The future of AI, HR and the workplace came under close scrutiny in a webinar hosted by The HR World in partnership with The Josh Bersin Company and sponsored by The Talent World.
It saw Josh Bersin Company Associate David Morris present some of the company’s recent research into the impact of AI on HR and their predictions for the future of the technology within the function. This then led to a discussion between Morris, AI specialist and speaker Erica Farmer, and HR Leader at Northrup Grumman, Steve Bright on the practicalities and implications of AI going forward. The webinar is well worth a viewing for its future looking dialogue and advice on how and where HR should direct its attention now. In addition, below, the panelists address a couple of additional questions raised by the webinar.
Q: If large companies are having problems, as a small charity with few IT and HR resources how do we help our teams (especially HR) move through the continuum? We are just moving into Co-Pilot.
Steve: Good question – I’m involved in a small charity and we are using AI, however we are having a discussion at Board level between co-piloting vs auto-pilot as we had instances of Board members producing work based on the latter which has been found wanting. I think this reinforces the need to educate and discuss the use of AI within your organisation, whatever size. Again, it has to start with what work we are doing, the standard of deliverable we are looking for and how we use AI to assist. For example, simply producing a financial strategy using AI is not good enough if you want a Board and Charity team to develop ownership of any content – you have to start with the end in mind and then decide how AI can help.
David: Smaller companies are actually much more agile and in control of their overall tech stack than larger organisations. So in many regards they are better placed to implement it. I know we have at the Josh Bersin Company.
Q: How do you manage Al Change and adoption?
David: On adoption and change, my only add is to encourage practice and possibilities. The more AI is explored and tested outside the constraints of the corporate ring fence, the more people can see the potential and how it might be applied when their organisations are ready.
Steve: We are aiming to manage AI change and adoption by treating it as an operating model shift, not a tech project. The core principle is simple: machines take the codified, repeatable work; people focus on judgement, ethics, influence and accountability. Then we are making the change practical by sequencing it in waves, being clear about what each audience must do, learn and believe, and helping leaders reinforce new behaviours rather than old manual workarounds. Adoption sticks when people understand not just how the technology works, but how their own value changes because of it
Erica Farmer – additional links and resources:
How can HR effectively implement AI across their organisation? Webinar recording:
https://quantumrise.co.uk/how-can-hr-effectively-implement-ai-across-their-organisation/
From Fragmented To Foundational: How Can You Effectively Adopt AI Across Your Organisation? Blog following an episode of the AI for the Average Joe podcast show:
How Do You Create Psychological Safety to Aid Successful AI Adoption? Blog:
https://quantumrise.co.uk/how-do-you-create-psychological-safety-to-aid-successful-ai-adoption/
Are We Preparing People for AI Deeply Enough? Blog following an episode of AI for the Average Joe podcast show:
https://quantumrise.co.uk/are-we-preparing-people-for-ai-deeply-enough/
