HR's New Model: Stop Serving, Start Building Products

What if HR stopped mapping processes and started solving real problems?

That’s the shift Volker Jacobs, founder of TI People, says is urgently needed. In today’s AI-powered world, the old HR model—HRBPs, COEs, and Shared Services—no longer delivers. It promises efficiency but misses the mark on employee experience. Instead, Volker calls for a bold redesign: HR as a product team, building end-to-end, user-centered solutions with the same mindset as tech.

In our conversation, he shared five capabilities that define future-ready HR:

• AI literacy
• Human-centered design
• Digital product management
• Data fluency
• Ethical AI governance

But the real blocker isn’t technology—it’s friction: skill gaps, unclear permissions, and lack of confidence slow down adoption.

And as we discussed the state of AI in HR, Volker referenced the Gartner Hype Cycle, warning that we’re fast approaching the cliff—the “trough of disillusionment.”​
The key question now isn’t whether AI will deliver, but whether we’re ready to navigate the dip and emerge stronger.

So what does it really look like when HR operates as a product team?

I keep a close eye on what our Future Work Experts are thinking, saying, and questioning. I break down the key conversations and brainstorm practical steps we can take to move forward.

This week:

AI CHANGE DRIVERS

​Asana Study: Find the Influencers in AI Adoption, Not Just the Execs​

• Rebecca Hinds (Asana Work Innovation Lab) shows that AI adoption doesn’t scale through top-down mandates—it spreads peer-to-peer, led by unlikely champions inside your org.
• Her research identifies three key internal influencers: Bridgers who connect silos and fix coordination failures (96% adoption rate), Domain Experts who build from lived pain points (27% more likely to be adopted), and Operations Specialists who design scalable, end-to-end systems (9% gain).
• Companies that invest in these influencers, via training, visibility, and early tool access, can double their adoption reach compared to traditional methods.

📝 Prompt: Spot your AI influencers:
- Run a quick survey: Who built the last AI workflow you reused?
- Highlight the top 3 in your next town hall.
- Give them first dibs on new tools—and a seat at the table.

​👉 Read the full article to explore how to activate these influencers​.

TALENT MARKETPLACES

​Sophie Wade: Build Careers Without Leaving​

• 86% of HR leaders say internal mobility is a 2024 priority (iCIMS), yet legacy structures still push talent out before moving them across. Companies see 70% higher retention and 79% more leadership development after internal moves (LinkedIn, Bersin).
• Sophie Wade shows how AI-powered talent marketplaces at Schneider, Unilever, IBM, and Prudential connect people to gigs, mentorships, and stretch roles—shifting from job ladders to skill lattices and from siloed teams to shared talent.

📝 Prompt: Set the Foundation for Talent Flow
- Define the vision and share the "why" with all employees.
- Identify one team to pilot and appoint a marketplace lead.
- Form a cross-functional core team.
- Run a quick audit: Where are internal roles posted? Who gets access—and how fast?

​👉 Read the full article to explore Sophie’s 3-month blueprint for building an internal marketplace​.

WORKPLACE STRATEGY

​Phil Kirschner: Workplace Vibes Are Changing—Are You?​

• Phil Kirschner urges corporate real estate (CRE) leaders to run workplace strategy like a startup, focused on business outcomes, not just cost cuts. Despite the buzz about transformation, most CRE still obsesses over expense lines and aesthetics, not value per interaction.
• He proposes a Chief Places Officer model—owning how space drives performance, culture, and flexibility. While IBM, Macquarie, and Atlassian show what’s possible, most teams lack a North Star, metrics deck, or AI fluency. His challenge: apply the startup survival test to your portfolio—if it wouldn’t get funded, redesign it.

📝 Prompt: Run a startup test on your CRE function:
- What's your North Star?
- What behavior does each space enable?
- Would business leaders invest in your current plan?

​👉 Read the full article to explore how the Chief Places Officer's mindset reframes the future of corporate real estate.​

🎫 ​Plus: ​Join Phil on June 17th as he debates Density’s CEO on the hot question: ​Does RTO actually work?​ Backed by data from 19,000+ workplaces, this sharp, no-fluff conversation will challenge assumptions and reframe what makes hybrid models truly succeed.

🔥 QUICK HITS

​(AI MINDSET SHIFT) Jason Averbook: From Panic to Purpose​

• AI isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s an emotional reckoning. Jason Averbook says the real challenge is fear masquerading as busyness or resistance. Leaders must shift mindsets, not just org charts, and address identity-level questions like: “What happens when knowledge becomes searchable?”
• Transformation requires more than tools—it needs emotional alignment, intentional learning, and human-centered design. Without this, trust erodes and adoption stalls.

📝 Prompt: What fears—loss of control, identity, or understanding—might your team be hiding behind “we’re too busy”?

​👉 Read the full article to explore how to lead AI with both head and heart.​

​(AI IN HR) Anthony Onesto: Stop Fearing AI, Start Designing With It​

• AI is reshaping jobs, not erasing them. Demand for low-exposure roles (human skills) grew 400% since 2010, while high-exposure roles only surged 450–500% when AI was actively adopted.
• HR must lead with fluency and design. Entry-level roles are shifting as AI handles routine tasks, and adoption gaps risk widening inequity—especially in admin and support roles.

📝 Prompt: Audit your early-career roles—what tasks can be redefined or upskilled with AI?

