The past decade has been defined by acceleration. Organisations have embraced digital transformation at speed and scale, driven by a desire to be leaner, faster and more productive. From early automation to today’s generative and agentic AI, workforces have been equipped with smarter tools and increasingly autonomous systems. These technologies are not only changing how work gets done, but also how decisions are made, how people interact and what is expected of them. On nearly every front, operational efficiency has improved.
But beneath that surface, something else is shifting. As output is optimised, the quieter elements of work such as empathy, trust, etiquette and human connection are becoming harder to maintain. Not gone but stretched. And in some cases, quietly deprioritised.
This is not a crisis. It is a pattern. The kind that does not cause headlines but quietly reshapes culture if ignored.
This piece explores that pattern. Not as a rejection of innovation, but as a reminder that presence, engagement and cultural consistency must evolve alongside performance. If organisations want sustainable, resilient cultures, they cannot afford to let efficiency dilute the experience of the people delivering it.
Efficiency as a Cultural Force
Technology has delivered meaningful improvements to how work is structured, measured and executed. Automated workflows, intelligent systems and AI-driven optimisation have changed how organisations hire, communicate, manage and scale. These systems are effective and often essential. But they also shape behaviour, expectations and culture in subtle ways.
The more efficient work becomes, the more transactional it can feel. Conversations are shorter. Feedback loops become templated. Systems remove friction but also reduce the context and texture that create belonging and trust.
As agentic AI becomes more embedded in workflows, taking actions on behalf of users or systems, the pace and expectations of work are shifting again. Routine decisions are now handled autonomously. Communications are drafted and sent without direct input. This creates new efficiencies, but also raises questions.
When fewer human moments are required, are the right human signals still being sent?
These developments are not inherently negative. But they highlight the need to design culture as deliberately as systems. Without that balance, organisations risk optimising for delivery while quietly eroding connection.
Candidate Experience: A Signal Worth Watching
One of the most visible early indicators of this shift is candidate ghosting. A 2023 SHRM study found that 42 percent of candidates had been dropped from hiring processes without any follow-up. In the UK, CIPD research shows nearly one in three candidates report similar treatment.
In most cases, this is not due to poor intent. It often reflects overloaded systems, ambiguous process ownership or automation designed without human closure points. But to a candidate, it sends a clear message. Their time and effort did not warrant a response.
Candidate experience is more than a hiring issue. It reflects how communication, feedback and responsibility are handled more broadly. The way an organisation treats people it chooses not to hire can often signal what it values in the people it does.
I previously wrote about the emergence of hyper-personalisation in hiring, where the candidate journey is becoming far more ‘choose your own adventure’ and consumer-inspired. But even the most curated experiences can fall short when communication and closure are absent. These foundational signals still matter.
Small cultural breakdowns often surface at the margins, in hiring, onboarding and exits, before they appear in performance metrics. These are moments worth paying attention to.
Etiquette as Cultural Infrastructure
Professional etiquette still matters. It is not about formality. It is about signalling consideration and reinforcing mutual respect. Responding to messages. Following through on commitments. Acknowledging effort. These are the habits that make people feel seen and valued. In high-output environments, these behaviours are often the first to be deprioritised.
Efficiency becomes the justification for silence. Courtesy becomes optional.
Where etiquette slips, clarity suffers. People begin to fill gaps with assumptions. Silence is misread as disinterest or avoidance. Over time, this creates emotional distance, weakens collaboration and erodes confidence in leadership. These are not major incidents. But they accumulate. And when they are not addressed, they become norms.
Leaders who consistently model responsiveness, transparency and care help embed a culture that feels accountable and considered, even under pressure.
It is ironic that in 2023, Sam Altman noted that people being overly polite to ChatGPT was costing OpenAI millions in unnecessary energy. Yet in many workplaces, the opposite trend is taking hold. Human interactions are being stripped of basic courtesy in the name of speed.
Politeness to machines may be optional. Politeness to people is not.
Empathy in Leadership: Intentional, Not Assumed
Empathy has always been a core leadership trait. But it now requires a level of intentionality that many organisations are still adapting to.
In digital-first and hybrid environments, the signals that once guided leaders are less visible. Casual check-ins, hallway conversations and off-the-record comments no longer happen as naturally. This makes it easy for leaders to drift into operational oversight without maintaining emotional connection.
Empathy in this context is not just about personal warmth. It is about being attuned to what is happening in the spaces between meetings. It is about noticing when tone changes, when contributions drop or when feedback slows. These are often the early signs that someone does not feel safe or supported.
A 2024 study by MIT Sloan Management Review found that leaders rated highly for empathy were nearly three times more likely to lead psychologically safe teams. However, the same study also found a significant drop-in informal one-to-one time since hybrid models became the norm. Empathy does not scale in the way technology does. But it can be embedded through leadership habits.
