The Shape of Work: AI x HR playbook | Aug 2024 [Recap]

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The Shape of Work: AI x HR Playbook 2024 is a dynamic mini-conference series designed to educate and unite HR leaders in exploring how AI is changing the world of HR and the future of work. This event offers a rich blend of engaging panel discussions, expert-led educational sessions, and interactive workshops, making it an essential gathering for HR professionals eager to stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s recap the third iteration of this mini-conference series which consisted of a whopping 12 speakers and 3 powerful panels!

Table of Contents

Panel 1 | Driving Organizational Performance through AI with Tim Ringo, Jo Cook, Faye Almeshaan, Kshitiz Sachan and Jacob Clemente

The panel, led by Jacob Clemente, dove into the transformative role AI is playing in driving organizational performance. Panelists Faye Almeshaan, Tim Ringo, Jo Cook, and Kshitiz Sachan provided in-depth analysis of AI-driven strategies to enhance performance management, productivity, and employee engagement.

Watch the full session here:

Jacob Clemente | Journalist at Charter (AI & Work)

Jacob is the AI & Work reporter at Charter, a media and insights company. Prior to Charter, he was a researcher at the Freakonomics Radio Network, where he worked across four different shows. Jacob also worked as a research assistant for historian Chris Miller on his book Chip War, and for Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter on his book The Politics Industry. Jacob holds a B.A. in Economics and History from Yale University, and he was a Fox Fellow at Moscow State University.

Tim Ringo, BSBA, Chartered FCIPD | Founder and Managing Director, TimRingoDOTcom Digital Workplace Advisory

Tim’s extensive executive experience in organization transformation programs and technology change gives him a unique perspective on driving workforce performance and organization innovation. He is passionate about helping organizations align people to technology to make work more engaging and high value. From Asia to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North & South America, he is highly skilled in conversing in regional cultures and bringing the latest thinking in regional trends and challenges with solutions that are successful across cultures.

Tim shares his unique blend of experience through expert advisory projects, engaging keynote speeches, and interactive business transformation workshops. He speaks on many topics around organizational change.

Jo Cook | Editor, Training Journal (online magazine for workplace learning)

Jo Cook is a speaker, facilitator, learning consultant and part-time Editor of Training Journal. Jo has specialized in virtual classrooms, webinars and hybrid events since 2013 and also helps develop people’s confidence through creative expression. Jo’s passion is in helping and supporting teams, professionals and individuals embrace the benefits of digital learning, industry professional development and their own personal development. Jo’s background includes: further and higher education; the charity sector; small and large organizations, including Turner Broadcasting/CNN News and Bupa International.

Find out more about Jo and her work on her website www.lightbulbmoment.info or the L&D online magazine www.TrainingJournal.com Follow @LightbulbJo on Twitter/X or connect on LinkedIn.”

Faye Almeshaan | Founder and CEO of Faye Almeshaan Consulting (Performance Management)

Faye’s been in the business of catapulting startups to success. She has scaled and invested in over 250 tech startups that have secured funding from top-tier investors. Faye has founded 2 companies (and 1 nonprofit!), led business development for an exited startup, and scaled operations for a venture capital firm taking them from $25M to $100M in assets under management in just 2 years.

Currently Faye is the CEO of Almeshaan Consulting, helping tech startups and VCs improve operational effectiveness, drive team performance, and hit their ambitious targets.

Beyond the boardroom, Faye is a fierce advocate for underrepresented founders, speaks on fostering killer company cultures, and is utterly devoted to her sassy 1-year-old dachshund puppy.

Kshitiz Sachan | Process Coach – Performance Management, Keka

For over a decade, Kshitiz has been at the forefront of helping businesses achieve remarkable growth by designing and implementing effective talent management processes. His expertise in identifying and developing the right talent has helped hundreds of organizations across the globe to achieve 10x growth.

Kshitiz is a strong advocate of purpose-driven and trust-based leadership, and he has helped organizations to replace outdated command-based models with more effective approaches. He understands that great leaders inspire and empower their teams to achieve their full potential, and he has helped countless individuals and teams to do just that.

