The future of work will be built on a powerful partnership between humans and AI, driven by a deep understanding of when, where, and how to deploy human talent and AI capabilities. The most successful organizations are the ones taking the time to clearly define this future
Ashley Goldsmith
Chief People Officer
Workday
AI is reshaping the world of work, and with that comes a lot of big questions.
The conversations I’m having with CHROs are less about the "what" of AI and more about the "how." How do we navigate this new level of transformational change? How do we prepare our people for a very different kind of work? Where should we be moving fast, and where should we dip our toes in before fully diving in head first?
On one hand, there's the undeniable pressure to leverage AI for efficiency and productivity. On the other, there’s an equally strong pull to keep people—our most valuable asset—at the center of everything we do.
What I see—and personally believe—is that the future of work isn't human or AI; it's a powerful partnership between the two, driven by a deep understanding of when, where, and how to deploy human talent and AI capabilities. We are better together. Humans should always be at the center, and AI is here to help us maximize our potential and focus on what we uniquely do best.
Imagine if AI wasn’t just a tool for clearing away repetitive tasks, but a partner that expands how we think, create, and solve problems together—surfacing insights we’d otherwise miss, sparking ideas we might not reach on our own, and helping us build stronger connections. This new relationship isn’t about replacing human skill but about augmenting it, allowing us to unlock unprecedented potential within our organizations.
Here are three considerations for leaders as they build a human-AI partnership.
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AI is streamlining everything, from forecasting and quality checks to reducing thousands of hours of administrative tasks. The question is: What do we do with all this reclaimed capacity?
We redirect it to those core human capabilities that fuel success and drive growth: strategic innovation, where people come together to solve our biggest challenges; high-impact relationships, which build trust and foster shared success; and emotional intelligence, which contributes to inclusive and high-performing cultures. The very things that make a company’s culture thrive don’t come from replacing humans with machines, but from amplifying what people do best.
This redirection of energy requires focus and commitment. Here’s an example of how we’re putting this into practice at Workday.
The very things that make a company’s culture thrive don’t come from replacing humans with machines, but from amplifying what people do best.
By leveraging Workday Recruiter Agents, we have reduced applicant screening volume by 18% and decreased recruiter workload by 12%. That means approximately five hours each week of time saved.
With the extra time, our recruiters can focus on more impactful work—specifically, becoming stronger partners to the business.
One part of the hiring process we sometimes overlook is the interview team debrief. It’s well-known how valuable these sessions are—if facilitated effectively—in making evidence-based hiring decisions. With the time savings, we’ve put more emphasis on upleveling our recruiters’ skills to facilitate targeted and effective debriefs for each hire. The result? Consistently higher-quality hiring decisions.
As AI becomes more integrated into our work, the line between what humans and agents can do is blurring.
According to our research, most employees are comfortable with AI as a teammate. However, they are much less comfortable with the idea that AI could be their boss. This means that a clear delineation of roles is absolutely essential to building trust.
When you clearly define the role of the agent—as task manager, collaborator, and advisor—you can put your employees at ease, build trust across your workforce, and allow managers to put all of their energy into leading their teams and driving performance.
Just as leaders must clearly define roles and responsibilities across our human workforce, we have to do the same with our agentic workforce. People are ready to partner, but they want clarity on the partnership model.
Just as leaders must clearly define roles and responsibilities across our human workforce, we have to do the same within our agentic workforce.
When the Internet started to become mainstream in the late ‘90s, it felt like the future we all could imagine was being replaced. AI is having a similar effect now. We’re still writing the guidebook about this new technology—testing its limits, understanding its impact, fine tuning its ability, and defining its role.
While not as simple as navigating HTML, this journey should be seen not as a hurdle, but as a continuous, empowering experience. Every time a new technology helps to advance the way people work, it transforms those tasks into an opportunity to ask questions, learn, and grow.
In order for employees to reap the benefits of AI’s potential, we first have to foster a culture where employees have permission. Permission to not know all of the answers, to experiment, and to treat AI as a learning partner that can help them master new skills and accelerate their professional development.
Every time a new technology helps to advance the way people work, it transforms every task into an opportunity to ask questions, learn, and grow.
At Workday, we’re increasing our workforce’s AI aptitude through our Everyday AI program, aimed at developing the right mindset, skills, and habits to use AI effectively. Early indicators are showing promising results.
With a goal to increase employee AI usage by 20% at the beginning of the year, we were thrilled that usage was up almost four times the initial goal in just over six months—with 80% of our workforce using these technologies.
A couple key findings include:
By positioning AI as a catalyst for individual growth, leaders gain a competitive talent advantage by building a highly adaptable, innovative, and resilient team.
Today, humans are already handing over tasks and processes to agents. In the next few years, agents will run seamlessly in the background, operating as critical and valued partners that free up humans to do more meaningful, high-value work.
As leaders, it’s up to us to design these partnerships thoughtfully, ensuring that every AI capability enhances, rather than replaces, human potential. When we get this part right, we don’t just create productivity, we tap new levels of potential we didn’t even know were possible.
Over half of business leaders are concerned about talent shortages—and only 32% are confident their organization has the skills needed for success. See how AI is transforming skills management in this report.
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AI has been a gamechanger across nearly every industry and marketplace. But realizing the true value of AI requires buy-in between different stakeholders. In this AI Masterclass, learn how you can make the most of AI for finance, HR, and more.