Checking in without an agenda. Listening without fixing. Noticing, and then acting.
Psychological Safety: A Barometer, Not a Backstop
Psychological safety is a known driver of innovation, retention and performance. But it can be difficult to measure accurately, especially in systemised environments.
Many organisations rely on engagement scores or survey data as indicators. While useful, these tools may only capture what people feel safe to share, not what they truly experience.
High scores may suggest alignment. They can also suggest caution. In some contexts, people provide answers that feel appropriate rather than reflective. This is especially true where AI-driven feedback tools or performance analytics create pressure to perform visibly at all times.
The more efficient the system, the more important it becomes to validate sentiment in human ways. Conversations. Observation. Follow-up.
Psychological safety cannot be assumed. It must be reinforced through action. Leaders who create space for disagreement, who follow through on difficult feedback and who model vulnerability set the tone for others to do the same.
Presence as a Strategic Leadership Skill
Presence is often misunderstood as proximity. In reality, it is about consistency, attentiveness and relevance, especially in distributed teams and tech-driven environments.
Presence means responding quickly when it matters. Being visible in decision-making. Showing up not just in crises or high-stakes moments, but regularly and reliably. It connects performance expectations with emotional commitment.
As agentic systems handle more decisions autonomously, leadership presence becomes more critical, not less. Employees still want to feel that their experience is being considered. That their effort is recognised. That their concerns are heard by someone who can do something about them.
Organisations that develop presence as a leadership competency are not resisting automation. They are complementing it. They are creating cultures where people still feel that human judgement matters, even when machines are making suggestions or taking action.
Reimagining Culture as Work Evolves
As AI redefines the nature of work itself, including how it is structured, who performs it and which decisions are delegated to machines, organisations have an opportunity to reimagine culture in parallel.
Culture can no longer be thought of as a fixed layer beneath operations. It must be adaptive, intentional and designed to evolve alongside new models of collaboration, automation and scale. If AI is changing what work looks like, then culture must change how work feels.
At AMS, we firmly believe in keeping a human in the loop when it comes to AI enablement. As work continues to be reimagined, our goal is not just to optimise tasks, but to create more space for meaningful engagement, better decision-making and human-centric interactions.
Automation should elevate the work experience, not erase the human presence from it.
Five Questions for Leadership Reflection
1. Are our systems improving connection as well as performance? 2. Do our cultural indicators reflect real sentiment or reported behaviour? 3. Where are small breakdowns in etiquette or feedback becoming normalised? 4. Are leaders equipped to recognise and respond to signals of disengagement? 5. How are we designing for presence in an increasingly autonomous workplace?
Final Thought: Balancing Automation with Human Connection
Culture does not unravel in obvious ways. It wears thin in the spaces we stop paying attention to. It shifts in tone, in pace and in the cues, people receive from leadership and systems. The next wave of change will be shaped not just by technology, but by how leaders respond to what technology makes possible. Generative and agentic AI will continue to create new efficiencies, but those efficiencies cannot come at the cost of connection.
Organisations that thrive in the future will be those that integrate automation without losing humanity. That move fast but stay close. That understand presence, empathy and trust are not nostalgic values. They are strategic imperatives.
Progress and presence are not trade-offs. They are partners. And leaders who balance them well will shape cultures built to last.
If AI is changing what work looks like, then culture must change how work feels.
One of the most interesting aspects of the GenAI ‘revolution’ is the recognized requirement for a range of soft skills in employees within the field. These skills include critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration alongside the ability to communicate the strengths and weaknesses of using artificial intelligence, as well as when not to use it.
Qualities like creativity, persistence and decision-making will grow more and more important as AI and the very nature of the professional world continues to evolve. While technical skills will always prove important, intangibles like these can often make the difference between two equally skilled candidates.
Forbes writes; “Last year, Indeed ranked generative AI as the hottest tech skill of the year….however, what many people tend to miss is that AI is only as effective as the professional behind it. The AWS study, which surveyed over 1,300 employers, noted that 73% of respondents agree that they’re “not solely focused on workers with technical skills such as coding. In fact, critical and creative thinking are even more in demand by employers.”
Another thread in this story is the future workforce demographics and the adoption of age inclusivity as a strategic advantage. With the global 60+ population expected to double by 2050 (WHO), age-inclusive hiring is essential for building resilient teams and future-ready talent strategies.
As Lindsay Simpson of 55/Redefined said recently in a fire-side chat – “Who better to play the role of the storyteller than those with the most life-experience?”.
A good storyteller can take us on a journey and help us to imagine new possibilities. In a world where AI is now so functionally adept to give us access to unthinkable quantities of information, the creative skills are even more important. By translating that to us, our teams and our clients and by sharing that vision and ‘telling the story’, we have the option to stand out from crowd.