With his extensive experience as a performance coach, Kshitiz has worked with a wide range of organizations, from small startups to large multinational corporations, across multiple industries. His insights and expertise have helped to transform the performance of teams and individuals, unlocking their full potential and driving success.

1. AI in Performance Management: A Game-Changer

AI’s impact on performance management is undeniable, helping HR professionals automate and improve processes like feedback, goal setting, and performance reviews.

Faye Almeshaan shared practical examples from her experience with AI tools like Lattice, which are already transforming performance management in high-growth companies. These tools can now aggregate feedback from multiple channels (e.g., Slack, Teams) and provide real-time insights, allowing managers to make more informed decisions.

“We are seeing a move from annual performance reviews to continuous feedback cycles, and AI is helping managers make those decisions faster and with greater accuracy,” said Faye. AI-driven performance systems can save up to 3–4 hours per week for managers by summarizing peer reviews and providing suggestions for improvement.

Kshitiz Sachan echoed these sentiments, adding that AI tools also assist employees in setting more effective goals by identifying potential gaps. He emphasized that AI can provide insights into issues early in the performance cycle, allowing managers to address them before they escalate into larger problems.

2. Boosting Productivity: AI-Powered Assistants and Automation

AI isn’t just streamlining HR tasks; it’s reshaping how entire organizations function.

Tim Ringo highlighted how AI-powered assistants and automation tools can free up employees’ time, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks. For example, AI can draft emails, write reports, and summarize meetings, taking care of tedious tasks and improving productivity across the board.

“We’re moving toward a future where everyone will have an AI executive assistant. This will free up time for leaders to focus on strategic tasks,” said Tim.

3. Data-Driven Decisions: AI’s Role in Optimizing Workforce Performance

AI allows HR leaders to take a more data-driven approach to workforce management. Kshitiz Sachan shared how AI agents are being used to analyze workforce data, providing insights into areas like goal alignment and performance bottlenecks. He emphasized that AI can offer more precise feedback at the right time, ensuring managers can address issues before they turn into larger problems.

“AI can help us write better goals, track real-time progress, and identify areas for improvement. This ensures performance feedback is always timely and unbiased,”

4. Navigating the Risks: Don’t Let AI Replace the Human Touch

While the potential for AI in HR is enormous, it comes with its risks. Faye Almeshaan cautioned that AI should never fully replace human interaction, especially when it comes to sensitive matters like performance feedback or employee well-being. She noted that relying solely on AI could lead to disengagement, especially if managers fail to verify AI-generated insights.

“Garbage in, garbage out—if managers don’t know how to provide constructive feedback, AI will simply amplify those issues. Always check AI’s work and know when it’s time for a human touch,”

5. AI in Learning & Development: Making Training More Effective

AI’s role in learning and development (L&D) is becoming increasingly vital.

Jo Cook explained how AI is being used to tailor learning paths based on employee needs and performance, providing a more personalized experience. From curating training materials to summarizing meeting outcomes, AI is enhancing the efficiency of L&D programs.

“AI can provide a more responsive, personalized learning experience. It’s not just about recommending courses; it’s about understanding the employee’s journey and adapting to their unique needs,”

6. AI in Workflows: Redesigning for Greater Efficiency

Tim Ringo emphasized the potential for AI to transform organizational workflows, particularly in how companies can optimize their operations for better productivity and employee engagement. He mentioned that, while many tech solutions promise to integrate AI into workflows, organizations need to start by understanding their current processes and workforce behaviors before implementing AI.

“Forget about technology at first. Focus on understanding the most efficient workflows in your company by engaging with your workforce, who often know how to do their jobs better than a machine can.”

By first gaining a deep understanding of employee workflows, AI can be introduced as a tool to support and enhance these processes, rather than being applied prematurely or without context. According to Tim, one of the most significant opportunities for AI in this space is creating better productivity outcomes without overburdening the workforce.

