A Fresh Approach to Ensuring the Success of Corporate AI Adoption
AI-Integrated Role Blueprint© (AIRB) is Copyright Greg Twemlow Oct-11–2024
OpenAI launched ChatGPT on November 30, 2022, beginning a new era. In early December, I wrote a LinkedIn post titled “AI is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying,” I haven’t changed my mind.
In this article, I outline a fresh approach to ensuring the success of corporate AI adoption. I’ve termed the approach “AI-Integrated Role Blueprint©” (AIRB)—a new framework for redefining position descriptions to guide AI integration.
Since then, I’ve observed a surge in corporate investment in AI, with businesses aiming to boost productivity and innovation. Gallup’s latest study on AI adoption highlights that 93% of Fortune 500 Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) report their organizations have begun using AI tools and technologies to improve business practices. This surge in AI adoption signals a promising future filled with opportunities for growth and development.
However, this enthusiasm at the leadership level has yet to fully permeate the workforce. Only one-third (33%) of U.S. employees say their organization has begun integrating AI into their business practices, with the highest awareness in white-collar industries (44%). As leaders, we have the power to change this.
If we want to realize the productivity and innovation gains that AI promises, we must communicate our plans clearly and provide intentional training and guidance for employees who feel unprepared for this new era of work.
One crucial strategy I’ve identified for bridging the gap between leadership’s AI ambitions and employees’ day-to-day work is to redefine position descriptions to include AI integration. I like to think of this as creating an AI-Integrated Role Blueprint©. By updating position descriptions to specify how AI can be leveraged to achieve desired outcomes, we transform them into dynamic learning guides with related assessments. This approach clarifies expectations and provides a roadmap for employees to develop the necessary skills to thrive in an AI-enhanced workplace.
The AI-powered PD Review Process
- Review Current Position Descriptions: AI analyzes existing job roles to identify tasks and responsibilities where AI can add value. This ensures that AI integration is relevant and tailored to each position.
- Recommend Changes for AI Utilization: Ask your AI to make recommendations on how each PD should be updated to explicitly state how AI tools should be used. It helps clarify expectations, positioning AI as an integral component of the role rather than an optional tool.
- Suggest an AI Training Plan: AI design custom training programs aligned with the updated PDsining must be role-specific, focusing on the AI tools and skills necessary for each position. Leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in creating these plans can increase efficiency and consistency.
- Create a Formative Assessment Process: Implementing assessments to monitor employee progress against the training plan helps identify areas where additional support may be needed, ensuring effective integration of AI into their work.
Leveraging AI Tools in the PD Review Process
To address resource allocation concerns, I recommend using AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in reviewing and updating position descriptions:
- Increase Efficiency: AI can quickly analyze and suggest updates, reducing the time required compared to a manual review.
- Ensure Consistency: It provides standardized recommendations across all roles, maintaining a cohesive strategy.
- Facilitate Customization: AI generates role-specific suggestions, highlighting how AI can be leveraged in each position.
Human Oversight is Essential
While AI can provide valuable recommendations, human experts must review and refine them to ensure they align with organizational goals, culture, and industry-specific considerations. This collaborative approach, which combines AI’s efficiency with human professionals’ critical thinking, is essential for effective AI integration.
Why CHROs Are the Perfect Drivers of the AIRB
CHROs are uniquely positioned to spearhead the AI-Integrated Role Blueprint© as the custodians of talent management and organisational development.
They deeply understand the competencies required for each role and how these align with the company’s strategic objectives. By leading the AIRB initiative, CHROs can ensure that AI integration is seamlessly woven into job roles, training programs, and performance assessments. Their involvement is crucial for fostering a culture that embraces AI, supporting employees through the transition, and ultimately driving the organization toward more significant innovation and efficiency.
How Many U.S. Employees Are Using AI?
Most employees do not regularly engage with AI despite leaders prioritizing AI adoption and using AI tools. Nearly seven in 10 employees say they never use AI in their role, while only one in 10 report using it at least weekly. These figures have remained unchanged from 2023 to 2024, suggesting that increasing AI adoption requires proactive leadership and targeted training.
White-collar workers are more likely to be using AI. While 81% of employees in production or frontline industries say they never use AI, only 54% of white-collar workers say the same, and 15% report using AI weekly. This indicates that AI usage is more prevalent in roles traditionally more adaptable to technological advancements.