And so, the moral of our story is – absolutely use the AI to act as assistant and to scale and augment your work; but also, be creative, authentic and use your style and tone to set the scene of whatever you want to portray. Great communication is key and will always be in demand.
“Technology changes what we do, but not who we are. The human touch will always matter.” – Tim Cook – CEO of Apple
In a world where generative AI takes on the heavy lifting, storytelling emerges as the ultimate superpower. Grab your cape!
In case you missed my other post, ‘AI Storytellers: Using AI in Talent Acquisition – Part 1’ click here to read it.
Good storytelling is a highly sought-after skill. The ability to bring to life a rounded, measured, and exciting vision, taking your customers on a journey; it’s ultimately about personality, relatability, credibility, communication, and opportunity – and it’s all enhanced, but not created, by the capability of AI.
We are entering the Era of the Storyteller.
As we take steps to adapt GenAI into our working processes and advance our use of prompt engineering, ‘storytelling’ is becoming the new must-have skill. We are encouraged to progress to a more stylized and unique flavour to our outputs, essentially creating a memorable voice.
Matt Poole, Head of Service Development at AMS has shared some guidance on creating content that feels authentically human and results in engaging, thought-provoking work:
“The Storyteller approach is the most creative and distinctive focusing on voice and style rather than just structure and information. This approach treats AI prompting as a collaborative creative process, resulting in content that feels like it has a unique perspective and personality.”
This type of prompt has multi-faceted instructions, targeted audience needs, instruction on how to say it, not just what to say, and has layered requirements.
In a recent article, Craig Hunter, AMS Global Head of Sourcing – Centre of Excellence takes it further:
“…Talent Acquisition isn’t just about hiring anymore—it’s about navigating the future.
And yes, that means hiring differently. The most agile teams are recruiting for curiosity. For humility. For learning velocity. They’re embedding AI fluency across departments—not just in tech teams. They’re working closely with L&D to make upskilling part of the everyday employee experience.
Now, let’s bring it back to the humans. Because even with all this talk of tech, they’re still the centre of the story. But the bar is shifting. The future doesn’t need humans who can repeat tasks. It needs humans who can reimagine them.”
AI models are trained on vast amounts of data, including books, articles, and scripts written by humans. This training helps AI understand context, tone, and style, enabling it to generate text that mimics human writing. Thereby, analysing user data and preferences, AI can generate personalized narratives that resonate deeply…but it is humans that guide this process to ensure the content is engaging and relevant.
“Too often, the conversation around AI is framed as “AI vs. humans.” It shouldn’t be. The real opportunity lies in AI for humans—technology that amplifies our creativity, sharpens our insights, and accelerates collaboration” – Bernard Marr, Author & Thought Leader
AI serves as a tool to enhance human creativity, rather than replace it.
In my discussion with AMS’s Chief Growth Officer, Nicola Hancock, and Everest Group’s Practice Director, Sailesh Hota, during The next era of RPO: What’s ahead in TA? webinar, Nicola and Sailesh explain why a shift from outsourcing to orchestration is important to revolutionizing talent acquisition.
RPO 5.0 is transforming recruitment by moving beyond traditional talent outsourcing into an era of strategic orchestration.
But unlike traditional outsourcing, which focuses on transactional tasks and performance-based delivery, talent orchestration strategically integrates people, technology and processes to align recruitment with broader business objectives.
This holistic approach introduced in RPO 5.0 considers all aspects of the recruitment process and their interconnections, creating a seamless experience for both candidates and recruiters. Talent orchestration is inherently agile, allowing it to adapt to the numerous internal, external, geographical and political factors that continuously influence the recruitment sector.
In an ever-evolving talent ecosystem, our webinar emphasizes agile Recruitment Process Orchestration is essential to revolutionize your approach to next-generation talent acquisition.
Want transformative, future-forward solutions to talent acquisition? Download the report.
RPO 5.0 is setting a new standard in talent acquisition. It’s more than just the next phase of recruitment—it’s the transformation from traditional outsourcing to orchestration.
RPO 5.0 reflects a fundamental shift in how organizations approach talent through integrated advanced technologies, strategic insights and innovative solutions. This shift enables organizations to build an adaptable and future-ready workforce that is ready to grow with the business.
In my recent discussion with colleagues during our The next era of RPO: What’s ahead in TA? webinar, Everest Group’s Practice Director, Sailesh Hota, explained how organizations can operationalize RPO 5.0 using AMS’s 4-P approach.
The 4-Ps—Platform, People, Process and Partnerships—form a comprehensive checklist to guide the implementation of RPO 5.0. They ensure enterprises adopt the right technologies and empower their teams to optimize workflows and strategically manage external collaborations.
The Platform aims to build a fully integrated, scalable and modular recruitment technology ecosystem, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This allows for enhanced flexibility in current capabilities while also enabling next-generation innovations.