Takeaways for HR Leaders

This panel provided valuable insights into how AI is influencing performance management and organizational performance, offering HR leaders several key takeaways:

AI as a driver for continuous performance improvement: Tim Ringo stressed the importance of leveraging AI to enhance workflows, drive efficiency, and foster continuous improvement in employee performance. HR leaders should ensure they are using AI tools that provide real-time feedback and allow for adjustments as needed.
AI should not replace human judgment: While AI can offer valuable data-driven insights, Jo Cook emphasized the importance of maintaining the human element in decision-making processes. AI should be seen as an enabler, not a replacement for HR professionals’ expertise and judgment.
Encourage transparency and fairness with AI: Faye Almeshaan highlighted that AI-driven performance management should be transparent and fair. HR leaders need to be vigilant in ensuring that AI systems do not introduce biases or create unfair outcomes for employees.
Train employees to effectively use AI: As Kshitiz Sachan pointed out, it’s critical for organizations to invest in AI training and support for their employees. HR leaders should focus on building AI literacy across teams to ensure employees can effectively engage with and benefit from these technologies.

By integrating AI responsibly and thoughtfully, HR leaders can drive both individual and organizational performance while maintaining fairness and transparency in their processes.

Panel 2 | Navigating the AI in HR Terrain: Ethics, Regulations, Compliance. with Dr Cari Miller, Sania Khan and Nadia Harris

In this session, panelists Dr. Cari Miller, Sania Khan, and Nadia Harris explored how HR professionals can navigate the complexities of AI ethics, compliance, and regulations in the workplace. The conversation focused on key challenges, actionable steps, and considerations for ensuring ethical AI implementation in HR.

Watch the full session here:

Dr. Cari Miller | Founder & Head of AI Governance & Research, The Center for Inclusive Change

Dr. Cari Miller is the Head of AI Governance and Research at the Center for Inclusive Change, an organization focused on the intersection of AI and DEI&B in employment and education applications. She is also the co-founder and Board Chair of the AI Procurement Lab, a women-led non-profit advancing and modernizing procurement practices to address the new challenges of ensuring that AI systems are properly vetted before buying and deploying them. Dr. Miller is also a member of the AMS AI Ethics Board, which was constituted to ensure ethical AI oversite is applied across their talent acquisition practices impacting 270k+ hires per year across 120 countries.

Sania Khan | Responsible AI Strategist, Chief Economist; ex-Head of Market Insights @ Eightfold

Sania Khan has focused her career on the intersection of economics and technology to shape a future where technology enhances humanity. She not only articulates the implications of these technological and economic changes but also strategizes on how businesses can adopt and leverage these new opportunities. As the Chief Economist at Eightfold AI, she led the think tank, focusing on innovative research and providing insights into how AI is transforming the economy and reshaping work and the labor market more broadly. Prior to Eightfold, she served as a Senior Economist at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and was fueled by a devotion to public service and a desire to be at the heart of policymaking and digital transformation.

Nadia Harris, LLM, MBA | Founder of remoteworkadvocate.com & Head of HR @ receeve

Nadia is an international future of work expert, remote work lawyer, keynote speaker, university lecturer and author of numerous flexible working publications, including her own book called “How to tackle hybrid working?”. She has worked with numerous international companies – both start ups and structured corporations such as Roche, MAN Trucks, Volkswagen, DELL, WoltersKluwer, Toptal, Amazon, Raiffeisen Bank, ArchDaily, Prezi, WorkMotion, SafetyWing, Airbus, Uniqa, Bookboon, Remote-How and many others. Nadia prides herself on having improved compliance, performance, and scalability with the use of modern technologies and innovative workplace solutions.

Ethical AI Implementation in HR

Dr. Cari Miller emphasized the importance of managing AI responsibly, both by developers and those deploying it in organizations. She explained,

“Fundamentally, the developer side has much more control over the biases that might be seated inside of these systems. The deployer, or buyer, needs to ensure these systems are ethically implemented by understanding and monitoring their use.”

She advised HR professionals to:

Review explainability statements to understand how AI makes decisions.
Train employees regularly to prevent misuse and abuse.
Continuously monitor AI’s impact post-launch, ensuring decisions remain unbiased.

“Think of AI systems like toddlers—you need to keep track of where they are and what they’re doing at all times,” Dr. Miller suggested, highlighting the importance of vigilance after deployment.

