Pat Wadors
CHRO
Intuitive
Episode 122
Embrace Constraints: The Product Management Mindset Revolutionizing HR with AI
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleJuly 1, 2025 · 7:49
Thesis
“Pat Wadors advocates for embracing constraints as catalysts for creativity and adopting an agile, product-management mindset in HR to foster employee engagement and successfully navigate technological disruption like AI.”
Show notes
"Creativity loves constraints." That's the philosophy driving Pat Wadors, CHRO at Intuitive — and it's a counterintuitive frame for one of the most resource-hungry functions in any organization. Pat argues that unlimited budgets are actually the enemy of innovation, and that the best HR breakthroughs emerge precisely when you're forced to do more with less.
With a career built on turning HR into an engine of business value, Pat brings a product manager's mindset to people operations — iterate, test, measure, and listen. When his team couldn't afford to scale human support fast enough, they didn't just accept the gap; they built AI-powered bots to handle self-service employee needs, freeing the human team for the high-touch work that actually requires a person. It's a model that's becoming increasingly relevant as organizations navigate the tension between efficiency and empathy.
His take on AI is refreshingly grounded: stop fearing job elimination and start mapping what AI frees people to do. The opportunity isn't replacement — it's elevation. Pat also draws on a powerful crow metaphor: the smartest problem-solvers aren't the ones with the most resources, they're the ones creative enough to use what's in front of them.
- How constraints fuel HR creativity — why a finite budget can produce better outcomes than a blank check
- Applying product management principles to HR — iterative development, customer feedback, and continuous rollout
- Building AI-powered self-service — what to automate and what to keep human
- Reframing AI anxiety — how to talk about AI's impact on roles without triggering defensiveness
- The "five questions before a statement" rule — Pat's practice for listening before leading
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What you'll take away
- 1Creativity is fueled by constraints; limited resources force innovative solutions.
- 2Adopt a product management approach in HR, using iterative development and customer feedback to roll out systems and initiatives.
- 3Leverage AI and bots for self-service tasks, freeing human HR professionals to provide high-touch "care" for complex employee needs.
- 4Frame technological disruptions like AI as opportunities to elevate work and create new roles, rather than focusing on job elimination.
- 5Prioritize asking questions (five before making a statement) and actively listening to echo back and support business needs.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Embracing budget cuts and resource limitations as creative opportunities rather than hindrances.
- •Rejecting the fear of AI-driven job elimination, instead framing it as a source of new opportunities and elevated work.
- •Prioritizing "progress over perfection" in HR system rollouts, advocating for iterative, agile development rather than a single flawless launch.
In Pat's words
“Knowing how to hire, develop, retain, engage creates amazing companies.”
Highlights the foundational importance of strategic talent management.
“Creativity loves constraints. So if you have a never-ending budget, you're not gonna think outside the box.”
This is her core philosophy on innovation.
“What can AI do for all of us? Don't fear it. Like, don't have this bias against job elimination. It's going to create more opportunity and elevate the joy of what you get to do versus what you stop doing.”
Her perspective on AI dispels common anxieties.
“Progress is perfection. You're not going to get a perfectly rolled out system. Never happens. So if you look at it from an iterative agile development methodology...”
Emphasizes agile principles in HR implementation.
“Questions are our best tool. Ask 5 questions before you even begin to make a statement. And then learn how to echo back what you hear from the business and support that need.”
Practical advice for effective leadership communication.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Difficulty in providing comprehensive employee care and support with limited HR resources.
- •Ineffective HR system implementations due to a lack of iterative development and business buy-in.
- •Employee anxiety and resistance towards technological disruptions like AI in the workplace.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
And as a starting question, I always love to ask about your career journey
How Did You Get Your Start in HR?
Pat Waters: Creativity loves constraints. So if you have a never-ending budget, you're not creative
In the Age of Constrains
A time when resource limitations led to innovative AI solutions in your HR practice
In the Elevator With HR: Creativity
Pat has transformed HR thinking to be more like product management using iterative development
Employee HR: More Product-Like
With AI and technological disruption, how have you helped your team embrace changes
Employee Experience: AI and the Workplace
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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