The People aspect focuses on elevating the roles of talent acquisition (TA) teams, ensuring they are technologically trained and capable of leveraging new tools, such as AI-powered recruitment software. This allows for improved alignment of recruitment with business goals, strategic hiring and a focus on high-value tasks.
The Process involves transitioning from rigid, linear workflows to more agile, automated and technology-enabled processes. This enhances efficiency through robotic and intelligent automation while adapting to evolving roles.
Lastly, Partnership is about creating and managing strategic alliances to support scalability and agility. This ensures any potential issues are covered by aid of dedicated partners for all strategic needs.
Together, AMS’s 4-P approach plays a crucial role in operationalizing RPO 5.0 and driving competitive advantage in an increasingly complex global talent market.
This Mental Health Awareness week, I’m sharing a personal story from a connection in my community; Natalie Taylor, Diversity Specialist and Mental Health First Aider at PSR.
Natalie shares a personal journey of learning to show self-compassion while advocating for mental health and inclusion at work and explores how creating supportive communities—through Mental Health First Aid and Employee Resource Groups—can break stigma, build connection, and help people feel truly seen and valued in the workplace.
Here’s Natalie’s story:
As a Diversity Specialist and Mental Health First Aider, I’ve spent a lot of time advocating for inclusion, support, and safe spaces in the workplace. However, for a long time, I struggled to extend that same compassion to myself.
Like many others, I’ve faced the quiet weight of anxiety and the overwhelming grip of panic attacks. Speaking openly about my experiences wasn’t easy at first, but over time, I discovered that sharing my story not only helped me, it helps others feel less alone.
Through building mental health communities in the workplace, especially via our Mental Health First Aid programme, I’ve seen first-hand the power of connection. In this article, I want to explore how community can be a lifeline – for breaking stigma, building confidence, and creating workplaces where we can all show up as our whole selves.
Research consistently demonstrates a strong link between workplace mental health and employee wellbeing, productivity, and retention. Studies show that companies that prioritise mental health support experience reduced absenteeism, increased engagement, and improved employee retention. Poor mental health in the workplace can lead to decreased productivity, higher healthcare costs, and even increased turnover.
Workplace mental health initiatives, such as training for managers, access to counselling & mental health first aid, and fostering a culture of open communication, can lead to a 30% reduction in mental health-related absences and a 20% increase in employee retention.
One of the most impactful ways I’ve seen connection flourish in the workplace is through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These voluntary, employee-led groups bring people together around shared identities, experiences, or interests and they are a vital source of support and belonging.
For those navigating mental health challenges, marginalisation, or simply seeking community, ERGs offer more than just a social space – they offer solidarity. They help employees feel seen, heard, valued, and they create a ripple effect across organisations. Through ERGs, individuals are empowered to speak up, advocate for change, and support one another through both personal and professional challenges.
As a Diversity Specialist and Mental Health First Aider, I’ve witnessed how ERGs can be the heartbeat of inclusion efforts. Whether it’s a mental health network, A Women’s ERG, or a community for LGBTQ+ colleagues, these spaces often become a source of healing. They open the door for honest conversations and reduce the isolation so many feel when they’re struggling in silence.
Importantly, ERGs are also powerful catalysts for change. By amplifying employee voices, they shape policies, influence culture, and help leaders better understand the needs of their workforce. They bring the human experience to the forefront of workplace strategy.
We know that feeling connected at work can make all the difference but for many contractors, especially those outside of our Employee Resource Groups, that sense of belonging can sometimes feel out of reach. That’s why we created our Mental Health First Aid Programme, a support network available to both our internal PSR colleagues and our wider contractor community. It’s free to access, and it offers a safe, confidential space to connect with fully trained Mental Health First Aiders people who are ready to listen, support, and help others feel less alone.
Fostering connection in the workplace isn’t just a “nice to have”; it’s essential. Whether through Mental Health First Aid programmes or Employee Resource Groups, creating safe spaces where people feel they belong can be life changing.
I’ve seen time and time again how powerful these communities can be. People who once stayed silent about their struggles begin to open up. They find the courage to seek support, to share their stories, and to stand a little taller – because they see others doing the same. That kind of visibility, that kind of collective strength, can shift culture in profound ways.
When we build communities that are rooted in empathy, trust, and inclusion, we don’t just support individual wellbeing we transform workplaces into spaces where everyone can thrive.