​👉 Read the full article to explore Anthony Onesto’s productivity matrix and the future of AI-powered HR.​

​(AI IN REAL ESTATE) Antony Slumbers: Custom GPTs Are CRE’s Edge​

• Custom GPTs are the fastest path to ROI in real estate AI. Antony Slumbers shares how these no-code, role-specific assistants—like the TDH Lease Negotiator and CRE Strategist Pro—help professionals automate tasks, codify expertise, and boost insight instantly.
• With AI-skilled workers earning 56% more and high-exposure sectors seeing 3x revenue per worker, CRE has a rare window to get ahead. From underwriting to operations, these GPTs turn AI into strategic leverage—day one.

📝 Prompt: Start small—build a GPT that summarizes leases or reports. Use it daily, improve weekly.

​👉 Read the full article to access Antony’s 25+ GPTs and join his AI course built for real estate.​

I track what’s worth your attention—bringing you the news and updates that matter most to how we work, lead, and grow.

This week:

AI LEADERSHIP TRAITS

​MIT: What AI-Ready Leaders Need Now: Be Brave, Be Playful​

At the 2025 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, AI experts and tech leaders shared that human traits define effective leadership in the AI era. Liberty Mutual’s Monica Caldas emphasized courage as essential: leaders must challenge their assumptions, embrace transformation, and imagine new possibilities.

Other key traits include playfulness (to drive experimentation), curiosity with caution (to explore AI while staying secure), and the ability to balance present execution with future vision.

These qualities help leaders navigate AI’s dual challenge: managing rapid tech adoption while stewarding cultural and ethical change. As AI rewrites the rules of work and strategy, emotional intelligence and adaptability become core executive competencies.

📝 Prompt: Ask, “When was the last time we experimented playfully with a new AI tool?” Then go one step further: “What’s one weird, bold, or just plain fun way AI could help us next week?”
Don’t overthink it, this isn’t about getting it right. It’s about removing barriers, building bonds, and exploring without pressure. Maybe someone will say: “Could be automating a boring task, making better slides… or bringing in robot dog therapy to reduce stress before QBRs.
Let it be curious, not critical. Just good ideas and big laughs.

FLEXIBLE WORK

​Flexible RTO That Works​

As companies refine RTO plans, leaders at BNY and Asana are blending structure with flexibility.

BNY upped in-office time to four days based on productivity data, but balances it with two “work from anywhere” weeks and a year-end recharge.

Asana’s “office-centric hybrid” brings teams in Mon/Tues/Thurs, while “no-meeting Wednesdays” protect focus.

Both models support sandwich generation caregivers and show that autonomy-friendly, data-informed design boosts sustainable performance.

📝 Prompt: Review your team’s RTO policy: Where can you add flexibility signals (like “no-meeting days” or “deep focus weeks”) that show trust without sacrificing structure? Pick one small experiment to test this month.

AI IN HR SHIFT

​HR’s Product Mindset Era​

Jacqui Canney, now Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow, reflects a bigger shift: as AI reshapes work, HR must lead the transformation.

Her role goes beyond traditional people ops to include AI reskilling, learning innovation, and even revenue-generating training.

This demands a product mindset, system thinking, and tight collaboration with IT, sales, and finance.

📝 Prompt: Ask, how would we work if our “users” were employees and our product was their experience?
Try borrowing a page from your tech team—chat with a product manager, explore their favorite frameworks (like OKRs or agile sprints), and find one mindset or habit to pilot.

SKILL INTELLIGENCE

​WEF: Skills Are Infrastructure, Not Currency​

Skills intelligence uses AI to transform workforce data into real-time insights, shifting from identifying gaps to empowering growth.

It treats skills as critical infrastructure, not just currency, supporting resilience and innovation.

Static systems like O*NET and ESCO are being replaced by dynamic, AI-driven platforms that enable smarter job matching, targeted reskilling, and agile workforce planning.

By tracking “proximity skills” and validating real competencies, organizations can help people pivot into new roles, as 40% of skills are expected to shift by 2030.

📝 Prompt: “What if we had a live dashboard of everyone’s real skills?"
Follow-up:
- How would that change how we plan projects?
- Who might be ready for more?
- What could we stop hiring for and start growing from within?

AI ADOPTION

​AI Starts with the Managers​

If you want to maximize AI’s impact at your company, start with managers.

Hein Knaapen (former CHRO, ING), Lindsay Pattison (Chief People Officer, WPP), and Paula Landmann (Chief Talent and Development Officer, Novartis) outlined a three-phase AI journey: experimentation, enablement, and delivery.

Both WPP and Novartis prioritized change management—starting with executive role modeling, internal champions, and persona-based training.

Tools like Coach Nadia and Copilot helped middle managers boost productivity, psychological safety, and leadership confidence, with Novartis reporting a 4-hour weekly time savings and 89% of users feeling more productive.

📝 Prompt: Which of your frontline managers could become AI champions—and what support do they need to start?

🔥 QUICK HITS:

• ​Meta’s $15B Talent Hunt:​ Mark Zuckerberg is personally recruiting for Meta’s new “Superintelligence” team, offering AI researchers up to $10M/year, but reputation issues and past layoffs are deterring top talent. Despite landing some hires from Google DeepMind and Sesame AI, Meta struggles to compete with the aura and mission loyalty of labs like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• ​AI Knows You Better Than You Do: ​Geoffrey Hinton’s AI assistant now triages his email, mimics his choices, and acts as his proxy, offering a glimpse into a future of personalized AI agents. Geoffrey warns that without alignment and regulation, AI’s productivity gains may widen inequality, not reduce it, and predicts AI will soon outperform doctors and tutors, reshaping care, education, and work.