The continual rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is necessitating digital transformation strategy in human resources and the rest of the business.
While AI is becoming ubiquitous – and many businesses have made big strides even in the last year – some people are still unsure about how to proceed. Or they are simply just getting started.
In fact, 48 percent of respondents at All Access: Digital Transformation in HR said they are not involved in digital transformation projects. Nearly 30 percent of respondents said they are “still at basecamp” in their digital transformation journey.
During the course of the sessions, speakers shared advice for easing people into digital transformation in the age of AI. Discover their recommendations during this Great Transformation.
1. Align digital strategy with business objectives
Anecdotally, some businesses have jumped onto the AI bandwagon and thrown the spaghetti at the wall. In other words, they tried everything without considering strategy or the fit with their business. Now that the initial excitement has worn off, people are thinking more carefully about how they use AI.
Lisa Bass, transformation leader at BioReference Laboratories, explained the importance of linking digital transformation projects with overall business objectives. Her advice is to begin by identifying a problem. Then, ask a few questions, she said:
“Do I really need to improve my processes and then stack a better technology or AI on top of it? Do I need to draft some change management? Do I need to upskill my teams or my people? Do I need to provide more training?”
The takeaway she shared was that leaders must have a plan for transformation, and they must consider the employees and their need for training and communication from the start.
Watch the full session and learn about change management and leading transformation
2. Manage human and tech talent simultaneously
Already the machines are living among the humans and will continue to proliferate. Vishal Bhalla, co-founder and CEO of AnalytAIX and HR Exchange Network Advisory Board member, introduced the audience to Pi, a virtual assistant that looks human and provides information about benefits to employees.
Bhalla, who is a veteran of HR leadership, takes the position that HR can manage tech talent similarly to human talent, encouraging collaboration between the two. The big takeaways are that humans must remain in the loop when automating processes, businesses must carefully choose appropriate tech partners to ensure a good fit and leaders must maintain a return on investment (ROI) dashboard to track tech performance similarly to how they track human performance.
The view on AI is an interesting one because 40 percent of audience respondents said they see it as a helpful collaborator, while 48 percent showed more skepticism by saying it needs oversight.
Graph created by ChatGPT using Matplotlib, based on PEX Network poll results
Even though Bhalla stressed that HR should have a leading role in digital transformation, 38 percent of respondents said IT/data teams are leading them into the new world of work. HR came in second with 24 percent. Whoever is leading needs to have the right training, Bhalla said.
“If someone is having a heart attack at a bus stop, you may have the best intentions, but if you don't know CPR, you may actually cause more damage. So, it's important to have the people with the right training to be able to do that,” says Bhalla. “Data without context is like body without the soul. A body without the soul is somewhat useless except for research. A soul without a body is scary.”
Watch the full session to discover the use of a human-like virtual assistant already being applied
3. Gain employee buy-in and trust
Whenever companies introduce change, they must contend with resistance. The path to the least resistance is building trust. Tristan Hack, marketing committee member at Society for People Analytics, stressed the importance of the employee experience as it relates to customer experience when committing to transformation.
“Never underestimate the importance...of getting employee buy-in. They're the end customers wherever you go. If you get buy-in from employees across the organization and you’re transparent, you have a good communication strategy,” said Hack.
“I think that gives you a critical foundation that has many organic benefits. As you continue on that lifecycle of transformations, the better you do that, the more that you build trust with the employee base. As you build trust with folks, people keep coming on board.”
Graph created by ChatGPT using Matplotlib, based on PEX Network poll results
This tied together other ideas at the webinar series, such as keeping people at the center of transformation and gaining buy-in from stakeholders. What was interesting is that 41 percent of the audience said the primary driver of digital transformation is reducing costs and becoming more efficient. Improving employee experience, however, came in second with 35 percent of the vote. Therefore, Hack’s advice to bring employees along for the ride is backed up by the poll results.
Watch the full session and determine the practicality of digital transformation projects and the symbiosis between employee experience and customer experience
4. Elevate the importance of social capital
The theme of putting people over processes is an obvious one. The humanity that human talent brings to the table cannot be overlooked, said Greg Pryor, founding member of Connected Commons and associate of HR Exchange Network Advisory Board member and PEX Network contributor Michael Arena.
