Antoinette Chukudebelu
Chief People and Equity Officer
Murmuration
Episode 273
The Future of HR: Strategic Impact Through People, Growth, and AI
Current chapter: This podcast is sponsored by Previ. Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees
Built By PeopleMarch 18, 2025 · 11:52
Thesis
“HR leaders must deeply integrate people strategy with business strategy, continuously adapt to organizational growth, and proactively leverage technology like AI while advocating for increased HR resources to drive strategic impact.”
Show notes
Approximately 25% of small companies and startups don't have an HR department. And by the time they realize they need one, Antoinette Chukudebelu notes, it's usually too late — the function is already under-resourced before it's even stood up.
As Chief People and Equity Officer at Murmuration, Antoinette brings a career that stretches from kindergarten teacher to scaling tech and civic organizations — a trajectory that has given her unusual perspective on what changes as organizations grow, and what can't. Her most practical insight: scaling well is hard. Not conceptually, but operationally. You're trying to preserve the cultural elements that made the small version of the company special, while building infrastructure that can handle five times the headcount — and the things that made culture feel alive at 30 people often don't survive the translation to 300. Her solution is a three-part people strategy framework: align with the business strategy, translate it into actionable initiatives, and measure impact in ways that generate investment rather than just awareness.
She's particularly direct about AI's role in under-resourced HR departments. For a small team trying to do the work of a much larger one, AI isn't a nice-to-have — it's the lever that makes strategic HR possible. Her challenge to leaders: don't just invest in the growth of the business. Invest in the growth of the HR function inside it. The ratios that determined historical headcount in HR are outdated and need to be renegotiated.
What you'll learn:
- A three-part people strategy framework: strategic alignment, initiative design, and impact measurement
- The hardest part of scaling a company — and what typically breaks in the transition from small to large
- How to balance vision-setting and execution simultaneously when you're a one- or two-person HR team
- Why 25% of startups lack HR — and what that costs them by the time they course-correct
- How AI can fill resource gaps in small HR departments to unlock strategic capacity
- Why HR-to-staff ratios need to be fundamentally rethought for modern organizations
This episode is in partnership with Transform. Check out their community here.
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What you'll take away
- 1Align people strategy deeply with the overarching business strategy, understanding the long-term vision to drive impactful HR initiatives.
- 2When scaling a business, carefully balance immediate operational needs with the design of sustainable policies and cultural practices for future growth.
- 3In smaller HR departments, cultivate the skill of nimbleness, being able to pivot quickly between high-level strategic visioning and hands-on execution.
- 4Proactively embrace AI tools to address the common challenge of under-resourced HR departments, especially in startups, and advance the function.
- 5Challenge outdated HR-to-staff ratios and advocate for appropriate resource allocation to enable HR to move beyond reactive tasks to strategic partnership.
What most organizations get wrong
- •The assertion that core HR skill sets are similar across small and large businesses, but the critical difference lies in the need for small/mid-size HR leaders to both vision set and execute simultaneously.
- •Pushing back on the notion that companies can delay establishing an HR department, stating that by the time they realize the need, it's often 'too late' and the department is under-resourced.
- •Advocating for a re-evaluation of outdated HR-to-staff ratios, arguing that current metrics contribute to chronic under-resourcing and prevent HR from fulfilling its strategic potential.
In Antoinette's words
“One of the things that I spend a lot of time doing is thinking about our people strategy and how I align that with our business strategy.”
Highlights the strategic imperative of HR alignment with core business objectives.
“Scaling well is really hard. This is really for all of the HR folks who are in a small organization and their organizations are growing, and you're really trying to balance the needs of the short-term while building for the long-term vision.”
Acknowledges the inherent difficulty and delicate balance required when scaling HR practices and culture.
“I would argue that the skill sets that you need in both of those businesses are relatively similar, right? Except for when you're in a small business or midsize business, you have to both execute and vision set.”
Differentiates HR roles not by fundamental skill, but by the necessity of blending strategic and operational work in smaller contexts.
“I think it's important to note that almost 25% of startup or small companies don't have an HR department. And so I think one of the fun sayings that, that, that is out there is usually by the time a company realizes that they need HR, it's too late, and the HR department is already under-resourced.”
Underscores a critical pain point for growing companies regarding HR establishment and the potential for AI to bridge the gap.
“I would encourage leaders out there to not only invest in the growth and scaling of the business, but the growth and scaling of your department. And so to think inclusively about the business as it relates to the HR function within it.”
Offers a crucial reminder for HR leaders to advocate for and invest in the development and resourcing of their own teams.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Growing small organizations struggle to balance short-term operational demands with the long-term strategic vision, leading to potential misalignments.
- •Maintaining unique cultural elements and employee perks becomes financially and logistically unsustainable as companies transition from small to large scale.
- •Small to mid-size HR departments face significant challenges in simultaneously performing high-level vision setting and hands-on operational execution due to limited team sizes.
- •Startups and small companies often delay establishing an HR department, leading to chronic under-resourcing and the HR function being overwhelmed by the time it's implemented.
- •Outdated HR-to-staff ratios contribute to the persistent under-resourcing of HR, hindering its ability to act as a strategic partner to the business.
In this episode
This podcast is sponsored by Previ. Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees
Built by People
You are the Chief People and Equity Officer at Murmuration
In the Elevator With HR's Chief People and Equity Officer
How do you approach building an integrated people strategy for strategic impact
Building an Integrated People Strategy for Strategic Impact
Antoinette shares her experiences in scaling businesses and unique challenges
WSJD Live: The Challenges of Scaling Companies
How do you balance vision setting with execution in small HR departments
How to Manage a Small HR Department
How do you see the future of HR evolving, especially in supporting smaller departments
The future of HR is AI-centric
One place HR needs to update is its HR-to-staff ratio
MR: The future of HR
Antoinette says HR leaders should think inclusively about their organizations
Antoinette On The Built by People Podcast
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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