Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by our friends at UKG, a leading global AI platform unifying HR, pay, and workforce management. They were recently recognized with seven different best place to work honors from Computerworld and Forbes. Congrats to them and enjoy the article!)
It should be no surprise that artificial intelligence (AI) is the hot topic in business today. The New York Times recently reported that companies in the Magnificent Seven (i.e., leading technology firms like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon) are spending billions (with a b) on AI.
In fact, AI integration is one of UKG’s Megatrends for 2026. I’ve been reading UKG’s Megatrends report for years. If you’re not already reading it, be sure to check it out on UKG’s Megatrends Digital Hub. What I really liked about UKG’s take on artificial intelligence was the focus on employee development. I don’t want to give the whole report away, but there were a couple of statistics that immediately caught my eye.
- By 2030, organizations worldwide could be faced with a shortfall of more than 85M skilled workers.
- Combine that with reports that 42% of frontline workers don’t understand AI’s value in their current work. And only 53% of frontline workers feel prepared to use AI tools.
I think this creates an imperative for organizations. We know they want to integrate AI into their operation. Now, they need to develop the talent strategies necessary for employees to understand, embrace, and effectively use AI tools. Here are a few things to consider when integrating AI into overall talent strategies:
#1 – Evaluate and update the organization’s talent strategy.
I know it’s January and some HR teams might have done this as part of their planning and budgeting activities for 2026. That’s great. It might be worth taking a second look at the HR talent strategies for 2026 to confirm AI, and specifically AI education, is a part of the strategy. Conversely, if the organization’s talent strategy hasn’t been updated in a while, this is the time. Not only to update the strategy but proactively incorporate Artificial Intelligence into that strategy.
#2 – Get comfortable with internal mobility and contingent workers. And get the leadership team comfortable with internal mobility and contingent workers.
This aligns with the previous point about talent strategy. Organizations need to be more flexible when it comes to identifying and engaging talent. That means thinking beyond regular full-time employees. Regular part-time and contingent workers can bring value when the organization needs it.
Also, organizations need to discuss being more flexible when it comes to allowing employees to transfer or make a move within the organization. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate limits on an employee’s eligibility for transfer. The organization could be passing over talented employees because they haven’t “met the time limit for transfer eligibility”. That hurts the organization (and frankly, doesn’t do anything for employee engagement).
#3 – Bring Artificial Intelligence into the employee learning experience.
Learning and development teams should be looking for ways to incorporate AI into the employee learning experience. Start early with employee preboarding, orientation, and onboarding activities.
Then, get managers familiar with AI so they will be able to encourage and support employee AI skill development. This could be one of the reasons that 46% of leaders cite skills gaps as a barrier to AI adoption. I could see employees saying, “If the boss isn’t using AI, why should I?” Managers need to be good role models for using AI.
Organizations can maintain engagement with AI tools by possibly developing an internal podcast or a series of webinars with organizational leaders focused on asking one question, “How do you use AI in your workday?” It would be quick and easy to record. And not very long for employees to listen to. This shows organizational commitment to AI and gives everyone an opportunity to learn from each other.
It’s time for organizations to turn all the talk about AI into action. If they want to enjoy the benefits of integrating AI into the organization – and we all know they do – then they have to develop a strategy for success. These three activities are the foundation for getting AI right in the workplace.
- Include AI in talent strategies
- Create a workforce plan that is flexible to accommodate all the different types of talent: full-time, part-time, seasonal, on-call, and freelancers.
- Educate and support talent on how to use Artificial Intelligence ethically and responsibly.
If you want to learn more about how to integrate AI into your workplace, check out UKG’s Complete AI Playbook for HR Executives. It takes a deeper dive into ways AI can transform workforce management, recruiting, and payroll. These are the key components of talent strategy that can set your workplace apart.
That goal of “setting your workplace apart” hasn’t changed for organizations. I do not hear any organization saying, “Our goal is to be like everyone else.” Of course they want to have a unique value proposition. And it starts with people. Give people the tools they need to do their jobs well – including artificial intelligence.
