Transforming HR: From Support Function to Strategic Business Partner

HR is no longer a support function — it’s a business engine.
In this episode of Built by People, Nadia Uberoi breaks down how modern HR leaders can move from “running the machine” to driving real organizational transformation using AI, leadership alignment, and business-first thinking.

Drawing from her background in psychology and organizational development, Nadia explains why operational excellence in HR is table stakes — and how improving the HR machine unlocks time, energy, and credibility for higher-impact work. We explore the role of AI and automation in people operations, why transformation fails without clearly defined business objectives, and how HR leaders can align performance management, employee well-being, and business strategy.

If you’re an HR leader, people ops professional, or executive navigating growth, complexity, or transformation, this conversation will help you rethink how HR creates value — not just support.

• Why HR must operate as a strategic business partner, not a service function

• The difference between running vs. improving the HR machine

• How AI and automation should support clear business objectives

• Why leadership alignment is critical to successful HR transformation

• How efficient people operations free up capacity for transformational work

• What organizational development looks like when aligned to business strategy

  
  

00:00 — Nadia’s career journey and the evolution of HR
03:26 — Running vs. improving the HR machine
06:10 — What transformational HR work actually means
08:54 — Aligning HR, AI, and business objectives
11:16 — The future of people leadership

Memorable moments:

“Running the machine is table stakes.”
“Clearly defined business objectives are crucial.”
“Improving the machine is about intentional changes.”

🎧 Whether you’re rethinking performance management, scaling people operations, or exploring AI in HR, this episode offers a practical blueprint for building an HR function that drives results.

AI is changing HR faster than most leaders realize—and many organizations are already behind. In this episode of Built By People, DailyPay Chief People Officer Jon Lowe breaks down how AI in HR, earned wage access, and shifting employee behavior are fundamentally reshaping workplace culture, leadership, and the future of work.

This episode is especially relevant for CHROs, People Ops leaders, and executives responsible for workforce strategy, employee experience, and navigating HR transformation in 2025 and beyond.

Jon Lowe shares a candid look at his non-linear career journey—from early-stage Amazon to Revolut, eToro, and now DailyPay—and how those experiences shaped his leadership philosophy. As Jon notes, “We’re in the second inning of AI in HR,” and the biggest risk for HR leaders isn’t experimentation—it’s thinking too small about what AI will change.

DailyPay is a platform that offers on-demand pay and financial wellness solutions for employers and employees. While most services today are instantaneous, paychecks have lagged behind. DailyPay disrupts how employees get paid by giving workers real-time access to their own earned money—helping businesses modernize employee relationships, improve financial well-being, and drive measurable changes in attendance, engagement, and retention.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How AI will reshape HR org design, productivity, and decision-making

• Why earned wage access directly impacts employee behavior and outcomes

• How the traditional work model is breaking—and what’s replacing it

• Why reciprocal value creation is essential for retention and career growth

• How mindfulness helps leaders sustain performance in high-growth environments

Key questions explored:

• How should HR leaders think about AI beyond incremental efficiency gains?

• Why does a two-week pay cycle no longer match how people actually work?

• What does the future of HR look like in the next 12–24 months?

Chapters
00:00 Jon Lowe’s career journey and leadership evolution
03:37 The biggest HR challenges we’re not talking about enough
05:41 How earned wage access changes employee behavior
08:06 Scaling culture through reciprocal value creation
10:32 AI’s real impact on HR and organizational design
13:18 Unexpected ways AI is already changing work
14:38 Mindfulness, balance, and leadership advice

If you’re navigating AI adoption, employee experience challenges, or workforce transformation, follow Built by People, share this episode with a colleague, and subscribe for more conversations shaping the future of HR and work.

Summary

In this episode of the Built by People podcast, Jonathan Brooks shares his unique career journey from working at Arthur Anderson during its collapse to becoming a successful leader in the storage trailer industry. He emphasizes the importance of company culture, employee engagement, and the use of technology in operations. Brooks discusses his vision for growth and offers valuable advice for aspiring leaders, highlighting the significance of emotional intelligence and continuous learning in leadership.

Takeaways

• I was working at Arthur Anderson through the collapse.
• I started working on my MBA at Notre Dame.
• I got involved in operations, sales.
• We rent them into the supply chains of Fortune 100s.
• It always starts with our culture.
• We're about ready to test a new tool.
• We've been reinventing our commercial strategy.
• I give every employee my personal cell phone number.
• We do a semi-annual engagement survey.
• It's about the people.