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The Human Capitalist

The Human Capitalist

By: Trent Cotton & Purple Acorn Network
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What is a Human Capitalist? Well, it's the new version of Human Resources. It's time to get rid of the outdated and reactive HR and replace it with Human Capitalism. I'm Trent Cotton and I'm ready to give the HR industry the punch it needs to become more focused on Human Capital versus the old stauncy HR. I’m thrilled to have you here as we dive into the future of Human Resources together. This podcast is all about empowering HR professionals to step up as proactive consultants, using AI and cutting-edge practices to manage a company’s largest expense and highest revenue producing asset—its people. As a senior HR Executive at HatchWorks AI, I get a rare glimpse into the impact technology advancement will have on the industry. This podcast is designed to share those insights with you! I’ll show you how to turn your biggest expense into a revenue-generating powerhouse by embracing change and leading with insight. If you are ready to be a rebel in the industry and unlock the true potential of human capital, this is the channel you've been looking for.Trent Cotton & Purple Acorn Network Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Before You Cut Jobs for AI, Use This Matrix

    Before You Cut Jobs for AI, Use This Matrix
    Oct 26 2026
    Before you cut jobs because of AI, there's one question every HR and business leader should ask: What is the actual value of the work? Companies are racing to automate work, restructure teams, and reduce headcount. But too often, they're making those decisions without understanding which work actually drives enterprise value—and which work still requires human judgment. In this video, I walk you through my Value of Work Matrix, a practical framework you can use to evaluate work based on two dimensions: enterprise value and human focus required. You'll learn how to identify work that should be eliminated, automated and scaled, protected, or repositioned—and why automating the wrong work can create bigger problems than it solves. 📘 Order my book, The FutHRist: The 5 Mindsets of the Future HR Pro, on Amazon. Search Amazon for “The FutHRist Trent Cotton.” 🧭 Which FutHRist mindset are you? Take the self-assessment: https://www.trentcotton.com/futhrist-self-assessment/ Chapters 00:00 Why AI isn't the real reason behind layoffs 00:29 The Value of Work Matrix 00:45 Start with your organization's value “beacons” 02:04 Building the Value of Work Matrix 03:26 Measuring how much human focus work requires 04:52 “Why?” — low-value, low-focus work 06:08 Automate & Scale — high-value, low-focus work 07:20 Protect — high-value, high-focus work 08:09 The Danger Zone — low-value, high-focus work 09:12 How to apply the matrix to departments and roles 10:19 Using the framework for AI workforce decisions 10:45 Where to learn more about the framework 11:11 The 5 Mindsets of the FutHRist The future of HR isn't about replacing humans with AI. It's about understanding where technology creates value—and where human judgment, experience, and connection matter most. People. Technology. Business. A Better Tomorrow. #HR #AIinHR #FutureOfWork #FutHRist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    13 mins
  • AI Broke the Resume. Now What?

    AI Broke the Resume. Now What?
    Oct 18 2026
    AI has broken the resume. When every candidate can use artificial intelligence to look like a perfect match, how do you know who can actually do the job? In this episode of The Human Capitalist Podcast, host Trent Cotton sits down with Amanda Richardson, CEO of CoderPad, to challenge everything we thought we knew about hiring, resumes, experience, and the future of work. Amanda shares how CoderPad received 500 applications for a developer position in just 24 hours, why traditional hiring practices are failing, and how AI is accelerating the shift toward skills-based hiring. But the conversation goes far beyond recruiting. As AI transforms how organizations operate, traditional job titles are becoming less meaningful, middle management is facing new pressure, and companies must rethink what makes someone valuable. In this episode, you'll discover: Why AI-generated resumes are making candidate screening harder How skills-based hiring can outperform traditional experience requirements Why years of experience don't necessarily predict job performance How AI is reshaping developer, product management, and other professional roles Why middle management is facing a major transformation How practical skills assessments can help companies make better hiring decisions The three critical skills Amanda would prioritize when building a company today Why curiosity, decision-making, and systems thinking matter in an AI-driven workplace What HR and talent acquisition leaders must do to prepare for the future of work The big question: If resumes can no longer reliably tell us who's qualified, what should companies hire for instead? Whether you're a CHRO, HR leader, recruiter, hiring manager, or business executive, this conversation challenges conventional wisdom and offers practical ideas for navigating the next era of talent. Connect with our guest:Amanda Richardson — CEO, CoderPadCoderPad: https://coderpad.io About The Human Capitalist Podcast:Hosted by Trent Cotton, The Human Capitalist Podcast explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, human capital, leadership, and the future of work through candid conversations with industry leaders. Join the conversation:Would you rather hire someone with eight years of experience or someone who can prove they have the skills to deliver better results? Share your thoughts in the comments. Subscribe for more conversations about AI, HR transformation, talent acquisition, and the future of work. #ArtificialIntelligence #SkillsBasedHiring #FutureOfWork Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • HR’s Existential Crisis: Are We Relevant Anymore?

    HR’s Existential Crisis: Are We Relevant Anymore?
    Oct 12 2026
    AI may not be the biggest threat facing HR. Irrelevance might be. In this episode of The Human Capitalist Podcast, I sit down with my friend Brandon Jeffs for one of the more candid conversations we've had about where HR, recruiting, and talent are actually headed. And we don't agree with every popular HR narrative. We dig into whether CHROs really need to “earn a seat at the table,” why I believe nobody deserves that seat, whether recruiting could become one of the most strategically important functions in the business, and why skills-based hiring may not be nearly as mature as the industry wants us to believe. We also tackle AI adoption. Companies are racing toward AI-enabled work, but adoption is messy, governance is lagging, and employees can now bring their own AI tools into the workplace whether the enterprise is ready or not. Then we get into a bigger question: What is HR actually for? If payroll and benefits move toward finance, employee relations works increasingly alongside legal, AI changes administrative work, and organizations operate with smaller headcounts—what is left for HR to own? Brandon makes the case that the answer may be closer to recruiting than many HR leaders want to admit. We talk about recruiting as a source of market intelligence, why revenue per employee matters, what's wrong with traditional job descriptions, the limitations of skills-based hiring, and why the HR organizations of the future may look very different from the ones we built in the past. If you're a CHRO, HR leader, recruiter, talent acquisition leader, or executive trying to understand where work is headed, this one may make you uncomfortable. Good. That's usually where the interesting conversations start. 00:00 — Is HR's biggest threat AI—or irrelevance? 02:20 — AI adoption, governance & the future of HR tech 09:50 — Does the CHRO really deserve a seat at the table? 16:10 — Why recruiting may be HR's most strategic function 18:36 — Job descriptions are broken 20:18 — Is skills-based hiring actually overhyped? 26:02 — Could recruiting become the future of HR? 34:30 — Brandon's advice for staying relevant I'm working on my new book, The FutHRist: The 5 Mindsets of the Future HR Pro, built around the five mindsets I believe HR professionals will need to remain relevant in the age of AI: The Architect. The CEO. The Engineer. The Scientist. The Coach. The book is coming this fall. Take the free FutHRist assessment and learn more at trentcotton.com. The Human Capitalist Podcast — at the intersection of AI and HR leadership. Hosted by Trent Cotton, author of The FutHRist: The 5 Mindsets of the Future HR Pro — available this fall. Take your free assessment at www.trentcotton.com #HumanResources #HRLeadership #Recruiting #FutureOfHR #AI ⏱️ TimestampsAbout The FutHRist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
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