Balancing Business Opportunities with Ethics

Sania Khan emphasized the need to balance AI’s innovative potential with the ethical implications, especially in light of job displacement. She noted, “While AI presents exciting opportunities, we have to ensure we’re enhancing worker capabilities and not just replacing human jobs.”

Khan highlighted that as AI automates tasks, companies must also focus on upskilling and reskilling employees.

“Statistics suggest that around one-third of employees could be displaced by AI in the next five years, but another third will see net new jobs. It’s vital to invest in training workers for high-value roles that AI supports,”

Navigating AI Regulations Globally

Nadia Harris, with her background in remote work law, addressed the challenges of navigating AI regulations across different jurisdictions. “There’s no single global regulatory framework for AI in HR,” she explained, adding that HR professionals must follow local laws like anti-discrimination regulations and GDPR for data privacy in the EU.

Harris recommended treating AI as a tool and focusing on transparency.

“HR needs to ensure AI usage is transparent, especially in processes like recruitment. Employees should know how their data is used, and companies should regularly audit their AI systems to comply with local regulations,”

The Future of AI Regulations

Dr. Miller predicted that U.S. states will continue to lead in AI regulation, especially around issues like data privacy and the use of AI in tracking employees. “The states are outpacing the federal government at lightning speed,” she noted, adding that HR professionals should keep an eye on both state laws and European regulations.

She also highlighted the potential rise of deepfake regulations, urging HR leaders to anticipate these developments: “As soon as you start seeing laws on things like deepfakes, start thinking about what policies you need before those laws even hit.”

Takeaways for HR Leaders:

This session emphasized that AI’s power in HR needs to be matched with ethical considerations and regulatory compliance. Here are some specific, actionable steps for HR leaders:

Conduct Regular Audits: Dr. Cari Miller highlighted the importance of conducting regular AI audits to ensure that systems are working fairly, especially in tracking bias and monitoring data privacy compliance. Monitoring AI decisions, appeals, and incidents is crucial for responsible AI use.
Involve Employees in AI Integration: Sania Khan recommended engaging employees in discussions about AI deployment, as they best understand their work and can provide valuable insights into whether AI tools are truly beneficial. Employee feedback helps identify potential risks and improves AI-driven decisions.
Stay Curious and Continuously Educate: Dr. Cari Miller encouraged HR leaders to stay curious and keep learning, even if navigating AI feels overwhelming. Continuous education is key to adapting to AI advancements and ensuring responsible, ethical AI use.
Balance AI with Human Judgment: Nadia Harris advised HR leaders to always maintain a human element in decision-making. While AI can provide data-driven insights, it’s essential that humans remain in control, especially when dealing with decisions that impact people’s lives and careers.

By implementing these practices, HR leaders can ensure that AI is used ethically, responsibly, and in a way that enhances both employee experience and organizational performance.

Panel 3 | Leaders and AI: Using AI to Shape Leaders, Analytics, & Decision with Jonathan H. Westover, Tracie Sponenberg, Jason Averbook, Sophie Wade

In this panel discussion, moderated by Kartik Mandaville, CEO of Springworks, leading experts explored how AI is reshaping the way leaders emerge, how decisions are made, and how organizations leverage analytics. The conversation was grounded in practical insights into how AI can support HR leaders in creating scalable coaching models, building leadership pipelines, and improving workplace collaboration.

Watch the full session here:

Kartik Mandaville | CEO of Springworks
Kartik Mandaville is the CEO and founder of Springworks, an HR tech startup. He is an innovative product-builder who is an advocate of employee-centric policies at organizations and has built Springworks’ AI-Powered workplace search knowledge bot ‘Albus’, a hit amongst leaders. Apart from his role at Springworks, Kartik is also a Senior Technical Advisor at Science-Inc and serves as the Acting CTO at Plowz & Mowz and Burst.

