Everybody hurts sometimes, R.E.M. once famously sang. And if you’re in human resources, your job is to help. On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock join Wendy Miller, McKinsey’s chief people officer for North America, as well as global editorial director Lucia Rahilly, to discuss the dynamics that are making HR tougher than ever—as well as what leaders can do differently to begin turning morale around.

Everybody hurts sometimes, R.E.M. once famously sang. And if you’re in human resources, your job is to help. On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/mckinsey-talks-talent-podcast">McKinsey Talks Talent</a>, McKinsey leaders and talent experts <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/brooke-weddle">Brooke Weddle</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/bryan-hancock">Bryan Hancock</a> join Wendy Miller, McKinsey’s chief people officer for North America, as well as global editorial director Lucia Rahilly, to discuss the dynamics that are making HR tougher than ever—as well as what leaders can do differently to begin turning morale around.

Listen in to learn how to navigate a fast-changing business landscape and prepare for the future of work by turning talent into competitive advantage. McKinsey talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock lead discussions with globally recognized experts and thought leaders on talent, transformational change, and leadership development.

Listen in to learn how to navigate a fast-changing business landscape and prepare for the future of work by turning talent into competitive advantage. McKinsey talent experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/brooke-weddle">Brooke Weddle</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/bryan-hancock">Bryan Hancock</a>&nbsp;lead discussions with globally recognized experts and thought leaders on talent, transformational change, and leadership development.

McKinsey talent experts Bryan Hancock, Bill Schaninger, and others on how to make the most of talent as a competitive advantage, navigate today’s fast-changing talent landscape, and prepare now for the future of work.

McKinsey Talks Talent

Why being in HR is getting tougher—and how to break through

Being yourself at work has become a corporate mantra—and it certainly started in a well-meaning way. But it can also have significant downsides, according to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Chamorro-Premuzic joins McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to explore what authenticity really means in the workplace, when it helps and hurts, and what may matter more for employees looking to accelerate their leadership trajectory in the age of AI. 

Being yourself at work has become a corporate mantra&mdash;and it certainly started in a well-meaning way. But it can also have significant downsides, according to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of Don&rsquo;t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Chamorro-Premuzic joins McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to explore what authenticity really means in the workplace, when it helps and hurts, and what may matter more for employees looking to accelerate their leadership trajectory in the age of AI.&nbsp;

The problem with ‘bringing your whole self to work’

Manufacturing is back at the center of the US economic agenda. Yet the sector faces a persistent talent shortage—and to bridge it, leaders will need to rethink how they attract, train, and retain a new generation of manufacturing employees. “Manufacturers need to be driving the conversation, not waiting for the workforce ecosystem to arrive at their door,” says Carolyn Lee, President and Executive Director of the Manufacturing Institute (MI). On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Lee joins McKinsey leaders Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock, and Tyler Freeman, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to talk about what needs to change, as automation advances and employees’ expectations evolve, to enable US manufacturing to thrive in the age of AI.

Manufacturing is back at the center of the US economic agenda. Yet the sector faces a persistent talent shortage&mdash;and to bridge it, leaders will need to rethink how they attract, train, and retain a new generation of manufacturing employees. &ldquo;Manufacturers need to be driving the conversation, not waiting for the workforce ecosystem to arrive at their door,&rdquo; says Carolyn Lee, President and Executive Director of the Manufacturing Institute (MI). On this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/mckinsey-talks-talent-podcast">McKinsey Talks Talent</a>, Lee joins McKinsey leaders <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/brooke-weddle">Brooke Weddle</a>, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/bryan-hancock">Bryan Hancock</a>, and Tyler Freeman, along with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, to talk about what needs to change, as automation advances and employees&rsquo; expectations evolve, to enable US manufacturing to thrive in the age of AI.

US manufacturing’s next test: Building a workforce for a new era

Many high performers think they’re doing everything right—yet still feel somehow wrong about their day-to-day. And the advent of AI means work-related decision-making is more complex than ever. As job uncertainty ups the ante, more employees might be tempted to settle for the “B+ life,” in the words of Suzy Welch, author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (HarperCollins, May 2025). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Welch talks to McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about where so many successful people go awry—and more important, about how to discover work that you value, that’s economically viable, and that you’re genuinely wired to do.

Many high performers think they&rsquo;re doing everything right&mdash;yet still feel somehow wrong about their day-to-day. And the advent of AI means work-related decision-making is more complex than ever. As job uncertainty ups the ante, more employees might be tempted to settle for the &ldquo;B+ life,&rdquo; in the words of Suzy Welch, author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (HarperCollins, May 2025). In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/mckinsey-talks-talent-podcast">McKinsey Talks Talent</a>, Welch talks to McKinsey leaders and talent experts <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/brooke-weddle">Brooke Weddle</a> and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/bryan-hancock">Bryan Hancock</a>, as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about where so many successful people go awry&mdash;and more important, about how to discover work that you value, that&rsquo;s economically viable, and that you&rsquo;re genuinely wired to do.

Why being in HR is getting tougher—and how to break through

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