Jessica Smith
Chief People Officer
Hays
Episode 18
Future-Proofing HR: How to Lead with AI & Reimagine the Employee Experience
Current chapter: This episode is presented by Previ, the only free tool that boosts internal communication
Built By PeopleDecember 18, 2025 · 7:51
Thesis
“HR must proactively and continuously reimagine its processes and embrace AI to navigate a rapidly evolving business landscape, while simultaneously prioritizing employee well-being and engagement through strategic change management.”
Show notes
Jessica Smith started her career in finance, made a deliberate pivot into banking, then — after the 2008 financial crisis changed her calculus about where she could have real impact — moved into HR. It's the kind of non-linear path that produces unusually clear-eyed leaders. As CPO at Hays, a global recruitment company, she's navigating one of the more complex AI challenges in the field: not just how HR uses AI, but how a business built around human talent responds when AI reshapes the entire concept of work.
Her most memorable moment in this conversation: "If I could wave a wand, I wouldn't fix anything. I would reimagine how we work." It's a useful distinction. Fixing a broken process assumes the underlying model is sound. But in a period of genuine transformation, she argues, the question isn't how to optimize what you have — it's whether what you have is worth optimizing at all.
Her advice for HR professionals is equally direct: double down on AI knowledge. Not to become a technologist, but to earn the right to be in the room when the most consequential decisions about AI's role in the workforce are being made. HR leaders who understand AI will shape those decisions. The ones who don't will manage the fallout.
What you'll learn:
- Why Jessica says "reimagine how we work" instead of "fix what's broken" — and what that distinction demands of leaders
- How business transformation creates employee uncertainty — and why that uncertainty directly breeds disengagement
- The "suite of tools" approach to AI adoption: why there's no single platform answer
- Why she's testing every AI tool that reaches out to her — and what she's learning
- Her career reinvention story — from finance to banking to HR — and what it teaches about intentional change
- Why HR leaders need to lead AI adoption, not follow it
Built by People is presented by Previ — the free tool that helps HR teams boost internal communication engagement.
What you'll take away
- 1HR leaders should focus on reimagining work entirely rather than just fixing incremental problems, especially with the transformative potential of AI.
- 2Double down on AI knowledge and strive to be at the forefront of leading AI implementation within both HR organizations and the broader workforce.
- 3Proactively manage employee engagement during periods of business transformation and AI integration, as these changes can foster uncertainty and disengagement.
- 4Continuously test and experiment with a 'suite of tools' and new technologies to discover and deploy future efficiencies within HR.
- 5Prioritize personal well-being, including taking breaks and focusing on wellness, while leading significant organizational changes that impact people.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Instead of fixing individual broken systems or processes, HR should 'reimagine how we work' entirely, especially in a revolutionary period driven by AI, rather than just incremental improvements.
In Jessica's words
“I started my career in finance, actually, which is not the typical path you see for HR, but I spent the first half of my career in finance, moved into banking.”
This quote highlights an unconventional beginning to her HR career, emphasizing a path of intentional reinvention.
“how do we think about implementing AI from an HR perspective, but also from the business perspective? And then also as a result of that, how do then we we manage resourcing moving forward.”
This captures the dual challenge of AI for HR, focusing on both implementation and its impact on workforce planning and resourcing.
“definitely engagement, right? As the business looks to shift and change... it also creates uncertainty for colleagues and also creates ambiguity for colleagues. And those two things typically can breed disengagement.”
This quote directly links business transformation and AI implementation to potential employee disengagement due to uncertainty.
“If I could wave a wand, I wouldn't fix anything. So what I would do is just reimagine how we work.”
This is a key contrarian take, advocating for a complete rethinking of HR processes rather than merely repairing existing ones.
“I would hope, if I think about HR, right, that 50% of the things that we do would've changed, right? Because in the moment that we're in, nothing should stay the same. We should be evolving constantly.”
This emphasizes the critical need for continuous and significant evolution within HR functions.
“My advice would be to double down your knowledge of AI and to be part of the leading leadership team that's going to lead how we think about AI into the future, whether that be within the broader workforce or within your HR organization.”
This provides clear, actionable advice for HR professionals to proactively engage with and lead AI integration.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Keeping employee engagement high during continuous business transformations and the introduction of AI, which can create uncertainty and ambiguity.
- •Managing resourcing effectively while experimenting with AI to find and implement efficiencies, often before the efficiencies are fully realized.
- •Identifying, testing, and integrating the right suite of new HR technologies and 'agents' to support future AI-driven operations.
- •Educating HR leadership on AI to ensure they are equipped to guide its implementation across the organization and within HR functions.
In this episode
This episode is presented by Previ, the only free tool that boosts internal communication
Built by People
Jess Smith started her career in finance, moved into banking after financial crisis
How to Reinvent Yourself in HR
As you focus in on Char and what you're currently doing, what's maybe the biggest challenge
What's the biggest challenge in HR?
Which tools or partners are most critical for you today
Which tools or partners are most critical for your HR business?
If I could wave a wand and fix maybe one system or process, what would it be
How to Fix HR: The Future Is Immersive
Jess says AI is a pivotal moment in HR. What parting advice would you share with our community
An HR Professional's Last Words
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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