Jonathan H. (Jon) Westover | Founder and CEO of Human Capital Innovations, Podcast host Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D. is an award-winning and 5X best selling author, ranked # 1 HR, Innovation, Leadership, Culture, and Future of Work Global Thought Leader & Influencer (Thinkers360), ranked in the Top 20 in Management and Organizational Culture (Global Gurus), and has been included on LeadersHum’s Power List of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership to watch. He is an entrepreneur, management consultant, professor, and research academic based in Orem, Utah. He founder and CEO of Human Capital Innovations and is the host and producer of multiple shows on the HCI Podcast Network, Chief Academic & Learning Officer of the HCI Academy, and serves on a host of nonprofit, community, and association boards and committees and has received numerous awards for his teaching, research, and service to the community.

Tracie Sponenberg | Founder, Chief People Officer, Tracie Sponenberg LLC

Tracie is a global speaker on HR, leadership, technology and business issues. The former Chief People Officer for The Granite Group, she recently founded Tracie Sponenberg, LLC, where she serves as a Fractional CPO and Advisor for companies with a deskless workforce. While Tracie used to describe herself as “working in HR,” she now describes herself as a “Business leader specializing in People” following her transformation from paper-first to people-first leader, and embracing the importance of learning about the business, technology, the critical nature of relationships, the importance of a growth mindset, speaking up, and learning to always put people before profits.

Jason Averbook | Senior Partner, Global Leader Digital HR Strategy @ Mercer

Jason is a global thought leader, keynote speaker, author, and future of work visionary on Human Resources, digital experience, and workforce technology. Currently a Senior Partner and Global Leader of HR and Digital Transformation at Mercer, Jason has spent three decades advising executives, HR & People functions, and technology solution providers. He also drives Mercer’s global Generative AI strategy and services, spearheading innovative solutions across the HR technology landscape.

Jason has personally guided more than 1,000 HR transformations and deployments for some of the largest, most prestigious organizations in the world. He is the accomplished author of two books illustrating innovative approaches to HR, workforce experience, and digital transformation. From 2018 to 2023, Jason co-founded and served as CEO of Leapgen, a consultancy committed to helping organizations shape the digital workplace. In his expanded role with Mercer, Jason continues to challenge executive mindsets and advocate for digital-first cultures where business and people outcomes mutually flourish.

Jason’s previous experience includes executive and strategy roles Ceridian, PeopleSoft, Knowledge Infusion (later Appirio), and The Marcus Buckingham Group. He serves as adjunct professor at universities worldwide, imparting his knowledge and insights on HR technology and digitization to future generations of leaders. Jason is frequently quoted in BusinessWeek, CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He is one of Human Resource Executive’s Top 100 HR Tech Influencers.

Sophie Wade | Author, Founder, Workforce Innovation Specialist, Modern Work Strategy Consultant, Speaker @ Flexcel Network

Sophie is a work futurist, speaker, author, and Workforce Innovation Specialist at Future-of-Work consultancy, Flexcel Network. Over 590,000 people have taken her LinkedIn courses on Future of Work skills, Gen Z, and empathy. Sophie’s advisory and co-creative executive strategy sessions and transformative workshops help leaders and managers up-level for digitized business conditions and modern work to attract, engage, and retain thriving multigenerational distributed teams. Sophie two books on the Future of Work are Embracing Progress: Next Steps for the Future of Work [May 2017], an EMBA textbook, and Empathy Works: The Key to Competitive Advantage in the New Era of Work [May 2022], a “must read” [Kirkus Reviews]. Sophie also hosts the popular podcast “Transforming Work with Sophie Wade”. She studied at Oxford University (BA, MA) and INSEAD (MBA).

The Gap Between Excitement and Action on AI Training for Leaders

Sophie Wade kicked off the discussion by addressing a critical gap in the adoption of AI within organizations, specifically for leadership development. While excitement around AI is high, as 96% of C-suite leaders believe it will enhance productivity, only 26% of companies have actual AI training programs in place. Wade expressed concern that the lack of investment in training could stall the strategic implementation of AI.

She emphasized that while companies are mandating AI use or encouraging employees to adopt AI tools, many employees lack the training necessary to effectively leverage these systems. “What we have right now is a difficult moment where we need to be thinking much more strategically,” Wade stated, underscoring the need for cross-departmental collaboration between HR, IT, and leadership teams.

The challenge, according to Wade, is for organizations to go beyond simply introducing AI and instead focus on offering employees the training, time, and strategic direction they need to use AI tools effectively. Without a clear strategy, the result is often employee burnout, as they struggle to understand how AI can assist them in their daily roles.