“Speaking openly about my experiences wasn’t easy at first, but over time, I discovered that sharing my story not only helped me, it helps others feel less alone”
Natalie Taylor
PSR Diversity Specialist & Mental Health First Aider
I read a book last weekend. It was How to Think About AI by Richard Susskind, and, together with others that I have read, it left me feeling a little clearer on the excitement that surrounds AI (Artificial Intelligence), with its known and unknown potential. I continue to feel more than a little uncomfortable about the enormity of the challenges we face with AI – of relevance, ethics and energy consumption when it comes to how it is developed and operates. In this article I am sticking to my lane and reflecting on the implications when it comes to AI with a neurodiversity lens, and about the relevance that can be achieved with inclusive and thoughtful intent when thinking about talent.
AI is likely to transform how we hire, evaluate, and engage talent; it’s happening already. From algorithmic resume screening to automated video interviews and productivity tools, AI offers powerful opportunities to enhance workplace inclusion, especially when designed with a broad range of human experiences in mind. And for its full potential to be realized and optimal results achieved, we need to ensure these tools also support neurodivergent talent.
Neurodivergent individuals—those who think and process information differently, including people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more—bring unique strengths to the workplace. AI can play a pivotal role in enabling more equitable access to opportunities and tailoring environments that allow diverse minds to thrive. To do this, we must consciously design systems that are inclusive by default.
Many AI-driven hiring tools rely on patterns based on past candidates. Without careful attention, this can risk replicating narrow definitions of success. But the good news is that AI, when thoughtfully applied, can help break these molds, and thinking with inclusivity in mind will ensure organizations are making choice that are both effective and ethical.
For example, tools can be configured to prioritize skills over traditional career trajectories or offer asynchronous, written alternatives to video interviews—benefiting not only neurodivergent candidates but many others. Productivity platforms can evolve to value outcomes over activity tracking, recognizing that focus, creativity, and problem-solving don’t always follow linear patterns.
When inclusivity is built into AI, it becomes a force multiplier: reducing bias, expanding access, and enhancing talent discovery. Rather than reinforcing old norms, it can usher in a more adaptive and human-centered era of work.
AI has the potential to dismantle barriers, not build them—if we design with intention.
The best tech is shaped by those who use it. Engaging neurodivergent people in the design and testing of AI tools ensures that systems reflect a variety of needs and working styles. This isn’t just inclusive—it’s smart design.
Neurodivergent employees and candidates can be keen adopters of technology. Many may embrace automation, clarity, and asynchronous communication—tools that minimize ambiguity and allow individuals to operate at their best. By incorporating their insights, organizations can create systems that are not only fairer but also more intuitive and effective for all users.
Including these perspectives from the ground up helps avoid unintended consequences and makes inclusion a feature— rather than a retrofit.
When we reimagine AI through a neuroinclusive lens, the workplace becomes more flexible, humane, and productive for everyone. Inclusive AI includes:
Offering choices in how people apply and engage, such as video or written formats
Creating interfaces that reduce sensory overload, with customizable layouts and quiet modes
Auditing systems regularly to ensure they support equity and access
Designing for flexibility, allowing individuals to showcase their strengths in ways that suit them best
Embedding transparency and explainability, so users understand how decisions are made
These aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re features that make work more inclusive, resilient, and future-proof.
Forward-thinking organizations are already leading the way. Some companies now allow applicants to opt out of video assessments and complete written challenges instead. Others have built platforms that offer custom onboarding experiences, adaptive learning pathways, and interface personalization—all of which support neurodivergent success.
Vendors, too, are starting to see inclusion as a product differentiator. AI solutions that are more transparent, customizable, and sensitive to cognitive diversity are gaining traction in the marketplace. These innovations aren’t fringe—they’re fast becoming essential to ethical, scalable talent solutions.
The opportunity ahead
Neurodiversity is a wellspring of innovation, insight, and creativity. When AI is built with inclusivity in mind, organizations gain a deeper, more diverse talent pool and tools that reflect the richness of human potential.
AI isn’t inherently biased—it reflects the intentions behind its design. By embedding neuroinclusive thinking from the outset, we move beyond accommodation toward environments where all kinds of minds can excel. This shift can spark a broader transformation, where difference is not just accepted, but valued as a driver of success.
As we integrate AI more deeply into our workplaces, we have a tremendous opportunity: to build systems that elevate everyone’s contributions, especially those who have traditionally been misunderstood or overlooked.
It’s not about lowering standards—it’s about redefining excellence in ways that capture the full spectrum of human ability. Neurodivergent individuals have long been underrepresented in the workplace not due to lack of talent, but due to systems that fail to see or support their strengths. With AI, we can change that.
By listening, learning, and designing with intention, we can ensure AI doesn’t just reflect the world as it is—but helps shape a more inclusive and empowered future of work. For neurodivergent talent and beyond, that’s a future well worth building.
Let’s harness AI that is relevant, not just as a tool for efficiency, but as a catalyst for equity and innovation—where every mind has a place, and every contribution counts.
Leaders who invest in inclusive AI are investing in smarter systems, broader talent pipelines, and stronger business performance.