As co-author of the recently launched book, The Social Capital Imperative (Oxford University Press, April 4, 2025), Pryor is preparing people for the AI revolution by reminding them of the characteristics that machines will never have, such as an ability for enabling collaboration, building networks and wielding influence.
The audience reported – with 38 percent of the vote – that human capital (skills, performance, output) remain the type of capital that is most rewarded in a business. A mix of both social and human capital came in second with 36 percent of the vote, whereas social capital on its own only garnered 10 percent of the vote.
Graph created by ChatGPT using Matplotlib, based on PEX Network poll results
In this riveting conversation, Pryor explained that AI will take on more of the repetitive tasks that humans currently do – and even some more complex ones – so humans will draw on their unique power to build relationships. Some refer to it as AI making humans more human. As a result, Pryor believes social capital will become more important.
References to rapper Post Malone even made their way into the session as an example of leveraging social capital effectively.
“Malone's human capital – his singing ability, his musical talent, didn't change,” said Pryor. “What he was able to do was dramatically expand his career and expand his audience. I would suggest it's specifically through social capital. What he did so brilliantly is that he legitimized himself as a country music singer through relationships with current country music singers.
“He very intentionally did duets, if you will, or had them join together. He used country music's royalty of background bands and artists. He used country music producers, and I would suggest the most brilliant move he had was connecting with the central influencer in country music, who, I would suggest, is Dolly Parton.”
Watch the full session to get a sense of how the debate on human capital versus social capital in the age of AI motivated the audience
5. Prioritize making AI accessible to all generations at work
Dr. Corey Seemiller, co-author of Generations in the World of Work (Routledge, December 30, 2024), which is chock full of firsthand research about the preferences of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers, helped people notice the patterns of behavior and preferences among individuals in each generation. While recognizing that people are unique, Seemiller said that generations have shared experiences that can provide insight into how to approach their management, including during a digital transformation project.
The researcher and professor explained that Baby Boomers, the oldest generation at work, is skeptical of AI because of trust issues and the fear of losing human connection. Generation X, on the other hand, is known for its independence, a trait that is often explained by their status as the latchkey generation. Gen X appreciates AI's ability to enable people to work faster and more efficiently without much, if any, hand holding. At the same time, Millennials and Gen Z, the two youngest generations at work, are the most open to AI. They see it as a means of getting constant feedback and creating job opportunities.
Still, all generations fear (at least to some extent) the possibility of job loss. Most feel some sense of insecurity simply because they are being asked to work in a different way.
Graph created by ChatGPT using Matplotlib, based on PEX Network poll results
“What's really stark is when when companies or organizations decide to do something new that's very drastic. They haven't gotten a lot of input from others. They know that it's probably for the best, whether it's for cost savings or expediency, and that's great, but they don't have that shared vision with people, and they implement it [anyway]. Then boom! They're upset that people aren't on board,” said Seemiller. “They haven't provided them the right amount of training, and they get a lot of backlash.”
So, Seemiller suggested being transparent and making AI tools accessible to all generations. This means making it as easy to use as possible, which could be a result of the evolution of AI tech or learning and development programs to train employees on its use.
Being clear helps, too. In fact, the top two most important factors for successful AI adoption across generations, according to the audience responses, were leadership buy-in and clear vision (41 percent) and tailored training programs (28 percent). At the same time, a whopping 54 percent of audience respondents said that the biggest challenge in fostering digital inclusion across generations is intuitive and accessible tools for everyone.
Watch the full session and understand the perceptions of different generations on AI and advanced technology in the workplace
Clearly, there's no stopping the AI revolution that is already happening in the workplace. Embracing the technology is the only path forward for individuals and organizations as a whole. To gain buy-in, leaders must align digital transformation projects with business objectives. They can manage tech talent alongside human talent for best results.
Once leaders are on board, they should build strong relationships based on trust with employees to ensure they adopt technology and apply it in a way that benefits the brand. As more machines enter the workforce, humans will become more relevant for their social capital, which refers to their ability to forge relationships.
By understanding generations at work, managers can adapt their approach to include change management and digital transformation strategies that are a good fit for all.
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