AI in Leadership Development and Coaching

Next, Jonathan H. Westover shared how AI can play a pivotal role in leadership development, particularly by addressing a long-standing challenge in many organizations: identifying the right people for leadership roles. Historically, companies have struggled with promoting employees based on skills aligned with leadership rather than promoting them based on their performance in non-leadership roles.

Westover explained how AI and machine learning can provide a solution by enabling organizations to take a skills-based approach to leadership development. “AI really supports all of that,” Westover said, referring to the way AI can help organizations sift through employee data to identify future leaders.

Beyond identification, Westover also highlighted how AI can democratize coaching, making it scalable for all employees, not just those at the executive level. AI-powered chatbots and other AI tools can supplement traditional one-on-one coaching by providing real-time feedback and follow-up, ensuring that leadership development is accessible and consistent across the organization.

“AI provides a great opportunity for scaling coaching and leadership training that was once reserved for the highest levels of the company,”

This scalability is crucial as companies look to prepare their leadership pipelines for the future.

Transforming HR Decision-Making with AI Analytics

Jason Averbook took the discussion further by examining the role of AI in HR analytics. For Averbook, data is the backbone of any AI system, and the true power of AI lies in its ability to transform how organizations make decisions.

One of the most significant shifts AI enables is moving HR from focusing on internal metrics to understanding HR’s broader impact on the business. “HR analytics up until this point has been HR looking at itself in the mirror,” Averbook said, referring to how traditional HR metrics focus on internal performance indicators such as cost per hire or time to fill. Instead, he encouraged HR leaders to think “East-West” across the organization, using AI-driven analytics to link HR performance with business outcomes like profitability, customer satisfaction, and productivity.

In a world increasingly dominated by generative AI, organizations now have the tools to analyze vast amounts of data, identify trends, and make forward-looking decisions that drive the business forward.

“We are going to have access to information that we’ve never had access to before,”

Averbook explains that AI allows HR professionals to ask complex questions and receive insightful, actionable answers.

However, Averbook cautioned that technology alone isn’t enough. He emphasized the need for HR leaders to focus on process design and change management to fully harness AI’s potential. “The technology doesn’t do it by itself,” Averbook remarked, urging organizations to focus on designing processes that take advantage of AI’s capabilities.

Empathy and the Human Side of AI-Driven Leadership

One key theme that emerged during the panel was how AI can enhance leadership while still preserving empathy and human connection. Sophie Wade emphasized that even as AI takes on more routine and transactional tasks, the demand for interpersonal skills and empathy among leaders has never been higher.

“The bar has been raised,” Wade noted, explaining that as AI automates more repetitive tasks, employees will need to focus on collaborative, creative, and non-routine work. In this context, empathy becomes essential as leaders strive to maintain strong relationships within their teams.

Interestingly, Wade also pointed out that AI can assist leaders in improving their empathy. For instance, AI tools can help leaders better understand emotional cues during virtual meetings or provide feedback on their communication styles. These tools can serve as a valuable supplement, enabling leaders to better connect with their teams, even in remote or hybrid environments.

Wade’s takeaway was clear: while AI is reshaping many aspects of leadership, empathy remains a uniquely human trait that leaders must continue to cultivate alongside their AI-powered tools.

Personalizing Leadership Development with AI

Tracie Sponenberg shared her practical experience using AI to develop leaders in non-traditional roles, such as truck drivers and warehouse workers. These employees may not fit the typical mold of corporate leaders, but AI allows organizations to provide personalized learning paths and coaching to help them grow into leadership positions.

Sponenberg emphasized that AI can create tailored development plans based on individual data, making it easier to identify and nurture leadership potential in roles that might otherwise be overlooked. AI-driven tools can also help HR professionals provide timely, relevant feedback and role-playing exercises to enhance employees’ skills.

“With the right data and the right coaching tools, AI can help us accelerate leadership development in ways that weren’t possible before,”

This democratization of leadership development is particularly important for smaller and mid-sized companies that may not have the resources to provide extensive in-person coaching.