Jason Desentz
Chief Human Resources Officer
Toshiba Americas
Episode 347
The New HR Playbook: Lead with Questions, Build Trust, and Embrace AI
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleJanuary 15, 2025 · 17:47
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership cultivates influence and trust through active listening and a deep understanding of diverse perspectives, leading with questions rather than directives. It also critically involves adapting HR strategies to evolving workforce dynamics, such as flexible PTO, and embracing technology like AI as a tool for enhancement, not replacement.”
Show notes
Jason Desentz, CHRO at Toshiba Americas, opens with a counterintuitive observation: the worst thing HR can do is provide what it thinks people want rather than what they actually want. That's paternalism, and it quietly undermines the trust that HR needs to be effective. His alternative — built over 20 years across automotive, financial services, and healthcare — starts with listening. Not as a preamble to a predetermined answer, but as the actual strategy for building influence in a function that too often leads with directives.
Jason's "listen, learn, lead" framework isn't a tagline — it's the sequence that earns credibility in organizations where HR is viewed as a compliance function rather than a strategic partner. By the time he arrives at a recommendation, the business leaders around him have already been heard. That's what makes them receptive. And it's what makes the eventual direction feel collaborative rather than imposed.
On flexible PTO, his argument is practical before it's philosophical: the administrative cost of traditional accrual systems, combined with state-level regulatory complexity and the growing expectation from top talent, makes unlimited vacation a financial and operational win — not just an employer-brand talking point. The data makes the case; the culture catches up.
- The listen-learn-lead sequence for building HR influence — why active listening precedes all effective advocacy
- Balancing "on the process" and "in the process" HR teams — how program designers and field implementers stay aligned
- Competency models that balance skills with behaviors — designing frameworks where how you do the work matters as much as what you deliver
- The business case for flexible PTO — reduced accruals, regulatory compliance, and competitive talent attraction in one move
- AI in HR as an enhancement, not a replacement — a grounded perspective on what automation can and can't displace in the people function
What you'll take away
- 1Build influence as an HR executive by actively listening, learning diverse perspectives, and then leading with thoughtful questions, fostering trust.
- 2Balance 'on the process' (creative, program design) and 'in the process' (field HR, implementation) teams by ensuring collaboration and buy-in for new initiatives.
- 3Develop competency models that balance skill sets (what you do) with behaviors (how you do it), ensuring they drive desired business outcomes and reinforce with incentives.
- 4Advocate for flexible vacation programs by highlighting cost-benefit analyses (reduced accruals, administrative burden, compliance with state regulations) and demonstrating leadership appeasement.
- 5Address HR challenges by focusing on de-escalation through understanding miscommunication and ensuring the availability of effective HRIS and enablement tools.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Unlimited PTO isn't truly 'unlimited'; Jason renames it 'flexible vacation program' and emphasizes the need for constructive parameters and leader approval to ensure business continuity.
- •HR isn't going to be automated away by AI; Jason pushes back on the fear surrounding AI, stating it's a tool that will eliminate some work but create new work, emphasizing enhancement over replacement, drawing parallels to robotics in manufacturing.
In Jason's words
“Too often people think you have to come at it always from a business perspective, but just listening to start is huge because what does that build? That builds, oh wow, you're actively listening to what I'm talking about, which means you understand kind of where I'm coming from.”
Highlights the foundational importance of active listening in building trust and influence for HR leaders.
“The worst thing HR can do is be paternalistic and provide things that we think people want versus actually providing things that people actually want.”
Emphasizes the need for HR to be responsive to actual employee needs rather than making assumptions, fostering engagement.
“The competency model in my mind are twofold. You have those that are the skill sets, competencies that the job needs to have... On the other hand, Everybody needs to know how to collaborate. So there needs to be a 50-50 split between skills and behaviors. What I say is it's what you do, but more importantly, it's how you do it.”
Defines a balanced approach to competency models, stressing the equal importance of technical skills and interpersonal behaviors.
“If you go to a flexible vacation program, not an unlimited, then you never have to do that again. You, HR, the administration, goes away, right? Because it's unlimited. It also takes care of a lot of the restrictions on absences due to state regulations as it relates to being sick.”
Outlines the practical, administrative, and compliance benefits of implementing a flexible vacation program.
“HR would have gotten rid of a long time ago if people really thought it was something that they can automate. I don't want people to freak out... It is a hot topic. But, you know, if you look back at manufacturing... robotics, when it first was a topic, everything's gonna be a robot. Yeah, do we have robotics? Sure. But is it taking over the world? No.”
Provides a reassuring perspective on the impact of AI in HR, framing it as a tool for enhancement rather than job displacement, drawing parallels to robotics in manufacturing.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employee disengagement due to poor leadership communication and perceived lack of career development.
- •Administrative and financial burden on companies from traditional PTO carryover, including accrual liabilities and payouts.
- •Difficulties in de-escalating workplace situations arising from miscommunication between individuals.
- •Lack of adequate HRIS and enablement tools hindering HR professionals' efficiency and ability to prescribe solutions.
- •Risk of HR developing paternalistic programs that don't align with actual employee desires or needs.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
Jason Descentes is the chief human resource function at Toshiba Americas
The Career Journey of Jason Descentes
I wanna discuss the importance and how behind establishing better influence as an HR executive
Establishing better Influence as an HR Executive
In HR, there are those who work on the process and those who create
What's the Balance between Creativity and Process in HR?
Jason Miller: Competency models can range from actual skill sets to behavioral
Jason, Let's Talk Competency Models
It's hard to get large traditional companies to buy into approaches like unlimited PTO
Unlimited PTO: Best Practices
The biggest challenge in HR is de-escalation of a situation
Jason, What's the major challenge facing HR executives today?
Jason Miller: AI is a hot topic in HR. I'm hearing it a lot
Jason On AI and Its Impact on HR
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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