In today’s fast-paced world, the final step of any journey often defines the entire experience – whether it’s receiving a package or stepping into a new role.
In the e-commerce industry, this is known as the last mile – the final stretch where a package makes it from a warehouse to a customer’s doorstep. In the world of talent acquisition, the last mile is the onboarding process for new hires – the crucial transition from candidate to employee.
While these two functions may seem worlds apart, they share more than just operational significance – a fundamental truth: they both represent make-or-break moments that directly shape long-term satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
The last mile is often the final and most memorable point of contact – for consumers and new hires alike.
The Amazon Paradigm: What Can We Learn from Logistics
Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, was among the first to obsess over the last mile. He recognized that even a perfect ordering experience would be forgotten if the delivery fails. His emphasis on speed, accuracy, and reliability in the last mile helped shape Amazon into the gold standard of e-commerce. According to McKinsey, 85% of customers will abandon a brand after having a poor delivery experience (1).
Bezos’ logic was simple yet powerful: the final impression is the lasting impression. And to dominate a market, you must control the moment closest to the customer’s memory. Amazon didn’t just win on product range or price – it won on follow-through.
This same logic applies with even greater emotional weight in the talent space. A candidate journey that starts strong but ends with chaos or confusion during onboarding leaves a lasting negative impact to the employer brand.
Onboarding: The Human Last Mile
In talent acquisition, onboarding functions in a similar way to logistics. It is not just an administrative step – it is a critical brand experience. A seamless recruitment process can be quickly undone by disjointed onboarding:
Filling out the same information multiple times due to non-integrated vendor platforms
Being asked to locate noncritical documentation for outdated background checks
Experiencing multiple start date changes due to delays in provisioning or compliance
These frictions create unnecessary stress, confusion, and disengagement. And when new hires show up on Day One with no laptop ready for them, no access, no training plan, and no one expecting them, it’s the equivalent of a package marked “delivered” that never arrived.
Unfortunately, such experiences are more common than we might think. According to Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organization does a great job onboarding new hires (2). This means that nearly 9 in 10 people are walking into new roles with uncertainty or unmet expectations.
The Impact of a Broken Last Mile
This failure to invest in onboarding doesn’t just impact employee sentiment – it directly affects business outcomes. The onboarding phase plays a critical role in shaping:
Time to productivity
Early-stage attrition
Long-term engagement and loyalty
According to SHRM, organizations with a structured onboarding process found employees are 58% more likely to stay with a company for at least 3 years and are 50% more productive (3). These aren’t marginal improvements – they’re strategic outcomes.
Companies can quantify this for themselves by comparing early turnover or in job performance among employees who experienced start date delays, system errors, or compliance issues, versus those who entered the organization seamlessly. This kind of post-hire analytics is still underutilized but offers powerful insights into where experience gaps are damaging long-term value creation.
Further, research by Josh Bersin reinforces that effective onboarding programs are critical to long-term employee success, engagement, and retention. They must go beyond forms and checklists to include early feedback loops, immediate manager involvement, peer connections, and digital enablement.
And companies that do this well – dramatically increase engagement scores and reduce first-year turn-over (4).
Onboarding Is Experience, Not Administration
Organizations that treat onboarding as a compliance checkpoint or IT provisioning workflow are missing the point. Today’s candidates expect an onboarding experience that matches the consumer-grade interactions they’ve come to expect in daily life – from ride-hailing apps to real-time delivery updates.
The most successful onboarding strategies borrow tactics from logistics, e.g.:
Route optimization: for TA, this means leveraging integrated platforms that sync HR, IT, security, and background check vendors into one seamless workflow. Manual handoffs are where most delays happen.
Real-time tracking: just as customers can track a package in transit, new hires want to track their onboarding progress: completed steps, upcoming actions, required documents. This transparency reduces uncertainty and improves satisfaction.
Flexible delivery options: onboarding should be customizable, mobile-friendly, and intuitive. Candidates want to complete tasks from their phone, on their schedule, with clear deadlines and reminders – not clunky emails and PDFs.
When onboarding is reimagined as an experience rather than a checklist, it transforms into a powerful driver of culture, confidence, and clarity.
Reframing Onboarding as a Strategic Function
When organizations treat onboarding as a strategic differentiator, the results follow. Much like Amazon’s investment in last-mile logistics unlocked market leadership, organizations that invest in onboarding see:
Lower voluntary turnover within the first 12 months
Faster ramp-up in performance
Higher engagement and cultural alignment
Stronger advocacy and employee referrals
At a time when employer brand, agility, and retention are more important than ever, this is not a luxury investment – it’s a business imperative.
Onboarding is no longer just a transition between recruitment and operations. It’s the first real test of organizational credibility. The candidate is now your employee, and they’re watching to see if the brand promise becomes their lived reality.
