By: Tim Pröhm, Vice President, Digital Strategy and AI, KellyOCG®
Most workforce leaders believe in their data. Almost half rated their confidence in workforce data as a four or five out of five in our 2026 survey of 100+ workforce decision-makers at CWS Summit Europe. In theory, that should mean better decisions, smoother workflows, and less manual rework. It should also positively influence the other two areas we covered in our survey: workforce strategy and total talent capability.
In practice, we often find teams are still report-rich, action-poor.
Even the most data-loving leaders can feel stuck when that data doesn’t translate into outcomes that matter for operations, procurement, or executive decision-making.
How confident are workforce leaders in their use of AI and technology?
Our survey finds most companies are trying to achieve a solid foundation of workforce analytics users can trust. One set of questions asked respondents to rate their confidence in using AI and technology in workforce processes.
Keys to improvement: active planning for automation and adoption.
What does it take to realise the full potential of your data? The answer is to prioritize actions that drive adoption of new technologies and processes and improve the value of data being used. Focus on putting your data to use and establishing trust in that data. Without that, any investment in AI, technology, and automation will be lost. Start with the basics.
Connect data to specific daily actions.
Instead of beginning with a new AI initiative, identify one or two high-volume workforce decisions that still rely heavily on manual intervention. Examples include:
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- Requisition routing
- Supplier performance evaluation
- Rate guidance and benchmarking
- Talent channel selection
Thinking about channel selection, we apply our proprietary workforce navigator — built in our Kelly® technology ecosystem — to transform workforce data into permanent or contingent sourcing recommendations. The tool uses third-party and client intelligence to guide decisions before a requisition posts.
This approach delivers two important benefits. First, it increases speed by reducing administrative effort. Second, it improves consistency by ensuring decisions are informed by trusted data every time. The other challenges — from requisition movement, to supplier management, to rate setting — also present opportunities for removing roadblocks and speeding actions that improve workforce outcomes.
Balance automation with human governance.
The low 2.8/5 confidence rating for “ability to use technology” reflects a healthy concern about transparency and accountability that should not prevent automation. Instead, it should shape how automation is designed.
The most successful workforce programmes focus on governed automation. Routine, repeatable decisions are automated wherever practical, while accountability for judgement-based decisions remains human-led.
When stakeholders and users know that human involvement drives high-priority decision-making, they have more confidence in the programme. This confidence improves adoption and enables leaders to scale workforce decision-making without sacrificing accountability.
Achieving such a human/technology balance does not happen overnight. Rather, it involves several practical stages, often based on specific situations rather than wholesale process transformation.
Measure, manage, and improve.
As AI and workforce technologies continue to evolve, leaders should treat technology maturity the same way they approach any strategic workforce initiative: with measurable objectives, defined milestones, and ongoing performance reviews.
Start by establishing a small set of meaningful metrics, such as:
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- Workforce decision cycle time
- Percentage of decisions supported by workforce data
- Adoption rates of automated recommendations
- Frequency of recommendation overrides
- Workforce planning accuracy
These measures provide visibility into whether technology is creating real operational value, rather than simply generating more information.
External partnership makes a difference.
The value an external partner provides is not just about the technology it brings to the table. It’s about experience and guidance, as well as an objective external perspective to forge support among stakeholders. The best guide is a partner who’s navigated this maze before.
Whichever direction you take, whether it involves a solutions partner or going it alone, there’s a world of improvement and value waiting to be achieved. Our clients have found that our partnership has played a large role in achieving that value.
