Ai Readiness - The Talent Multiplier, Connecting AI to Business Part 2

CHROPartners

Ai Readiness - The Talent Multiplier, Connecting AI to Business Part 2

29:15

 

This session is with Chris McKay and Dr. Jess Conser our Keynote Workshop Team at the Big CHRO Event (part 2 of 2)

Why CHROs Need This:
AI isn’t just streamlining recruiting - it’s redefining the roles of recruiters, HR business partners, and even CHROs. What began as automation is rapidly moving toward fully agentic AI that can orchestrate sourcing, screening, onboarding, and mobility end-to-end. The leaders who stay ahead now will shape how talent is found, developed, and retained in the next decade. The risk isn’t missing the latest tool - it’s failing to reimagine HR’s operating model fast enough.

What You’ll Learn:

• How agentic AI will shift HR from process execution to orchestration and oversight.
  
  
• What AI-native onboarding could look like - personalized pre-boarding, digital coaches, and seamless day-one engagement.
  
  
• Why skills-based taxonomies (Eightfold, Gloat, Beemery) will replace static succession plans and nine-box grids.
  
  
• The organizational risks CHROs must manage - from governance and security to workforce adoption and AI literacy.
  
  
• How to prepare your function for the coming wave of end-to-end AI orchestration across the talent lifecycle.
  
  

Duration:
40 minutes

AI Readiness for CHROs: Briefing Document

Prepared For: CHRO Partners
Prepared By: Notebook LM and ChatGPT (for formatting)

Sources

• Excerpts from CHRO Partners AI Readiness Session 2.pdf (Dr. Jess Conser & Chris McKay, Maginative)

• Excerpts from chris session 2 long transcript.pdf (CHRO Partners Session 2 discussion)

Executive Summary

This briefing summarizes key themes from the CHRO Partners AI Readiness Session 2, led by Dr. Jess Conser and Chris McKay of Maginative.

The session advanced beyond awareness (Session 1) to explore practical AI applications, friction points, and HR redesign opportunities.

Central message: AI is rapidly advancing, but the ultimate competitive advantage will remain people. CHROs and people leaders must foster continuous learning, adapt to evolving landscapes, and strategically integrate AI to unlock human potential.

Key Themes and Ideas

1. AI's Broad Impact Across HR Domains

Session 1 polling revealed a strong belief that AI can significantly impact HR workflows.

Top-Ranked Domains for AI Reinvention (Poll Results):

• Workforce Planning, Agility & Digital Workforce (AI Agents) – 25%

• Hiring & Onboarding – 19%

• Internal Mobility, Career Design & Succession – 19%

• Learning & Development – 19%

• Retention & Employee Experience – 19%

• Compensation & Benefits – 0%

2. Practical AI Use Cases and Impacts

Workforce Planning & Agility

• Challenge: Workforce gaps are identified too late, creating reactive hiring and missed targets.

• AI Solution: AI-driven workforce simulations (HRIS + market data) spot skill gaps and redeployment opportunities. Tools: Google Gemini, Workday Skills Cloud.

• Impact: Closed visibility gaps (40% of CHROs cited). Boosted agility (62% priority). Reduced underutilization affecting nearly half of workers.

• Prompt Tip: Generate three workforce scenarios for [Company] based on headcount, attrition, skill gaps, and market trends. Identify critical roles at risk and recommend redeployment or upskilling.

Hiring & Onboarding

• Challenge: High first-year attrition, slow ramp-up, inconsistent processes.

• AI Solution: AI onboarding assistants guide new hires through policies, benefits, compliance, and learning. Includes video walkthroughs (HeyGen) and conversational onboarding (Gemini/ChatGPT).

• Impact: Reduced attrition by 18%. Cut time-to-productivity by 25%. Freed managers to focus on engagement.

• Current State: Tools like LinkedIn Recruiter AI search, Indeed Smart Sourcing, and Greenhouse AI are standard in recruiting stacks.

• Future Vision: End-to-end orchestration with AI handling sourcing, screening, and scheduling.

Internal Mobility, Career Design & Succession

• Challenge: Succession planning often relies on bias and outdated grids, weakening pipelines.

• AI Solution: Platforms like Gloat and Eightfold use data to surface hidden talent, map readiness, and create development paths.

• Impact: Internal fill rates up 25–30%. Leadership diversity improved. Retention of high-potential talent increased.

• Example: Molson Coors uses Gloat’s "Untapped" to align skill evolution with project opportunities, reinforcing "Learn Every Day."

Learning & Development

• Challenge: Generic training leads to low engagement and weak AI fluency.

• AI Solution: Platforms like AIMark, Microsoft Co-Pilot, and next-gen LMS/LXP assess skills in real time and build personalized learning journeys. Video generation tools: Synthesia, HeyGen.

• Impact: Higher course completion, stronger AI literacy, faster individual and organizational AI maturity.

• Future Vision: Bespoke, in-the-moment learning. Example: Synthesia interactive video showing accelerated skills training.

3. The Role of CHROs and People Leaders

• Strategic Navigator: CHROs are key to building culture, aligning talent, and making AI a competitive edge.

• Balancing Act: Advance innovation quickly while protecting people and complying with regulations (Chris McKay).

• Addressing Fear: Manage employee concerns about displacement and communicate clearly, as seen in Duolingo’s contrast between internal calm and public backlash.

• Prioritizing Business Needs: Avoid buying tools that don’t solve root problems (Debbie Dennis). Start with processes, then apply technology.

• Data Quality: Chaotic data and culture amplify AI problems (Cindy Lu).

• Measuring ROI: Use prioritization matrices, set ROI targets, and measure outcomes. Timelines are accelerating—no more 6–12 month rollouts.

4. The Evolving Nature of Work and Skills

• Agentic AI: AI agents act autonomously, shifting humans from task doers to orchestrators (Chris McKay).

• Continuous Learning: Workforce must dedicate time to ongoing AI learning. Example: Allan Tai’s team discussions on HR and AI best practices.

• AI Literacy vs. Organizational Maturity: Individual literacy is not enough if workflows create bottlenecks.

• Foundational Knowledge Matters: Understanding rules of coding, copywriting, or other skills enables better use of AI.

• Future Talent Profiles: Aja Howell recommends agility, nimbleness, and openness combined with risk and compliance expertise.

5. Challenges and Future Considerations

• Security and IP: Concerns remain. Explore open-source models for full control or secure cloud tenants (Microsoft, Google, OpenAI). Pre-trained models generally cannot leak prompts.

• Avoiding Burnout: AI can reduce workload but may create new burdens if misapplied.

• Making Learning Engaging: AI can transform training into something engaging, like Virgin Airlines’ musical safety video. This fosters love of learning.

Conclusion

AI is not just a technology trend. It represents a structural shift requiring CHROs to act as strategic leaders of organizational transformation.

By focusing on practical applications, ensuring strong data and processes, fostering continuous learning, and addressing employee concerns, HR leaders can leverage AI to deliver business value and enhance the employee experience.

The emphasis remains on people—equipping them with the right skills and mindset to partner with AI, ultimately securing competitive advantage in a fast-changing landscape.