Examples of Impact*
These examples, drawn from respected sources like Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, McKinsey Quarterly, and Gartner Research, illustrate the kinds of measurable impacts mid-sized companies are achieving today.
Accelerating HR AI Readiness: From Uncertainty to Strategic Roadmap
A mid-sized European financial services firm (Harvard Business Review, 2024)
- The CHRO faced pressure from the CEO to respond to GenAI but lacked clarity on readiness.
- The firm conducted a structured readiness assessment, engaging both HR staff and employees, and piloted AI in candidate screening and HR knowledge management.
- Developed a 12-month roadmap aligned with business priorities.
- Reduced time-to-hire by 27% through GenAI-assisted candidate sourcing (McKinsey Quarterly, 2023).
- 74% of employees reported greater confidence in AI once governance guardrails were introduced.
Employee-Centered Adoption: Turning Resistance into Advocacy
A U.S. healthcare provider with 8,000 employees (MIT Sloan Management Review, 2024)
- Employees feared GenAI would replace parts of their roles, particularly in administrative and patient scheduling functions. Initial pilots saw very low adoption rates (<20%).
- The organization created an ‘AI Champions’ network and invested in manager toolkits to communicate the personal benefits of AI.
- Adoption jumped to 68% within three months.
- Employee satisfaction scores improved by 14% in departments where champions were active.
- Productivity in patient scheduling improved 22%, freeing time for frontline staff to engage with patients.
Proving ROI: Building AI Impact Analytics for HR
A global manufacturing company (Visier Outsmart 2023 reports, Gartner Research)
- The CFO asked HR to prove the ROI of AI investments. HR lacked a way to quantify AI’s contribution beyond anecdotal successes.
- The HR team developed an ‘AI Impact Dashboard’ that measured adoption, time saved, and turnover reduction.
- Identified a 12% drop in voluntary turnover among employees using AI-enabled learning tools.
- Calculated $14 million in annual savings linked to reduced turnover and improved onboarding speed.
- Secured further funding from finance for expanded AI pilots in talent development.
Skills & Job Architecture for the AI Era
A mid-sized logistics firm (McKinsey Global Institute, 2023; Deloitte Insights)
- Managers reported confusion about career paths as automation changed warehouse and back-office work. Employees feared being ‘left behind.’
- The company conducted a skills mapping exercise, combining market benchmarks with AI-supported external data.
- 80% of employees reported greater clarity about their career future in engagement surveys.
- Internal mobility increased 19% year-on-year.
- Attrition in targeted roles fell by 11%, saving an estimated $6.5 million.
Governance & Risk: Building Trust and Compliance
A North American retail chain (NYC AEDT Law cases; European Union AI Act commentary in The Economist, 2024)
- The HR team introduced GenAI in recruiting but faced pushback from legal counsel worried about bias and compliance.
- They piloted lightweight HR-specific governance guardrails, including bias checklists, vendor diligence scorecards, and employee communications.
- Passed an external compliance review without findings.
- Reduced candidate bias indicators in sourcing by 21%.
- 70% of employees in a pulse survey said governance made them ‘more confident’ in HR’s use of AI.
*Examples provided to help clients see what is possible; they do not represent projects delivered by People–AI–HR.