So the next time you marvel at the speed and precision of a package delivery, ask yourself:
Are your new employees receiving that same level of care and clarity?
Because just like Amazon’s customers, employees remember their first experience – and it defines whether they stay for the long haul.
References:
McKinsey & Company “Digitizing mid- and last-mile logistics handovers to reduce waste”
Gallup “Creating an exceptional onboarding journey for new employees”
SHRM “Onboarding: The Key to Elevating Your Company Culture”
Josh Bersin “The Employee Experience: It’s Trickier (and more important) Than You Thought”
Reframing workforce disruption in the age of AI
No one really knows what the future of work looks like right now. Not with certainty. Not really.
We don’t know what jobs will exist five years from now, what skills will define success, or what careers our kids will be preparing for. Roles are dissolving, industries are mutating, and the whole idea of a ‘career path’ is being rewritten in real time.
It’s unsettling—and if we’re honest, a bit disorienting. But it’s also wide open and so, so exciting!
And that’s the bit we sometimes forget: the future isn’t just happening to us—it’s something we get to help shape.
That’s the opportunity. It’s right there, hiding in plain sight. Ours to influence—as teams, as talent professionals, as humans.
“If you’re waiting for clarity, you’re already behind.”
It’s a line I’ve caught myself repeating lately—to clients, in team calls, and honestly, in my own head. Because let’s face it, the AI conversation is messy. There’s excitement, confusion, panic. Every other headline feels like it’s predicting the end of work as we know it.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth that no one’s really saying out loud: this isn’t an AI problem—it’s a wake-up call for all of us.
We’ve been talking about disruption for years. Digital transformation. Agile. Remote work. The metaverse. Take your pick. But AI feels different, doesn’t it? Not because it’s more dangerous—but because it’s exposing things we’ve maybe avoided for a while. The reality that our org structures, hiring habits, and a lot of our business logic were built for a different era.
This isn’t a moment of replacement—it’s a moment of recalibration. Treat it like a threat and you’ll stall. Treat it like an opening and you might just help shape what’s next.
Let’s bust a myth right up front: AI is not here to wipe out the workforce.
According to LinkedIn’s 2024 Workforce Report, while 80% of jobs globally will be impacted by AI in some way, only 7% are at risk of being fully automated. That’s not an extinction event—it’s a shift in how work gets done.
And if we zoom in, it’s actually pretty exciting. What’s going away isn’t human value—it’s repetition. Redundancy. The stuff no one really enjoyed doing in the first place.
Josh Bersin’s research hits the nail on the head: AI is accelerating the shift away from rigid job titles and towards capability-based thinking. The question is no longer “What role do we need to fill?” but “What outcomes do we need to drive—and what human strengths will get us there?”
It’s less about someone’s CV, and more about how fast they can learn. Less about where they’ve been, more about how they adapt.
So what’s being disrupted here? Not people. Not even work, really.
It’s how we frame value. And that requires a different kind of leadership—from all of us.
Gartner recently shared that only 24% of HR leaders believe their organisations are truly ready for a workforce that blends AI and human capability. That’s not a failure—it’s a signal. One that tells us we’re in a moment of leadership transition, not crisis.
And honestly? That’s fair. For years, transformation was something we planned for. We mapped it out, scoped the budget, ran the comms plan. But AI doesn’t play by those rules—it’s unpredictable, evolving daily. Which means we need to show up differently.
Leadership now isn’t about control—it’s about curiosity. It’s about asking better questions, being okay with ambiguity, and rethinking how we define performance and potential.
The shift is already happening. Now it’s about how we choose to respond.
The organisations getting this right aren’t scrambling. They’re designing.
They’re moving beyond job titles and investing in dynamic skill architectures. Everest Group highlights this in its research—high-performing businesses are prioritising ecosystems of capability over static roles.
They’re also recognising that Talent Acquisition isn’t just about hiring anymore—it’s about navigating the future. TA leaders are getting pulled into conversations around workforce design, internal mobility, and AI literacy—because how we find and grow people is business adaptability.
And yes, that means hiring differently. The most agile teams are recruiting for curiosity. For humility. For learning velocity.
They’re embedding AI fluency across departments—not just in tech teams. They’re working closely with L&D to make upskilling part of the everyday employee experience.
LinkedIn’s latest Talent Trends report backs this up—internal talent marketplaces are gaining traction, helping match people to projects in real time. It’s not just smart retention—it’s smart risk management. A way to build capability that actually sticks.
Now, let’s bring it back to the humans. Because even with all this talk of tech, they’re still the centre of the story.
But the bar is shifting. The future doesn’t need humans who can repeat tasks. It needs humans who can reimagine them.
People who ask “what if?” more than “what now?” People who are endlessly curious. Who get comfortable with discomfort. Who adapt—not because they have to, but because they want to.
