You hold the SPHRi, SPHR, and GPHR certifications. What motivated you to pursue multiple HRCI credentials, and how have they strengthened your leadership in global, technology-driven HR transformation?
I pursued the SPHRi, SPHR, and GPHR certifications to build layered expertise across local compliance, global program design, and international HR practice. Each credential strengthened a different dimension of leadership: SPHR deepened my U.S. governance expertise, GPHR validated my cross-border strategy capability, and SPHRi broadened my global HR perspective. Together, they enable me to approach workforce strategy with both rigor and cultural awareness.
These certifications have strengthened my leadership of complex HR technology initiatives by enhancing credibility with executives and IT partners, reinforcing compliance and risk frameworks, and sharpening my ability to translate strategy into scalable, people-centered solutions. That foundation informs vendor selection, data governance, AI ethics, and change management, enabling digital transformation that improves efficiency while sustaining engagement across multinational environments.
What changes when HR leaders begin thinking like product managers instead of system administrators?
The shift is significant. HR stops treating technology as a checklist and starts treating employee experience as the product. The focus moves to user-centered design, iterative delivery, and measurable outcomes.
This mindset unlocks stronger solutions, especially when rapid prototyping and continuous feedback shape AI-driven talent platforms around real business needs. Clear metrics such as adoption rates, time to hire, and ROI ensure HR technology aligns directly with enterprise strategy.
What distinguishes a transformation that drives measurable business value from one that simply upgrades systems?
True transformation integrates people, processes, and technology from the beginning. It secures early stakeholder buy-in, invests in structured change management, and tracks KPIs tied to cost savings, revenue impact, and employee experience.
Strong governance and data integrity sustain that value. Reliable data enables secure integrations, accurate AI forecasting, and informed workforce planning. With disciplined processes in place, organizations gain trustworthy insights that improve retention, allocation decisions, and long-term resilience.
How do you build trust and sustained buy-in across HR, IT, finance, and operations, especially during transformation?
I start with shared objectives. Joint workshops align functional KPIs with business goals, and cross-functional steering committees ensure transparency and accountability. Regular pulse checks keep communication open.
To strengthen partnership, I encourage rotational project work so teams experience one another’s constraints firsthand. That exposure breaks down silos and produces integrated solutions, such as HR-finance systems that improve budgeting accuracy and talent allocation.
When resistance surfaces, I lead with transparency. I communicate the vision clearly, involve stakeholders early, and prioritize quick wins to demonstrate value. Tailored training, continuous feedback loops, and consistent global communication build sustained trust without disrupting core operations.
How can HR leaders move beyond dashboards and use analytics—including AI—to influence executive decision-making?
HR must move from descriptive reporting to predictive and prescriptive insight. I align turnover forecasts and skills-gap models directly to revenue, productivity, and agility metrics so analytics speaks the language of the business.
Through executive data workshops and AI simulations, we model how targeted upskilling or workforce shifts impact cost, productivity, and growth. With clear KPIs and continuous feedback loops, HR shifts from reporting the past to shaping the future.
As automation and AI reshape work, what capabilities must HR professionals develop, and how does certification support that evolution?
HR professionals must build data literacy, ethical AI governance expertise, and change agility. It’s not just about implementing tools, but using insights responsibly while keeping people at the center.
I’ve led predictive workforce planning and AI pilots designed to enhance human capability, not replace it. Continuous learning—through HRCI webinars, collaboration with HRCI volunteers, and HR tech forums—keeps my approach current and grounded. Certification provides both structure and credibility, ensuring innovation remains people-first and strategically aligned.
What leadership lesson has most shaped your approach?
A mentor once told me: “Be responsive, stay curious, then build a team that brings diversity of thought—especially when it challenges your own.”
That advice reshaped my leadership philosophy. I shifted from directing outcomes to creating the conditions for better ones through openness and varied perspectives. The strongest leaders don’t have all the answers, they build environments where the best answers emerge from many voices.
Babs Francisco, SPHRi, SPHR, GPHR, is a senior people systems and people analytics leader responsible for HR technology strategy, with a focus on employee experience and productivity. With more than 25 years of experience across manufacturing, media, and financial services, he has worked with brands including Coca-Cola, Jaguar Land Rover, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Intercontinental Bank, leading HR technology transformation programs.