Go listen to the latest episode of The Modern People Leader — where we sat down with Brandon Sammut, Chief People & AI Transformation Officer at Zapier, Jenny Molyneaux, VP People at Vercel, and Valerie Gobeil, Head of Talent Management at Workleap.
Each guest shared real tools they’ve built — not just ideas. From automating performance reviews to rebuilding hiring workflows and creating custom GPTs, this conversation is a masterclass in thinking like a product team.
If you’re looking for real examples (not just theory) of how HR teams are using AI to solve problems, this one’s for you.
If you want to see what they shared on screen during their demos, go watch the full episode on YouTube.
Here’s what stood out most from the conversation. ⬇️
“AI should help us do something faster, better, and make the job more human.” — Brandon Sammut, Zapier
1. Readiness isn’t tech first — it’s culture first
Before launching any AI initiatives, Brandon emphasized the importance of leadership, talent, and culture over tooling or governance.
“Do we have clarity on what excellence looks like? Do we have a culture of experimentation and intellectual honesty? If not, we’re just riding a hype cycle.”
The big takeaway: If your org can’t answer why you’re using AI or who it’s for, your tools won’t matter.
📊Turn your people data into usable insight
In our MPL webinar on how HR teams are actually using AI, leaders like Jenny Molyneaux (Vercel) and Brandon Sammut (Zapier) kept highlighting the same idea: AI only matters if it makes insights usable. Teams don’t need more dashboards - they need clarity.
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Here’s what that looks like in practice:
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2. Start with the problems you already care about
When figuring out where to start with AI, Brandon shared Zapier’s three-part impact framework: efficiency, quality, and employee experience. They won’t implement anything unless it supports all three.
“AI should help us do something faster, better, and make the job more human.”
You don’t need a perfect roadmap. Just start by asking: where are we spending too much time or delivering inconsistent quality?
3. Don’t underestimate the "AI debt"
Jenny introduced the concept of AI debt: all the tools and workflows teams start building without long-term usability in mind. In phase one, it’s about getting people to use AI. But in phase two, the challenge becomes scale and consistency.
"You build a bunch of things. But is anybody actually using them?"
Her advice: Designate AI enablers inside your team who can help others get past the initial learning curve and make tools people actually adopt.
🌐 Build an AI-first leadership team
Across recent MPL conversations with leaders like Andrew Golden (RetailNext), Jenny Molyneaux (Vercel), and Shannon Hobbs (BNY), one theme keeps coming up: every company is becoming AI-first - and that shift has to start with the leadership team and the support around them.
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4. Build vs. buy? First, audit what you already have
Not every AI problem needs a new tool. Valerie encouraged HR teams to look at their existing stack.
“A lot of your current tools are already integrating AI. Unlock what you’re already paying for.”
And if you're working with a leaner stack? Even a basic custom GPT pulling from centralized HR data (engagement scores, exit interviews, HRBP notes) can unlock powerful insights fast.
5. Think like a product team: demo, iterate, ship
Each guest demoed actual tools they've built with their teams. The standout theme: fast iteration over perfection.
Valerie showed how Workleap rebuilt performance reviews using AI, cutting manager review time by 50-70% and pulling insights from tools like Slack and peer reviews.
Jenny shared Vercel’s lightweight leaderboard to promote working in public on Slack and a custom GPT trained on their CEO's voice to help recruiters write better outbound messages.
Brandon walked through Zapier’s AI-powered hiring intake workflow — replacing static templates with dynamic, high-quality docs for JDs, interview guides, and rubrics.
"We don't have to choose between quality and efficiency. With the right tools, you get both."
6. AI makes it easier to stop being the bottleneck
A recurring theme: these tools make HR less of a blocker and more of an enabler.
Jenny summed it up well:
"We’re no longer pestering hiring managers to fill out their intake forms or performance reviews. The system just does it."
And that’s the real win: not just better tools, but better ways of working for everyone.
Thanks for reading. See you next time!
P.S. If you like MPL, help us grow the show by giving us a 5 star rating on Apple or Spotify. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