Spreadsheets, Stories, and Strategy: What Moves HR Forward with AI

In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Spandana Suddapalli, Head of People at Vidmob, whose career bridges analytics, leadership, and culture building across global tech and high-growth startups. Known for her ability to combine human insight with data-driven decision-making, Spandana unpacks what it really takes to build an HR function that’s both strategic and emotionally intelligent in the age of AI.

From transforming recruiting guardrails to crafting practical AI policies, Spandana shares how her team at Vidmob is shaping the future of work one deliberate choice at a time. She talks about the tension between efficiency and empathy, the power of storytelling in data conversations, and why adaptability, not automation, is the ultimate leadership skill.

She also explains how HR leaders can use AI without losing their judgment, turn uncertainty into thoughtful experimentation, and bring a human voice into every decision that involves technology.

Topics Discussed:

Building a balance between automation, empathy, and business impact.
How data storytelling helps HR influence executive decisions.
Creating responsible AI policies that strengthen trust and compliance.
The evolving meaning of performance in dynamic, AI-integrated workplaces.
Turning resistance into readiness: coaching teams through rapid change.

Why emotional fluency and technical literacy now define modern HR leadership.
If you’re reimagining how HR can move from reactive to strategic while staying deeply human, this episode offers a grounded look at what truly moves the function forward.

Additional Resources:

Cleary’s AI-powered HR Chatbot - https://gocleary.com/hr-chatbot/
Future Proof HR Community - https://gocleary.com/cleary-community/
Connect with Spandana Suddapalli on LinkedIn -   / ssuddapalli03