IBM CHRO survey: ‘Agentic AI has significant potential, but to capture its full value, it requires preparing your workforce to work with AI agents’

The new frontier of AI is agents.

AI Agents move beyond AI assistants that companies are already using. Rather than just doing tasks when prompted, agents actually work autonomously to achieve specific goals, and they can do this 24/7.

“AI benefits business operations at each maturity stage, but agentic AI holds transformational potential.”

That’s a quote from new research by IBM’s Institute for Business Value.

IBM believes that the world is entering a “new workplace paradigm” where “tech runs ops” and “talent runs tech”.

Of course, turning this theory into reality is much easier said than done – “the findings speak volumes to how technology alone won’t drive the transformation business leaders are after,” IBM’s Kim Morick, HR Technology Offering Leader, exclusively tells UNLEASH.

The report stated that “successful deployment of agents isn’t just about the tech. It depends on creating synergy between people and AI across virtually every operational transaction and communication.

“Human oversight and connections, decision-making, and most critical, creativity, are more important than ever in this next generation of intelligent operations.”

While 84% of the 750 executives surveyed by IBM noted that AI agents will seamlessly collaborate with humans, the report also found that 87% of executives recognize that to get the most of agentic AI, they need to have the right people in the right positions.

Morick adds: “Agentic AI has significant potential, yes—but to capture its full value, it requires rethinking entire processes, and most importantly, preparing your workforce to work with AI agents effectively and responsibly.”

This means that HR leaders have a hugely important role in this agentic future. Let’s dig into those roles and responsibilities, and where HR needs to invest its time and money.

What’s the role of HR in the agentic future of work?

IBM’s research specifically surveyed 150 CHROs (as part of the whole 750 cohort) and found that they are highly optimistic about the future of AI automation.

They believe agentic AI will drive employee productivity up by 35%, increase training effectiveness by 30%, and improve retention by 20%.

These gains will only be realized if HR leaders lead the way in a future of work “defined by successful human-tech collaboration”. They need to play “a central role in rethinking how work gets done and delivered”, shares Morick.

For Morick, HR must start by “putting employees at the center of the conversation” of this work transformation.

“The most successful organizations are the ones that invite their workforce to help rethink ways of working and be part of the change.

“When people are involved in defining the future of their roles, it builds trust and fosters a culture where employees feel empowered to come up with new applications of AI but also ask critical questions about AI’s outputs, source data, and more.

“This way, they can be both critical thinkers and users of the technology.”

Morick continues: “HR leaders must also take the lead in shaping what higher-value work looks like—expanding roles to include things like using and managing AI tools, and helping people build the skills of the future.”

IBM’s data found that 74% of executives see the rapid evolution of technology creating skills gaps, with 68% saying lack of skills is a hurdle to a successful transformation. Half are specifically grappling with AI expertise gaps as they try to embrace AI agents.

There’s clearly work for HR leaders to do in this respect, and Morick suggests that they work “closely with the CIO to ensure AI is integrated in an intentional and strategic way”.