Companies aren’t using AI to replace people. They’re using it to turn employees into “superworkers”, a shift driven by emerging Superworker Strategies. If you’re in the business of building HR tools, systems, or strategy, you need to understand what that means.
Feeling Behind on AI? You’re Not Alone.
The rush to “do something with AI” has left a lot of HR and tech teams feeling overwhelmed. While executives are talking strategy and product teams are adding AI widgets, the bigger question hangs in the air: Are we helping people work better, or just adding noise?
In his latest research, analyst Josh Bersin identifies a handful of companies that have figured it out. He calls them AI Pacesetters, and what they’re building isn’t just impressive. It’s a window into what’s next for HR tech.
What Is a Superworker Company?
A “superworker” company isn’t one filled with coding wizards or tech geniuses. It’s a company where humans and AI collaborate naturally. Where AI is part of the flow, not a separate process. Where people feel empowered, not replaced.
And most importantly, it’s a company where HR is leading the transformation.
CEOs Are Investing. But Most Are Unprepared.
Bersin’s research offers a wake-up call:
- 92 Percent of CEOs are increasing their AI investments.
- Only 23 Percent feel their organizations are ready to capture value from AI.
- Just 7 Percent are monetizing AI today.
- So, what separates the 7 Percent from the rest?
- It’s not just tools. It’s how they rethink work, talent, and growth.
“You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone who uses AI,” states Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA.
A powerful insight emphasizing that adoption and fluency, not technology alone, will define workforce winners and laggards.
Unlocking the Potential of AI: Bridging the Gap with HR Tech Solutions
92% of CEOs globally report increasing their investments in generative AI to drive innovation, yet only 23% believe their organizations are ready to capture their full value.
- Insight: Massive enthusiasm, modest readiness, creating a clear opportunity for HR tech to step in.
Just 7% of organizations say they’re monetizing their AI investments effectively.
- Insight: Many companies are stuck in experimentation, not execution. HR tech can help with value-driven deployment.
AI deployments in HR (within SAP customers) showed:
- 95% faster response times for HR inquiries
- 25% jump in employee satisfaction
- 30% better skill-to-assignment alignment
- 25% performance uplift through AI-inferred skills
- Insight: These aren’t just numbers; they’re evidence that AI-powered HR delivers real performance and people results.
Productivity gains of 30–400% have been observed in organizations scaling human–AI collaboration.
- Insight: When integrated thoughtfully, AI doesn’t just automate, it multiplies human output, reinforcing the superworker concept.
The Six Secrets of AI Pacesetters
These aren’t just theories, they’re lived practices. And every one of them has implications for how HR tech must evolve.
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AI Is a Growth Engine, Not a Cost Cutter
Most companies use AI to reduce headcount or speed up manual processes. Pacesetters use it to launch new products, unlock new markets, and elevate employee potential.
What HR Tech Can Do:
Build features that boost creativity, learning, and value creation. Think talent marketplaces, AI-curated learning paths, or innovation dashboards.
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Innovation Isn’t a Department, It’s the Default
In many places, innovation is siloed or “optional.”
Pacesetters embed innovation in daily work. Teams have access to AI. People are encouraged to experiment. Mistakes become feedback.
What HR Tech Can Do:
Embed AI into tools that people already use, like performance reviews, goal setting, or team feedback. Make it useful, not flashy.
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Jobs Are Reimagined, Not Just Automated
Rather than layering AI onto old workflows, these companies redesign roles completely. What should this job look like in a world where AI exists?
What HR Tech Can Do:
Offer job design tools, skills-matching engines, and workforce modeling. Let leaders explore what’s possible, not just what’s been done.
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It’s About Talent Density, Not Headcount
Pacesetters don’t just hire more people; they build better people. They reskill, promote from within, and look at capability, not just credentials.
What HR Tech Can Do:
Provide dynamic skill profiles, learning recommendations, and internal mobility maps. Highlight who can grow, not just who’s available.
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They Are Built for Change
Instead of managing change as a one-time rollout, pacesetters bake adaptability into the culture. Teams are agile. Decisions are fast. People are used to learning on the fly.
What HR Tech Can Do:
Focus on flexibility. Give users the ability to test new workflows, give feedback, and pivot quickly. Agility shouldn’t be a feature; it should be a philosophy.
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HR Is a Connected System, Powered by AI
These companies don’t view HR as a collection of separate functions like recruiting, performance, learning and development, and surveys; instead, they treat it as a unified, strategic system.
What HR Tech Can Do:
Break silos. Let insights from recruiting inform learning. Let performance data improve retention. AI should reveal patterns, not just automate tasks.
Who’s Already Doing It Right?
Bersin’s research spotlights real companies that are already acting on these principles:
- DBS Bank established an internal talent marketplace and used AI tools to reskill 8,000 employees.
- Mercy Health empowered frontline staff with self-scheduling and learning flexibility.
- Mastercard shifted hiring to focus on adaptability and AI fluency, changing who gets hired and why.
So, What Should HR Tech Leaders Do Next?
Here’s your checklist.
Make it about people, not just the process.
Your AI features should enhance the human side of work, not hide it.
Design for change, not just deployment.
Rollout strategies are important, but so are flexibility, iteration, and feedback loops.
Connect the dots.
Make data flow across systems. Let your platform be the glue.
Show how it creates value.
Talk less about features. Talk more about outcomes, employee growth, business agility, and skills unlocked.
Superworkers Aren’t Hired, They’re Built.
The future of work doesn’t belong to AI. It belongs to the companies and HR tech leaders, who understand how to use AI to bring out the best in people.
Superworkers aren’t a special class of employees. Systems designed to support them produce them. To help them grow. To clear the clutter and focus on what matters. The system starts with you.
FAQs
- What is a “superworker”?
A superworker is someone who uses AI to boost productivity and focus on meaningful, high-value work, not just routine tasks.
- How does AI in HR differ from other departments?
AI in HR focuses on people. It supports smarter hiring, learning, and performance, not just faster processes.
- Will AI replace HR jobs?
Not if done right. HR tech should help transform roles, not remove them, by supporting upskilling and job redesign.
- Do we need to adopt all six AI pacesetter strategies at once?
No. Start small. Focus on one or two areas where AI can make a real impact, then build from there.
- How do I know if an HR tech platform truly uses AI?
Look for features that adapt, learn, and personalize, not just automate. Real AI improves both decision-making and employee growth.
HR tech is evolving fast, are you keeping up? Read more at HR Technology Insights
To participate in our interviews, please write to our HRTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com
