1.  HRBPs were stuck in silos — so they reorganized around workflows

Andrew was honest: the traditional HRBP model wasn’t working.

“No matter how we sliced it, HRBPs were getting siloed. Managers would feed information up, and then it had to bounce across the org just to get something done. It was inefficient.”

Instead of aligning HRBPs to departments, RetailNext now assigns them to business-critical workflows:

• Pre-customer (from lead gen to hardware install)
• Post-customer (product feedback, support, continuous improvement)
• Transitions (hiring, onboarding, exits, change management)

This horizontal structure allows HR to plug directly into how value gets created.

2. Built For People gave them the mindset — EOS gave them the playbook

RetailNext uses the "People as a Product" model from Built For People, a book by Jessica Zwaan, to shape strategy. But EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) provided the operating rhythm.

“Built For People gave us the why. EOS gave us the how. It helped us structure goals, processes, and how we actually run the business day to day.”

By borrowing EOS concepts like core processes and quarterly rocks, they turned their people strategy into a real operating system — not just a list of HR initiatives.

3. They started embedding product rituals into the people team

This wasn’t just a reorg. It came with real rituals:

• Defined a product vision for People
• Set operating principles
• Run in sprints with prioritization
• Conduct employee interviews to identify pain points

“We wanted to operate like a lean PX org. That meant running sprints, shipping MVPs, and talking to our users constantly.”

These rituals helped HR become operationally relevant — not just strategically aligned.

4. AI made it 10x easier to build real solutions, fast

Andrew and his team built a fully custom employee engagement tool using Replit and Claude.

“Before, it was a $30k investment and a 6-month implementation. Now? I can build something in Claude in an afternoon, send it to employees, and get feedback that same day.”

This shift from buying to building has massive implications. Instead of relying on rigid SaaS tools, HR can now prototype solutions directly in the flow of work.

5. HR and IT are now one team — and that’s by design

RetailNext doesn’t treat IT as a back office function. It sits inside the people team.

“We used to own the physical real estate. Now, our real estate is digital. It’s the tools employees log into every day to do their jobs.”

Bringing HR and IT together means they can co-own the digital employee experience — from onboarding workflows to AI-powered tools — and move way faster as a result.

6. This is the most optimistic moment in HR in a decade

Despite all the noise, Andrew is bullish on where HR is headed.

“For the first time, everyone’s open to change. With AI and a product mindset, we can now solve problems we were limited by before. This is a new frontier.”

The bottom line? You don’t need to wait for permission to start operating differently. The tools, mindsets, and models are already here — and leaders like Andrew are showing what’s possible.

Thanks for reading. See you next time!

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