Leverage AI and Skills to Unleash Tomorrows Workforce Potential Today
Millions of jobs are predicted to be disrupted and altered by the introduction of AI, while the skills landscape is shifting at a rapid pace.
But there is a huge opportunity for new strategies that revolve around both AI and shifting attention to skills.
This exclusive UNLEASH webinar delved into how HR leaders can pivot to improving employee performance now.
UNLEASH is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDC) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification activities.
In this exclusive UNLEASH webinar, Uma Raghavan, Senior Director, People Systems and Experience at Rivian, and Jamie Aitken, Vice President of HR Transformation at Betterworks, took a deep dive into the tactical implementation of AI-powered skills architecture that keeps organizations competitive, engages employees, and future-proofs workforces.
A poll conducted during the webinar found around 60% of attendees are using AI in their day-to-day work, aligning with research conducted by Betterworks.
But how can HR leaders adapt to and utilize AI to enhance the performance of employees in a way that also rewards their efforts and broadens skills, both today and in the future?
We’re all HR people thinking of the whole notion of AI as being very ‘out there’, sci-fi and untouchable, but if we start challenging ourselves and be open to the opportunity of how we actually use this… these are things that we are very excited about,” Aitken commented.
Your artificial intelligence co-pilot is here, now
With workers already using AI for personal objectives, the onus on HR to take ownership of this technology and its use in the workplace is only becoming more evident.
While current use of generative AI systems is most often focused on design or other creative work, Aitken highlighted that employees are also “exploring ways they can be more efficient, and more productive.”
When it comes to adopting AI, HR can also be the driver for strategizing how this can be achieved at an organizational level, as well as optimizing performance management.
“I would encourage organizations to take advantage of what’s possible with AI, to really bridge the legacy of performance management and leap forward into the modern era of connecting the data and getting to know the individual battle,” said Raghavan.
As she highlighted, performance management, in general, is “about the humans” and organizations should be looking to “connect the work” in a manner that AI can support to provide a “360 view of the individuals”.
As Aitken put it: “One thing I always say is that my husband and I don’t have a conversation once or twice a year to see how we’re working as a team; there’s feedback being given all the time. People naturally will have these kinds of conversations in their private life.
“In their work life, there is still the notion of having human connection at the heart of performance enablement, making sure that employees and managers are connected in a way that they understand – not only what they need to be striving for from a business perspective, but also from a career perspective for the employee.”
The new skills landscape is a malleable opportunity
In the same way that AI is not a new thing, neither are skills, Aitkin pointed out: “However, there is sort of a bubbling conversation that’s happening in HR communities around skills.”
The skills gap is a significant obstacle in the HR landscape, with around two in three HR professionals experiencing a gap in their organization. But around half say they are not sure what skills they are missing.
Alongside the changing requirements for AI skills going forward, there is also a generational shift taking place, with more ‘Baby Boomers leaving the workplace and Generation Z taking their place.
While this means HR leaders are faced with the challenge of adapting quickly to a changing environment, it also provides a more agile method of understanding their workforce and planning for the future.
While the rapid evolution of AI is still generating the misconception of jobs being lost to technology, the reality is that AI is more of a co-pilot to optimize performance than an auto-pilot.
“Let’s face it, as HR people, we all know it needs to change. AI can help us make that leap into a much more connected conversational, continuous conversation,” Aitken commented.
Raghavan added that company culture is also a factor contributing to the skills gap and that HR leaders need to be questioning if they are creating an “environment of continuous learning” to bridge the gap and have an awareness that employees can upskill and cross-skill.
“HR also has the ability to create the platforms, not just traditional learning pathways, but the microlearning and credentialing avenues that can be offered to your employees, so they are not having this learning fatigue. Bring it into the flow of work, organically.”