Building on insights from Bosley’s recent Unlocking Value presentation to CPOs, we knew the conversation about AI in People & Culture needed to continue. After our first roundtable filled up within days, we ran it again early this week – and once more, every seat was taken. The level of interest speaks volumes: leaders are eager to understand how AI is reshaping the world of work and what it really means for HR and People & Culture.
I had the pleasure of hosting the session where the room was filled with CPOs and Senior HR Executives ready to share experiences, test ideas and learn from each other. Our guest speakers, Andrew Hill and Chris Phair from Bosley, led a lively, practical discussion that balanced big-picture thinking with grounded advice, expanding on the value-creation themes from last week’s presentation.
The Current State: Experiments Without Strategy
Most organisations are experimenting with AI in some way. Many are using ChatGPT or Copilot to help with writing, data analysis, or presentations. What’s less common is a plan that connects all of this activity into a clear strategy. As Andrew put it, “Everyone’s using it somewhere – the real question is how deliberately.”
The conversation mapped the journey from personal use through to enterprise adoption: starting with user-led AI, progressing to workflow AI (where technology is embedded into business processes) and eventually reaching what they called agentic AI – digital ‘employees’ that can reason, act and learn across the organisation.
Key Insight: Treat AI Like a Team Member
Chris introduced an idea that struck a chord: treat your AI like a new team member. Give it a name, a role, KPIs and a coach. It was a surprisingly human way to think about technology, and it reframed the discussion from automation to collaboration. Andrew light-heartedly compared AI to a Tamagotchi: “If you don’t feed it, it dies.” Everyone laughed, but the point landed: agents need care, governance and accountability if they’re going to thrive.
Start Small, Measure Fast
There was unanimous agreement on the need to start small. The advice: focus on low-risk, high-volume tasks – the kind of work everyone recognises, but no one enjoys. Think job descriptions, resume screening, interview scheduling, onboarding reminders, or internal policy queries.
The challenge is to build something useful, measure its impact within the first three months and then decide what to scale. The aim isn’t perfection; it’s momentum.
Governance: Speed With Trust
The discussion turned (as it often does) to governance. Every organisation in the room had stories about privacy concerns, security restrictions, or competing platforms. The consensus was that speed is important, but trust is essential.
Guardrails are non-negotiable: protect personal data, control model training, build approvals for sensitive decisions and maintain transparency about how AI reaches its conclusions. When governance is clear, confidence follows.
Real Examples in Action
Andrew and Chris shared tangible examples from their work. One was Granger, a personal AI chef designed to remember ingredients, recipes and wine pairings. It was a playful reminder of how creative these tools can be. Another was Charlie, Bosley’s meeting assistant that joins every Teams call, captures actions, uploads them to Microsoft Planner and builds a searchable knowledge base.
In recruitment, they described agents that draft job ads, rank candidates and even sit in on interviews to help coach hiring managers. These examples made AI tangible; not a concept, but a working partner already in use today.
The Productivity Question that Changes Everything
When the topic shifted to productivity, Andrew asked the question every leader should be considering: “If AI gives you back 20% of your team’s time, what will you do with it?”
“If AI gives you back 20% of your team’s time, what will you do with it?”
This isn’t a hypothetical, it’s happening now. The real opportunity isn’t cost cutting; it’s reinvesting that time into innovation, learning and better service. AI can free capacity, but only leaders can decide how that capacity is used. Will you redirect it toward strategic initiatives? Employee development? Customer experience improvements? The answers to your questions define whether AI becomes a tool for growth or just another efficiency play.
Don’t Wait for Perfect Data
Data quality was another hot topic. Many admitted they were hesitant to move forward because their data wasn’t ‘ready’. Andrew’s reply was clear: “Waiting for clean data is like waiting for perfect weather – you’ll never leave the house.” Start small, acknowledge imperfections and use AI itself to help improve data over time.
The Human Core Remains Essential
Throughout the afternoon, one truth kept resurfacing: AI in HR is not just about systems or code – it’s about people. Trust, transparency and culture will determine whether AI becomes a threat or an enabler. As Chris put it, “The goal isn’t to implement AI – it’s to achieve your company’s goals and use AI to get there faster.”
Five Key Takeaways for People Leaders:
- Map your AI journey – Move deliberately from user-led to workflow to agentic AI
- Humanise your approach – Name your AI, give it KPIs, treat it like a team member
- Start with low-risk wins – Pick boring, high-volume tasks for your first 90-day pilot
- Build trust through governance – Clear guardrails enable confident innovation
- Decide what to do with freed capacity – The 20% productivity gain is an opportunity, not just a saving
Your Next Steps
The question isn’t whether AI will transform People & Culture – it’s how intentionally we’ll shape that transformation. Here’s how to continue the journey:
Try the 90-day challenge: Pick one high-volume, low-risk HR task and run a small AI pilot. Document what you learn, and we’ll feature real-world case studies in our next session.
Share your AI experiment: What’s one AI tool your team is testing? Share your experience in the comments or reach out – we’re building a community knowledge base of what’s actually working.
Join the conversation: Given the waitlist for these sessions, we’re creating more opportunities to connect. Register your interest for our next Roundtable where we’ll dive deeper into governance frameworks and share more case studies from your peers.
Download our discussion guide: Contact me for a summary of the key frameworks and examples discussed, including the AI adoption journey map and governance checklist mentioned in the session.
Together, we can ensure AI enhances rather than replaces the human element in HR.
Silvana Pardo is a Director of TRANSEARCH International Australia, one of Australia’s most progressive executive search firms and one of the leading executive search organisations in the world. With over 25 years of experience and an extensive business network of Human Resource professionals, Silvana enjoys an outstanding reputation as one of Australia’s leading Search Practitioners. Read more…
