Employee Experience and Managing Change

Covering Assessment Criterion 2.3 of FREE08, this video examines how the growing presence of AI in the workplace shapes employee experience and the specific change management challenges that people professionals must navigate as a result. The video addresses the tension between AI-driven interactions and human contact, looking at how organisations decide where automated systems are appropriate and where human connection must be preserved. It also takes up perceptions of fairness and trust, including why employees may distrust AI decision-making even when those systems are technically sound, and what transparency and accountability mechanisms can do to address that scepticism.

Resistance to AI adoption is treated as a predictable and legitimate response rather than an obstacle to be overcome by persuasion alone. The video identifies the distinct sources of that resistance — including concerns about surveillance, previous negative experiences with technology change, and attachment to existing working practices — and considers how communication, consultation and employee involvement feature in effective responses. Fear of job loss receives particular attention as the most significant barrier to adoption, and the video discusses the balance between honest acknowledgement of workforce impact and the kind of reassurance that preserves rather than undermines trust.

The third strand of the video turns to the practical and cultural work that falls to people professionals in supporting reskilling and workforce transition. This covers identifying skills gaps, facilitating internal mobility, and creating pathways for employees whose roles are being redesigned as routine tasks are automated and work shifts towards more strategic and advisory functions. The video connects these practical responsibilities to a broader cultural dimension, including normalising continuous learning and modelling adaptability within the people profession itself.