From Headcount to Human Capabilities: Rethinking Workforce Strategy

In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, workforce strategy is no longer just about filling roles—it’s about building capabilities that drive agility, innovation, and long-term value. In this episode of Bold Agendas, host Mimi Brooks sits down with Dr. Beverly Tarulli, a seasoned HR strategist, educator, and expert in people and analytics. Beverly offers a sharp, forward-looking view of how organizations must evolve their workforce planning approach. Together, Mimi and Beverly explore the shift from job-based planning to capability-driven strategy, the growing role of analytics in decision-making, and how HR can become a true strategic partner in times of disruption and change. Foundations & Frameworks 00:00:00 – From Headcount to Human Capabilities: Introducing Dr. Beverly Tarulli and the Future of Workforce Strategy 00:01:55 – Beverly Tarulli’s Career in People Analytics: Curiosity, Data, and Leadership 00:05:21 - Rethinking HR’s Role: Why People Analytics Matters in Workforce Strategy 00:12:55 – What Is Strategic Workforce Planning? A Capability-Driven Approach for Transforming Organizations 00:18:35 – The Strategic Role of HR: Facilitating Capability-Driven Workforce Planning 00:21:15 – Start with Capabilities, Not Skills: A Smarter Approach to Workforce Planning AI, Ethics, & Strategy 00:26:00 – AI in Workforce Planning: Automation, Augmentation, and the Future of Work 00:28:46 – HR and the Ethics of AI: Asking the Right Questions in Workforce Decisions 00:31:48 – Strategic Foresight: HR’s Role in Scenario Planning 00:37:04 – How Today’s HR Students Are Driving the Future of People Analytics 00:42:32 – From Data to Insight: Rethinking People Analytics in HR 00:48:27 – The HR–IT Partnership: Turning Work Data into Strategic Insight 00:53:42 – Governance, Explainability, and HR’s Role in AI-Driven Decisions The Human Factor & Looking Forward 00:57:23 – The New Employee Advocate: HR’s Role in Ethics and People-Centered Decision Making 01:00:01 – Advice for Leaders: Two Ways to Make HR a Strategic Partner