How Chief People Officers Are Navigating AI Transformation

It’s become quite clear that AI is no longer a distant future — it's here, transforming the way we work. For leaders, the challenge is not whether to embrace AI, but how to do so in a way that drives meaningful results; and HR leaders play a pivotal role in navigating this transformation.?

In our recent conversations with Chief People Officers, we have discussed how they're exploring AI with their teams, strategies for getting buy in across their organizations, and the mindsets and behaviors that are critical to success. Here are some themes that emerged:

Building Buy-In and Adoption

Start small – AI adoption can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Start by implementing one tool or building a single AI bot that serves a need. This allows teams to get comfortable with the technology and provides tangible results.

Commit to learning together – AI is new for many. Try dedicating time each week to explore AI as a team to make it feel less daunting. Host casual lunch & learns where you can share success stories and learnings. Create a Slack channel for AI beginners, where they feel safe to jump in.

Form a council of enthusiasts – AI is an equalizer — it’s not just for data scientists and tech teams. Many organizations are forming AI councils of interested employees from various departments and levels. Give them dedicated time and clear accountability. This will help foster innovation and experimentation throughout the company.

Make AI a company-wide goal – If you want to prioritize AI within your organization, elevate it to a company-wide goal to show your commitment.

Bottoms-up vs. Top-down – AI thrives on collaboration and experimentation. So in many cases, a bottoms-up approach — empowering teams to build and iterate — might be most effective. However, for success to scale, buy-in from the top is also critical. Leaders must provide vision, support, and resources while encouraging experimentation at all levels.

From Tech Adoption to Cultural Transformation

AI as a mindset shift – AI isn’t just a technology; it’s a mindset. People leaders have a central role to play as AI adoption demands new ways of thinking and working.

Embrace iteration and failure – AI is an evolving field; not every initiative will succeed. It’s important that teams embrace failure as part of the learning process. Resilience is key.

EQ becomes more valuable – As AI takes over more repetitive and administrative tasks, employees will have more time to focus on the human aspects of work. It will be important to develop relationship and leadership skills, especially as younger generations — Gen Z and Gen Alpha — bring a digital-first perspective.

Measuring Impact?

Focus on learning, not perfection – In the early stages of AI adoption, don’t stress over perfect metrics and results. AI is iterative by nature. Build a lot. Throw some away. Learn as you go.

Celebrate enthusiasm and engagement – Sometimes the greatest impact of AI is not a number, but the joy it generates among employees around something that may have previously seemed mundane (e.g., performance reviews vs AI-powered performance reviews).

Shorter Planning Cycles – Some leaders are seeing traditional long-term planning (1/3/5 years) shifting to more agile timeframes (1 month, 3 months, 1 year). Speed and flexibility are key to adapting to rapid technological advancements.

Invest in employee growth – AI isn’t just about moving the business forward, it’s about moving employees forward in their own personal growth.?

Examples of How HR Leaders Are Leveraging AI

• Writing Self-Reviews: AI tools can help employees craft thoughtful self-reviews, providing suggestions and improving the quality of feedback.
• Summarizing Employee Surveys: AI can automatically analyze and summarize employee feedback, saving time and providing actionable insights.
• Job Descriptions: AI can help make job descriptions more engaging, inclusive, and free of bias.
• Interview Preparation: AI can assist hiring managers by providing context on candidates’ resumes and industry-specific terms, or helping prepare questions.
• Interview Evaluation: AI tools can analyze interview notes to determine a candidate’s fit for a role, reducing bias and improving decision-making.
• Meeting Effectiveness: AI can track meeting dynamics, identifying who spoke the most, who was silent, and which ideas were underrepresented.
• Coaching Managers: AI can help managers prepare for difficult conversations.
• Performance Assessments: AI can provide insights into new hire performance, enabling managers to have more informed discussions.

Everyone can be part of the AI revolution

AI is moving at warp speed, but it’s not too late to start your journey. Start experimenting and you may be surprised how quickly you can advance. After all, AI may not replace your job, but those who can use AI effectively will become even more valuable than those who can't.?

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To connect about Rich Talent Group's HR Practice, reach out to Suzanne Bartalotti or Bradford Frank .