Session Overview
Most organizations have chosen and deployed their chosen AI tools. The question now is how to scale them when employees fear for their jobs and leaders aren’t sure their people are ready. Adecco’s own research shows the size of that gap: 70% of leaders expect AI to significantly impact their organization in the next three years, but only 50% feel their workforce is ready.
The Adecco Group’s answer was to flip the usual AI story. Instead of leading with productivity and headcount, it started with people: what they wanted to stop doing, what they joined to do, and what it would take for them to trust agents in their work. The result surprised even Adecco. The part of the business where it expected the biggest efficiency gains became its global innovation hub and a growth story, and client Serco is seeing the benefits too.
Watch the session to go behind the scenes of Adecco’s people-first rollout, from the assumptions it had to rethink to how it handles tough questions about job security and keeps humans in every hiring decision.
What you’ll learn
Watch the session to discover:
- Why people, not technology, decide whether AI scales
- How to reframe the AI story away from headcount, including pointing agents at the repetitive tasks colleagues don’t want to do
- How to build trust and make AI feel real, including co-creation with colleagues and leaders modeling AI use
- What a growth story looks like, with Adecco reporting more than 200,000 agent conversations at its career center, 50% of them outside working hours, and not one FTE reduced
- What comes next, including incubator branches with colleague ambassadors and a future where AI is simply how work gets done
Meet the speakers:
Sam Rope - Group SVP HR Strategy & Transformation, The Adecco Group
Sam Rope leads HR Strategy and Transformation at The Adecco Group. With a background in statistics, she combines analytical rigour with strategic insight to design data-driven people strategies that drive measurable business outcomes and sustainable growth. Her approach focuses on creating inclusive workplaces where colleagues feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, while enabling leaders to build diverse, high-performing teams.
Niki Turner-Harding - Country Head, Adecco UK & Ireland
Niki champions a people-first approach to leadership, driving business success while fostering a culture that values and empowers every colleague. Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and helping people find meaningful work has contributed to record-high levels of client and candidate satisfaction. A strong advocate for responsible innovation, Niki is helping shape the future of recruitment through the adoption of agentic AI.
Kaz Hassan - Principal, Product Strategy & Market Intelligence, Unily
Having spent 10 years immersed in the employee experience space, Kaz has a reputation for being a thought leader with a cutting-edge stance on the latest industry trends and predictions. His experience rolling out more than 20 intranets to over a million employees means he has on-the-ground knowledge and data to back up his innovative perspectives - and he is not afraid to challenge the status quo.