Did you know some companies are hiring architects not for buildings, but for people? That’s exactly what Robert Buckley does as Chief People Architect at Envada. His job isn’t about HR buzzwords, it’s about designing workplaces where culture drives growth and people come first.
In this episode of Recruiting is No Joke, host Joel Lalgee sits down with Robert to unpack why the future of work depends on leaders who do more than manage, they inspire, support, and develop talent at every level. Robert explains his core belief that “people create all value” and why companies can’t afford to treat culture as an afterthought.
The conversation goes deep on AI too, but not in a hype-filled way. Robert shows how smart tech should actually remove friction, not add noise like how Envada slashed a seven-day job posting process down to just three minutes.
From cutting his teeth at GE to shaping culture inside a high-growth tech bio startup, Robert shares candid lessons and practical advice for anyone who wants to thrive in today’s fast-changing workplace.
In this episode:
(00:03) Introduction
(01:14) Meet Robert Buckley and the mission of Enveda
(03:04) Why “Chief People Architect” is more than a title
(04:40) From soccer fields to HR: Robert’s career journey
(07:42) Lessons from 17 years inside GE’s HR development program
(09:34) People as the ultimate creators of value
(12:47) People leaders vs managers
(14:32) How to build leadership development with vision
(18:20) A bigger view of career growth and learning
(21:12) Engagement beyond pay and promotions
(23:26) Finding fulfillment outside of work
(25:05) Embracing discomfort and continuous learning
(29:01) AI, conjoint analysis, and lowering activation energy
(34:54) Practical AI in HR vs shiny object distractions
(38:44) When the answer isn’t technology
(39:18) Where to connect with Robert
About Robert Buckley
Robert Buckley is the Chief People Officer atEnveda, a tech-bio startup using AI and machine learning to transform drug discovery. Known for his unique brand as a Chief People Architect, Robert has built a career on the belief that people create all value. With nearly two decades at GE and experience leading HR strategy across industries, he has become a champion of leadership development, culture building, and smart use of technology to remove barriers and help teams thrive.
About Joel Lalgee
Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel started recruiting for a small start-up agency in Milwaukee. He quickly found his passion for recruitment. In 2019, he discovered content marketing, publishing his first posts on Linkedin. Since then, he has grown to over 400k followers, and his content has been seen over 1 billion times. In 2023, he started a business specializing in coaching recruiters, marketing consulting, and influencer partnerships.
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