The conversation around AI in the workplace is shifting. On a recent episode of the podcast You Should Know, John Phillips, Group Vice President of Employee Experience at ServiceNow, made a compelling case that measuring AI adoption by tool usage is a mistake. Instead, he argues, the focus should be on work outcomes: whether jobs are completed faster, with less friction, and with better results for employees and the business.
Phillips did not mince words about the current state of AI in the enterprise. "Every system of record is now got their little AI agent and it's creating chaos for these practitioners," he said. "We're watching this like train wreck of productivity." This fragmentation is a key concern, as organizations are deploying AI tools that do not communicate with each other, leading to inefficiencies rather than gains.
The episode, hosted by Ryan Leary and William Tincup, delved into the implications for CHROs, who are under increasing pressure to demonstrate AI's productivity impact. Phillips predicts a rapid shift in measurement: "We're going to quickly stop talking about AI adoption as tool usage, and we're going to start looking at the outcomes and jobs to be done." This aligns with a broader trend toward outcome-based metrics in human resources.
Phillips also touched on the human side of performance, noting that "high performance has both extreme focus and extreme recovery. It's in any environment, the highest performers in the world have those things." This perspective is particularly relevant as the boundaries between work and personal life have blurred post-COVID, contributing to burnout and an internal dialogue of "am I enough."
ServiceNow's approach, as described by Phillips, involves layering an agentic companion across existing systems rather than replacing them. He noted that customers often arrive with multiple AI tools that do not integrate. This strategy aims to stitch together diverse systems, potentially involving 15 large language models and 100 systems, to create a cohesive AI control tower.
The conversation also revisited the efficacy of engagement surveys. Tincup has long criticized these surveys, and Phillips agreed that discretionary effort might be a more telling metric. He emphasized the importance of hyper-personalization over one-size-fits-all pulse data, suggesting that understanding individual employee needs is crucial.
Phillips' perspective is shaped by diverse experiences, including time spent in refugee camps, which informed his belief that "skills and talent is universal and opportunity is not." This philosophy underscores the need for equitable access to opportunities in the workplace.
The episode is part of the You Should Know podcast, produced by the WRKdefined Podcast Network. With over 3.9 million verified monthly listeners, the show tackles pivotal leadership challenges, and this installment provides valuable insights for HR leaders navigating the AI landscape.
