Podcast Summary: Episode 88 – Using AI at Work to Rethink People Strategy and Leadership with Kate Bravery

Podcast: Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders
Host: Chris Daigle
Guest: Kate Bravery (Global Leader in Talent Strategy, Mercer)
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves deep into how generative AI is reshaping people strategy, leadership, and the very fabric of work in organizations. Guest Kate Bravery shares global insights from Mercer’s extensive research into evolving workforce sentiment, the real productivity impacts of AI, and practical frameworks for business leaders to inspire, retain, and upskill their teams rather than sowing fear around automation. The discussion centers on moving from tech hype and headline anxieties to intentional redesign of work, leadership, and talent management for an AI-enabled future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Workforce Sentiment: The Proximity Paradox and AI Anxiety

• [00:00-04:43],[06:01-08:23]

• Rising Exposure, Rising Fear: As more employees use AI, fear of job loss increases—a reversal from previous patterns with new technology.

  • "We’re calling that the proximity paradox, because that's completely different to what we've seen with other tech in the past. The more you get more familiar with using Excel...you go, okay, it's not going to take my job. We're seeing the opposite with AI." – Kate Bravery, 04:43

• Divergence Across the Hierarchy: Executives are both adopting AI more and feeling more anxious about disruption—whereas hourly employees often know less but worry less for now.

• Global Research Stats:

  • 40% of people fear AI will take their job—doubling from 20% just two years ago.
  • Fear is highest among those most exposed to AI tools.

2. Reframing the Conversation: From Job Loss to Work Redesign

• [04:43-11:25]

• Stop the Headcount Narrative: Talking points from leadership must shift from "AI will remove jobs" to "AI will make jobs more inspiring, allow more learning, and reduce exhaustion."

• Direct Conversations are Lacking: Last year, only 1 in 5 managers globally discussed AI's impact with their employees.

  • "Almost doesn't matter what you say. We just need to be more prepared to have the conversation." – Kate Bravery, 08:23

• Human+AI Playbook: Organizations need to communicate:

  • What AI is being introduced and why.
  • Specific opportunities for employees (upskilling, learning, work redesign).
  • Guardrails for ethical AI use and transparency about decisions made by algorithms.

3. Human-AI Collaboration: Beyond Digital Adoption

• [11:25-16:54]

• Human Adoption Is the Key Friction Point: Organizational productivity gains are stalling not because the tech underperforms, but because people are fearful, not engaged, or resistant to change.

  • "We're getting very good at actually having a digital roadmap...But why is those pilots...not translating into performance uplift? Because it's humans that aren't ready to adopt." – Kate Bravery, 11:51

• Need for New Leadership Metrics: Rather than mere training hours, focus on how fast upskilling translates into value, and whether managers enable talent to grow and move.

4. Work Redesign: Start with Tomorrow’s Needs

• [17:02-20:28]

• Don’t Just Apply AI to Today’s Jobs—Rethink Entire Processes: Engage the workforce in defining what high-value work should look like tomorrow, then "work backward".
  • "We need to stop looking at the jobs of today and start looking at the work of tomorrow." – Kate Bravery, 17:02
• Real Example (Nursing): Deconstruct roles to see what high-value, human tasks remain, and automate or reallocate others; then focus on skills and career paths needed in the redesigned job.

5. Talent Management for the AI Age: Don’t Lose A Players

• [21:57-26:30]

• Retention Risk is Highest for Top Performers: A-players with AI skills can deliver "100x" productivity—and will leave if not engaged or developed.

  • "The biggest concern...is that as the workforce becomes more buoyant, [A players] are going to be the ones off.” – Kate Bravery, 21:57

• Leadership Readiness is Lacking: 65% of HR say their high-potential and succession strategies aren’t working; most employees doubt their company recognizes their leadership potential, especially for managing AI-enabled teams.

6. Entry-Level Shakeup and Skill Portability

• [27:35-32:12]

• Entry-Level Roles Will Be Hit Hard: Predictions (e.g., from Dario Amadei and Peter Diamandis) that 50% of entry-level jobs will go—or require agents/AI fluency—by 2030.
• Only Two Types of Companies/Employees by Decade’s End: "AI-enabled or obsolete."

