Next @ WorkTech! Reverse Recruiting, Security Risks, and the Rise of "AI Native" Everything

In the latest episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, Katie Achille and George LaRocque dive into the latest updates impacting the world of work, from companies like Accenture tying [https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/19/accenture-ai-orders-senior-staff-lose-out-promotions.html] promotions to AI usage and Burger King's voice agent Patty [https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/burger-kings-new-ai-assistant-is-designed-to-be-helpful-but-will-workers-beef-with-it/91308684] tracking upsells and friendliness scores to the security risks of OpenClaw [https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/23/a-meta-ai-security-researcher-said-an-openclaw-agent-ran-amok-on-her-inbox/] and the soon-to-be omnipresence of the AI native [https://hrtechfeed.com/elly-debuts-ai-native-hiring-platform-and-raises-8m/] everything. Episode highlights include: * AI‑driven performance management enters the chat, or in some industries, the headset. * Agentic security risks escalate with the introduction and rapid adoption of OpenClaw. * Reverse recruiting [https://qz.com/reverse-recruiting-jobs-market-search-employment] surges, revealing predatory practices in a down market. * HR tech funding continues to accelerate with new capital flowing into a variety of solutions and regions.

Up Next @ WorkTech! Turbulence, Shakeups, Hype, and the Future of HR Tech

Katie Achille and George LaRocque are back with a fast-moving breakdown of the changes over at Workday, the hype and hazards of vibe coding as it relates to the software market at large, findings from the latest Corporate Equality Index, and more. Episode highlights include: * Does Workday’s CEO transition signal deeper strategic and market pressures? * Vibe coding might be accelerating, but remains risky, lacking compliance, scalability and security * AI adoption is shifting from “build” to “buy,” with enterprises rapidly increasing investment * HR’s role is transforming (again!), requiring new skills to manage AI agents, automated workflows and hybrid human‑machine teams * Early‑stage HR Tech funding remains active, while mid‑stage companies face pressure