Leading by example, learning by doing & prioritizing wellbeing: Three AI learnings from Cisco’s CPO Kelly Jones

Investment in AI alone won’t build a modern and future-ready workforce.

Tech giant Cisco is very aware of this, and that’s why, rather than making assumptions about AI use internally, Cisco’s HR team – led by Chief People Officer Kelly Jones – measured the reality of how its 86,000 employees worldwide adopt and engage with AI.

Over 14 months, the People team spoke with employees and analyzed data to uncover the impact of AI adoption on employee performance, experience and success at work.

In an interview with UNLEASH, Jones shares that “the results were surprising” – a top takeaway for her was that “those who use AI more frequently receive higher performance ratings,” while also being more engaged and empowered in their roles.

They were also more likely to be promoted faster. Those recommended for promotion at Cisco used AI 50% more often, and were 40% more likely to be designated as ‘critical to retain’.

The data also showed that there was a link between AI use and retention at Cisco; AI users stayed longer and used AI twice as often every month as those who left their jobs at Cisco.

For Jones, this shows that “AI is working as a powerful catalyst for both individual growth and business value at Cisco.”

Getting return on investment (ROI) from AI is something HR leaders are grappling with, but Jones shares: “From my vantage point, the greatest ROI can emerge from compounding benefits: improved retention strengthens team stability, which directly enhances business outcomes.”

There’s lots for HR leaders to learn about AI transformation from Cisco’s experience. From our interview with Jones, here are three actions for CHROs to help achieve those AI business benefits.

1. Leadership role modelling is a ‘catalyst’ for AI adoption

While 70% of employees told Cisco’s HR team that AI saves them time and boosts their productivity, Cisco’s research showed that leaders played a huge role in employee attitudes towards, and adoption of, AI.

Jones notes: “Leadership role modelling is a powerful catalyst for adoption.”

Cisco’s data found that employees are twice as likely to use AI when their leaders use the tools themselves.

Jones notes: “When employees see their leaders using AI, asking questions about it, and openly experimenting, they feel safer doing the same.”

The outsized impact that leaders have on driving AI adoption and work transformation is also picked up in Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report.

As Gallup CEO Jon Clifton stated in the report: “In organizations investing in AI, the strongest predictor of employee adoption, aside from technical integration, is whether their direct manager actively champions it.”

Gallup found that employees are 8.7x more likely to view work transformed by AI and 7.4x more likely to agree that AI gives them opportunities to work better every day when their managers actively empower the use of AI in their teams.

Ultimately, Cisco’s experience shows that culture is the differentiator when it comes to AI.

You can have the best AI tools, but without a culture that supports experimentation, without leaders who model the behaviors, without psychological safety as a foundation, you won’t scale adoption,” Jones tells UNLEASH.

A core priority for Cisco has been to normalize curiosity and cultivate optimism about AI among employees, as well as “embedding ethics into training so people feel confident they’re using the tech well.”

2. Beyond concepts and theory: Employees learn by doing with AI

For Jones, “AI adoption is essentially a skills transformation” – so the People team measured how Cisco employees are learning and upskilling around AI.

The data showed that 87% of workers were learning through doing – so the tech giant is focused on providing learning that is “accessible, role-specific, continuous and supported.”

Employees at different levels needed different types of support – Cisco’s analysis found that leaders had lower AI confidence than mid-level employees, while those mid-level workers were seeking out specialized AI skills.

In fact, Jones shares the example of mid-level IT professionals at Cisco who specifically “showed massive demand for practical, role-specific skills, rather than foundational concepts.” Because of this demand, courses like The AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure Essentials Learning Path saw three-times the previous enrolment.

Kelly Jones, Chief People Officer, Cisco.

Taking a different definition of the word ‘learning’, Jones’ advice to her HR peers is to “start a quarterly employee pulse survey” and then share learnings and “recommendations with leadership outside of HR functions to help them understand the business implications.”

Jones says that being “strategic and programmatic” with employee listening helps to get “a deep or real understanding of how employees are feeling.”

“This is critical during transformative periods like the one we’re in now to assess how AI is affecting our everyday work.”

3. CHROs, don’t forget about wellbeing as you transform work

“At Cisco, we’re seeing first-hand that AI is a powerful force multiplier. It’s helping our workforce stay engaged in how they work, grow and learn.

“At the same time, it would be naïve to think that the transformation we’re all experiencing doesn’t come with its share of growing pains.”

Therefore, Jones is focused on “ensuring our people prioritize their wellbeing” through the AI transformation. “It’s important our employees know we’re here to support them through it.”

This echoes findings from Qualtrics’ 2026 Employee Experience Trends Report. Qualtrics’ survey of 34,000 workers across the world found that employees don’t see AI’s disruption as a problem, but they do want support from their leaders as they adapt to the change.

Jones herself has recently become a Wellness Ambassador at Cisco in order to champion mental health within the tech giant, and her message to CHROs is to “pause and consider how wellbeing can be embedded into their overall strategy.”

Research shows that there’s a connection between employee wellbeing and performance – however, “at the pace change is happening, mental health can easily take a back seat.”

“It’s essential that HR leaders not only prioritize wellness, but visibly model what a healthy supportive culture looks like,” concludes Jones.