How Are Employees Using AI?
Among employees who use AI, the most common applications are generating ideas (41%), consolidating information or data (39%), and automating basic tasks (39%). Leaders are particularly active in these areas: 46% of leaders, compared with 36% of individual contributors, use AI to consolidate information or data. Similarly, 45% of leaders automate basic tasks using AI, compared to 36% of individual contributors.
Employees using AI find it helpful. Nearly half (45%) say that AI has improved their productivity and efficiency. Leaders echo this sentiment at the organizational level, with 45% of CHROs stating that AI has enhanced operational efficiency.
How Can Organizations Improve AI Adoption?
Only some employees feel prepared to use AI despite its potential benefits. Only 6% feel comfortable using AI, and about one in six (16%) are comfortable. Conversely, about a third (32%) are confident with AI in their roles. Surprisingly, from 2023 to 2024, the number of employees who feel confident working with AI dropped by six percentage points.
This may reflect a “reality check” as employees confront the complexities of AI adoption, or it could indicate that leaders are discussing AI more without providing clear support, leaving employees worried about being left behind.
To bridge this gap, I’ve identified three key strategies for supporting AI adoption within organizations:
Clearly Communicated Plan for Integration
While 93% of CHROs say they have begun using AI, only 33% of employees are aware of it. Just 15% say their organization has communicated a clear plan or strategy for integrating AI into business practices. When employees strongly agree that there is a clear plan, they are 2.9 times more likely to feel confidently prepared to work with AI and 4.7 times more likely to feel comfortable using AI in their role. This highlights the crucial role of clear communication in keeping everyone informed and prepared for the AI integration.
Clearly Established Guidance for AI Use
70% of employees say their organization needs to provide guidance or policies for using AI at work. Even among white-collar industries and employees who use AI at least once a year, most lack clear guidelines. This absence of guidance limits employee use of AI and creates security risks. By establishing clear policies, we can empower our workforce to use AI technologies effectively and securely, ensuring that AI is a tool for innovation and efficiency rather than a hindrance.
Training Aligned With Employees’ Roles
Almost half of the workers who use AI at least once a year say their organizations have yet to offer training on using AI at work. When employees participate in required training, they are 89% more likely than those who have not received any training to say that AI has positively impacted their productivity and efficiency. Formal training experiences are crucial for motivating employees to explore AI tools and use them effectively in their roles.
Realizing the Promises of AI
While AI’s future trajectory remains uncertain, one thing is clear: With effective leadership, AI adoption in the workplace will yield a strong ROI. However, AI will only generate the desired returns if organizations manage the integration process, so I have devised the AI-Integrated Role Blueprint© (AIRB).
We need a technology strategy and a people strategy to see a RoI
We can provide clear guidance, tailored training, and ongoing support by embracing the crucial insight of redefining position descriptions to include AI integration. This comprehensive approach ensures that employees are aware of AI initiatives, equipped, and motivated to leverage AI in their daily work.
By focusing on these strategies and transforming PDs into learning guides, we equip our workforce to harness AI’s full potential, driving productivity and innovation in this new era of work.
Integrating AI into the workplace is about adopting new technologies and reshaping the way we work and learn.
Implementing AI-Integrated Role Blueprint© (AIRB), supported by clear plans, guidance, and training, is a powerful strategy to bridge the gap between leadership ambitions and employee capabilities. This crucial insight will help realize AI’s full promise, ensuring that technology and people are aligned towards common goals.
Incorporating the AI-Integrated Role Blueprint© (AIRB) into our approach can significantly enhance the ROI of AI investments. By redefining roles and providing structured guidance, training, and formative assessment, we empower our employees to fully leverage AI’s capabilities, ultimately driving the innovation and efficiency we aim to achieve.
This article represents the priority date for a claim of Copyright for the phrase, “AI-Integrated Role Blueprint©” (AIRB), dated October 11, 2024, Sydney, Australia
About the author: Greg Twemlow, Founder of XperientialAI©.
Greg Twemlow: “Empowering future leaders and organizations by designing and delivering AI-integrated experiential learning programs that blend technology, ethics, and philosophy. Through consultancy, mentorship, innovation coaching, and thought leadership, I help CEOs, business leaders, and individuals ethically and efficiently implement AI solutions while fostering a culture of trust, integrity, and wisdom in an AI-driven world.” Contact Greg: greg@xperiential.ai
