Is HR Dead Weight or Your Secret Weapon? Lila Nazef from Neocase on Leadership, and Why Onboarding Is Broken

Long COVID might not be top of mind for execs, but its lingering effects tell us everything we need to know about experience in your organization. In this episode we speak with Lila Nazef, VP of Sales and Marketing at Neocase on why HR still isn’t working, how onboarding sets the tone for everything, and what leaders miss when they treat people ops like admin. There’s a real shift happening—from tactical HR to experience-first org design—and companies that miss it will lose the talent war. We dig in on HR experience design, the blurred lines between sales and marketing, leadership mindset shifts, and why technology isn’t the enemy—it’s the excuse. If you’re tired of reactive HR, this episode brings the fire (and a few hard truths). Key Takeaways ➡ ➡ HR still operates like a silo, disconnected from brand and revenue. ➡ Sales = the hunt. Marketing = the ecosystem. Most confuse the two. ➡ Poor onboarding breaks trust before it even starts. ➡ Tech should enhance—not replace—human connection. ➡ The Chief Experience Officer isn’t optional anymore. ➡ Most orgs don’t know how their people feel—that’s the real gap. ➡ Experience isn’t fluffy—it’s a measurable competitive advantage. ➡ Communication is still HR’s biggest blind spot. ➡ Mistakes fuel innovation if leaders stop punishing them. ➡ HR needs a rebrand—from policy enforcer to strategic driver. ➡ You can’t fix broken culture with a tech stack. Chapters 00:00 The Lingering Effects of COVID-19 02:56 Exploring the Value of Organs and Skin 05:57 The Importance of Employee Experience 08:57 Sales vs. Marketing: A Passion for the Hunt 11:57 The Broken HR Experience 14:55 Defining HR Experience and Its Impact 19:49 Seamless Employee Experience 22:02 The Role of Chief Experience Officer 25:48 Transforming HR from Cost Center to Revenue Driver 28:25 Balancing Technology and Human Touch 36:04 Creating Competitive Advantage through Employee Experience 43:41 Embracing Mistakes as a Path to Innovation Connect with our guest: Lila Nazef VP of Sales and Marketing at Neocase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lila-nazef-hrtech/ Connect with us William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices