Building trust with your team is an ongoing process — especially when an estimated 7 in 10 people believe their leaders deliberately mislead them. Instead of getting bogged down in what’s not working, consider trying something new. After all, sometimes building trust starts with change, even if that means changing something that’s currently working.
“It’s not enough to just do really well what’s always been working. It’s also not enough to just come up with something new. We actually have to disrupt what’s working in order to make room for what might work better in the future,” Jennifer McClure said at SHRM25 in San Diego. McClure is the CEO of Unbridled Talent LLC and chief excitement officer at DisruptHR LLC.
HR is currently wrestling with skills shortages, tech chaos, and overwhelm amid the labor shortage. As the core of an organization, it’s up to HR leaders to be the change and lead employees on the path forward.
“There’s no better time to be working in human resources,” McClure said. “There’s no better opportunity to create meaningful change and transformation in the organization than there is now when all of this chaos is happening.”
Below are five mindset shifts you can utilize to make room for improved leadership. Pick one to test out and see how your team dynamic shifts.
1. Shift from Program Builder to Culture Shaper
HR is often tasked with creating companywide programs for employee onboarding or wellness. Programs are important, but they don’t shape culture; people and leadership behaviors do, McClure noted. Invest time thinking about how you want to lead your team and how your team shows up.
She cited advice from Michelle Berg, founder and chief visionary officer at Elevated HR Solutions, that leaders should “think like a designer, not an administrator.”
2. Shift from AI Implementer to Human Work Strategist
There’s still a long way to go when it comes to our understanding of artificial intelligence in the workplace. According to a SHRM survey, 43% of HR leaders have limited or no knowledge of AI, and just 54% have an intermediate understanding of AI fundamentals.
“Instead of asking, ‘What can [the technology] do?’ we should be asking, ‘Does it free up time for people to do more strategic work?’” McClure advised. “You have to be a human expert.”
3. Shift from Talent Sourcer to Capability Builder
Despite the ongoing notion that there’s an endless supply of talent, the truth is that organizations are facing a global talent shortage. According to SHRM’s 2025 Talent Trends report, 51% of organizations said they’re experiencing a low number of applicants, and 41% report candidate “ghosting” during the interview process.
Given these trends, employee retention is key. McClure advised focusing on building up your internal talent through reskilling, upskilling, and career pathway design. You can reward managers for mentoring others and give employees opportunities to try out different roles within your organization to keep them engaged.
4. Shift from Changemaker to Disruption Leader
McClure urged HR leaders to proactively lead the change instead of managing it. “Test bold ideas,” she said.
McClure cited Adobe, which shifted its strategy from performance reviews to a more proactive plan of frequent check-ins. This process reduced voluntary attrition by over 30% after one year.
5. Shift from Employee Experience Champion to Human-Centered Leader
“Design a better experience of work,” McClure advised. Listen to feedback from employee engagement surveys and change the human experience of your workplace accordingly.
For example, if employees favor a remote work style, consider offering flexible work arrangements when possible. Another example comes from Tech Mahindra, a technology consulting company; when its employees didn’t want to use badges, the company added facial recognition check-ins to eliminate the need for employee ID cards.
While these changes are all small, these little shifts in the human experience can make all the difference in improving employee retention.
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