The real key to your AI strategy: Humans

Investments in AI are growing rapidly as organizations race to stay current and increase their productivity.

The current challenge is that employers and employees feel uncertain and unprepared for what’s ahead.

Even though roughly 90% of HR leaders believe that up to half of their workforce will need to be reskilled in the next five years, according to research from PeopleScout and Spotted Zebra, only 7% are actively investing in their reskilling programs.

To make the ultimate hill to climb even steeper, 34% have no plans to undertake a workforce transformation initiative to prepare for what’s ahead.

When you look at it through that lens, it's no surprise:

So, now what?

HR leaders must step up to create AI upskilling programs and tap into human potential

Education and upskilling in the use of AI technology is an urgent priority, and HR leaders need to get programs in place now if they hope to mitigate the widening skills gap.

Creating a cultural environment that embraces the coming change, and designing skilling solutions for different types of employees and their respective needs around AI, will not only prepare organizations to incorporate AI technology into different aspects of their business — it will also give employees more confidence in their ability to create sustained, long-lasting contributions to the organization as it evolves.

“Ultimately, the integration of new technology into the workplace doesn’t change the factor that has the greatest influence on a company’s output: human curiosity and potential.”

Dean Carter, Chief People Officer emeritus and Evangelist, Guild

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Employees are the ones who will come up with creative, innovative ways to incorporate AI into their workflows to drive results. While humans possess unique abilities in areas like critical thinking and collaboration, we all need ongoing encouragement and “modeling the way” from leaders to develop the highest levels of proficiency and meaningful work.

As a leader charged with facilitating these transitions and balancing the technology and human aspects, you will encounter a lot more resistance from employees if adopting something new feels like work.

In my experience, you can get there much faster if you incorporate elements of play and let people have some fun with it. No one went to “phone school” when the smartphone was introduced — we became comfortable with it at work and home by just using and exploring it.

“Encouraging experimentation lets people discover how they can benefit from new technology, and doing that on their own builds more loyalty than simply implementing required use cases by the organization.”

Dean Carter, Chief People Officer emeritus and Evangelist, Guild

Create the right environment for change by embracing human potential

Looking at our current moment with AI, I think there’s a lot of opportunity to apply lessons from past transformations to ensure we continue to emphasize the “human” part of what we do even as technology shows up in new ways.

With the half-life of skills declining, there’s an urgency to take on these critical projects and ensure employees are prepared with both the skills and the environment to adapt to the evolving needs of the business.

HR leaders are well placed to guide organizations through this massive shift, and just like they’ve seen over the past four years, proactive CHROs, in partnership with CEOs and Boards, will step up and lead once again.

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About Dean Carter

With over 15 years of experience leading global people and culture functions, Dean is passionate about creating and sustaining purpose-driven organizations that empower their employees, communites and customers to grow, thrive, and make a positive impact in the world.