With AI changing what’s possible in the workplace and prompting companies to rethink roles, few doubt that the future of work looks significantly different from what employees are used to today.
But companies need to actively help their workers through this profound transition, believes Rashmi Badwe, chief operating officer at New York–based TIAA Wealth Management.
“Humans who use AI will replace humans who don’t,” she said at the Fortune COO summit on Tuesday, echoing a common refrain. With that in mind, her company has been pushing AI adoption in ways both direct and subtle.
There are three things companies need to drive adoption, Badwe believes. The first two are perhaps obvious: Give workers AI tools, and then give them the necessary skill sets. But third, she said: “Involve them in the creation of the solution.”
This is a more subtle strategy business leaders might overlook. At her firm, estate-planning attorneys have been testing and giving feedback on two different AI solutions. Their feedback has been helpful, yes, but an additional benefit is that by giving them a say in how the company approaches AI, the company also encourages them to use it further.
“Their involvement in it has been instrumental in driving adoption,” she said, adding, “Co-creation is a big lever.”
To help with upskilling, TIAA has also created about nine guilds, or “informal networks in the company where employees come together, learn, and experiment,” she added.
As AI transforms business, company leaders also need to rethink the skills they look for in employees and potential hires, she believes.
“The skills of the future are going to be different,” said Badwe. “There’s going to be a premium on certain skill sets. So, speed over structure, insight over title, judgment over certainty, and, frankly, clean-slate thinking over continuous improvement. We as leaders need to ensure we are evaluating for these skills, hiring for them, performance-managing for them—that’s where the future is.”