7. Responsibility for Upskilling: Individual, Enterprise, and Society

• [32:36-35:59]

• It’s a Shared Task: Employees, managers, executives, and governments all have roles in upskilling and career planning.
  • "I've asked all managers...at year-end: Given the skills you have today, what are two other jobs you could do within 18 months?" – Kate Bravery, 34:59

8. Unrealized Productivity: The Real Risk of Non-Redesign

• [35:59-39:01]

• Introducing AI Without Rethinking Jobs = Wasted Opportunity: Productivity gains stall if jobs aren’t redesigned, people aren’t upskilled, and engagement isn’t won.

  • "If your employees aren't bought in, you're going to get resistance. Those productivity gains aren’t coming out because the intentional work redesign wasn’t done." – Kate Bravery, 35:59

• Classic Analogy: “The reason that engines are in the front of a car is because horses were at the front of the cart”—don’t just fit new tech onto old processes.

9. Practical Resources and Next Steps

• [43:30-47:54]

• Mercer’s Global Talent Trends report (to be released soon) will offer practical guidance.
• Join Networks: Mercer’s AI/GenAI practitioner networks, executive programs, and AI community forums are available for peer learning and up-to-date case studies.
  • "Getting yourself into a community where you can talk to other executives...never been more important." – Kate Bravery, 43:30

10. Positive Future, If Leaders Take Action

• [48:32-51:08]

• Bright Future Possible: If AI is reframed as amplifying people, enabling faster innovation, and approached with honest engagement and upskilling, companies—and their people—stand to thrive.
  • "When we start talking about the work, not the tech...and encouraging our people to think about their portfolio of skills, not the jobs they're in, they see different possibilities." – Kate Bravery, 50:47

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "40% of people fear that AI will take their job." – Kate Bravery, 00:00, repeated at 07:08
• "The proximity paradox... the more you use AI, the more concerned you become for your future job." – Kate Bravery, 04:43
• "We need to move from talking about reducing headcount because of AI, to talking about redesigning work because of AI." – Kate Bravery, 06:32
• "If your employees aren't bought in that this is good for them and good for the business, you’re going to get resistance." – Kate Bravery, 35:59
• "The people who have the most options are the top talent...and if you give them AI tools, the impact of difference is exponential. We used to talk about the 10x employee, now we’re talking about the 100x employee." – Kate Bravery, 21:57
• "Don’t put the engine in the front just because the horse was there." – Chris Daigle, 38:10, reflecting on organizational redesign

Suggested Timestamps for Essential Segments

• The "Proximity Paradox" and workforce fear: 04:43–07:08
• How to talk about AI with employees: 08:23–11:25
• Human-AI collaboration, what’s missing: 11:51–16:54
• Redesigning work—healthcare/nursing example: 17:02–20:28
• Retention and A-players in the AI era: 21:57–26:30
• Entry-level jobs and the future of work: 27:35–32:12
• Responsibility for upskilling: 32:36–35:59
• Pitfalls of failing to redesign roles: 35:59–39:01
• Car/horse analogy and rethinking processes: 37:39–41:30
• Peer learning and resources: 43:30–47:54

Action Items and Resources

• Mercer Global Talent Trends 2026: Watch for release; critical for executives.
• Join peer networks: Mercer’s communities and GenAI forums recommended ([47:21]).
• Focus on work redesign, not just tool adoption or training: Involve all levels of staff in future-of-work planning.

Tone Summary

The conversation is research-grounded, practical, candid, and at times urgent—underscoring the speed of AI-driven change and the necessity for business leaders to simultaneously reassure, engage, and upskill their workforce while rethinking talent strategies from the ground up. Chris brings openness and reflection; Kate’s insights are both strategic and empathetic, constantly urging a human-centric lens on organizational AI adoption.

In short:
This episode is a must-listen for any executive or HR leader guiding their business through AI transformation. Far beyond technical implementation, it’s about evolving leadership mindsets, proactively redesigning work, and putting people—and the future of your top talent—at the heart of your AI strategy.