Host Hein Knaapen interviews Daniela Seabrook, Chief HR Officer at Adecco Group, on transforming a globally dispersed staffing business into a tech-enabled talent and workforce platform. They discuss Adecco’s joint venture with Salesforce, how AI is reshaping recruitment and leadership, and why HR must lead from both the foundations and the future. Daniela offers clear-eyed reflections on aligning short-term agility with long-term strategy, investing in frontline managers, and the emotional culture that fuels performance at scale. The conversation ranges from CV-matching algorithms to purpose-driven leadership—and why her 16-year-old son is her AI coach.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: Daniela’s career journey, and the strategic breadth of the Adecco Group
02:00 – Adecco + Salesforce: Launching a new joint venture to merge human and digital workforce strengths
06:00 – Real-world AI use: How AI supports writing, recruiting, and speeding up decision-making
11:00 – Strategic AI deployment: Don’t just automate the boring—invest where it drives impact
17:00 – Internal transformation: Building global HR systems, streamlining onboarding, and enabling performance
24:00 – Frontline leadership: Why first-line managers are often overlooked but crucial to results
28:00 – Culture & purpose: Emotional connection, care, and a belief in "making the future work for everyone"
31:00 – Industry contrasts: Long-cycle thinking in life sciences vs. short-term agility in staffing
36:00 – Talent as supply chain: Why standardization and global principles aren't dehumanizing—they’re necessary
38:00 – Wrap-up: Creating the conditions for people to thrive, and HR’s direct role in driving business performance