This next chapter belongs to the fast-learners. The open-minded. The ones who move before the roadmap is printed. Who are okay with not having all the answers—but aren’t afraid to start asking better questions than the machine can answer.
Being human is no longer the default advantage. It’s a differentiator. But only if we’re willing to evolve.
And for TA leaders?
This really is the moment.
You’ve spent years proving talent isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about building futures. Now, the table has moved—and you’re already sitting at it.
Because when skills are the new currency, the people who understand talent are the people who understand business.
This is also a moment to lead differently.
To partner more boldly. To speak up more often. To help shape—not just support—the future of work.
Because AI isn’t a cost-cutting tool. It’s a spark. And what it lights up will depend on the people—and principles—guiding the change.
We’re not facing a workforce apocalypse. We’re facing a wake-up call.
AI won’t replace people. But it will replace mediocrity. It’ll ask us to think harder about how we lead, how we hire, how we learn—and how we measure value.
The ones waiting for certainty might get left behind. But the ones who embrace a bit of discomfort? They’ll be the ones who build the future.
AI won’t replace people. But it will replace mediocrity.
It’ll force us to rethink how we lead, how we hire, how we learn—and how we measure value.
Every business experiences hiring peaks – periods of rapid surge when extra work demands additional talent to deliver results. However, finding this talent quickly is becoming increasingly challenging each day.
Sourcing an additional 200 or 1,000 employees for a specific project or period can be a real challenge and takes up precious internal resources. Moreover, in a constantly evolving market, talent demands can change quickly. The ability to scale up at speed is vital, as success in business hinges on agility.
Organisations in the APAC region are beginning to reassess the traditional ways of talent sourcing and are looking to outsourcing to fill the gaps. However, outsourcing can seem like a big leap, often requiring significant commitment and investment. Many business leaders also express concerns about relinquishing control of their talent function when outsourcing.
Fortunately, that need not be the case. There is a simple, less daunting step businesses can take before committing to outsourcing: Resource Augmentation (RA).
Isn’t RA the same as RPO?
There is a common misconception that RA is the same as Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). While both provide outsourcing support from an external partner and involve resources who become fully immersed in your organization’s talent team and culture, they differ in terms of both resource management and scope.
With RPO, you have the flexibility to outsource either specific elements of your TA function that require support or the entire end-to-end recruitment process to an outsourcing partner. The extent of outsourcing depends on your specific business needs. However, regardless of the scope, an RPO partner takes on the management and accountability of the resources they provide.
With RA, you gain the specific resources needed, whether they are sourcers, recruiters, or other roles. The management of these resources remains with your own team, allowing you to retain control of the project and its direction while benefitting from the additional support. RA is typically deployed for short-term projects, focusing on specific skills and roles that are needed promptly.
Fundamentally, RA offers outsourcing with less commitment and reduced costs, while ensuring organizations can retain full control of their recruitment process.
Why should I consider RA?
Opting for a RA solution offers many benefits, which are driving more and more organizations to take their first step into outsourcing:
Expertise – Gain access to a group of talent professionals with deep knowledge of the market.
Scalability – Adapt quickly to fluctuating demands in the ever-changing market conditions while avoiding high talent attrition rates, which can negatively impact employer brand.
Control – Seamlessly integrate external talent with your existing TA function, while retaining control over the whole process.
Convenience – Require less commitment than a more holistic, multi-faceted RPO service, and is ideal for short-term needs.
Gain access to the best recruiting talent
The benefits of RA extend beyond businesses.
In today’s job market, many candidates are not merely looking for roles, they are searching for security. This can pose challenges in attracting top recruiting talent when offering short-term contracts.
That is where RA can make a difference. Most RA partner organizations provide future job opportunities for candidates when their initial contract comes to an end. This added job security enables them to attract the best people for your needs.
Resource Augmentation that goes further
While choosing RA to address your talent needs is a significant step, selecting the right partner to deliver it will truly set you on the right path.
AMS’ unmatched expertise enables us to provide resources that are tailored to your business needs. Partnering with AMS means having access to our deep knowledge bank built on decades of experience in the APAC talent market. We have worked with a wide range of organizations and industries, ensuring that we can meet your unique needs effectively.
Furthermore, our talent pool is constantly evolving.
AMS sets itself apart as a RA service provider by equipping its teams with exclusive access to our proprietary expert learning models. This innovative approach ensures that our teams are continually upskilled, enabling them to stay at the forefront of industry trends and advancements. Unlike traditional staffing organizations, AMS prioritizes ongoing learning and development, empowering our partners with the specialized skills necessary to effectively address and overcome the complex challenges of today’s dynamic business environment.
Our RA solution offers a simple, cost-effective, and convenient way to meet your short-term recruitment needs.
Take your first steps toward outsourcing today. Speak to AMS.
