Today’s HRTech Top Voice is Karolina Michalska, People Services Lead at AVON.

In a world where employee expectations are rapidly evolving, delivering consistent, personalized support at scale has become one of HR’s biggest challenges—and opportunities. At the heart of AVON’s global transformation is a vision to modernize how employees experience support while staying true to the brand’s people-first DNA.

Ahead of the Zendesk webinar on 23 April, join us for an exclusive conversation with Karolina Michalska — the visionary behind AVON’s standout HR transformation. As Global People Services Lead, Karolina has led the charge in centralizing employee support across 32 markets—delivering consistency, reducing costs, and boosting employee satisfaction to 98%. In this special HRTech Top Voice interview and live webinar, Karolina shares how her team reimagined employee services with Zendesk at the center—creating a unified, people-first support experience for over 5,000 employees worldwide.

With over a decade of experience at the company, Karolina has played a pivotal role in reimagining how AVON delivers HR services across 32 markets—leading the charge to centralize, digitize, and humanize employee support.

Join us as we dive into a conversation with Karolina Michalska about building trust in digital HR, scaling support globally, and why meaningful transformation starts with listening.

Here we go…

HR Technology Insights (HTI): Hi Karolina, welcome to the HRTechnology Top Voice Interview Series. Please tell us about your role at AVON and how you arrived here.

Karolina Michalska:

Thank you! I’m the Global People Services Lead at AVON. I’ve been with the company for over a decade, across various HR leadership roles. Over the last few years, I’ve been leading our global transformation in employee services — centralizing and modernizing how we support employees across 32 markets while keeping our people-first culture at the heart of everything we do.

HTI: You are speaking at the upcoming digital event on how AVON centralized employee support. What are some of the key hurdles you’ve encountered when building centralized employee support systems?

Karolina:

The biggest hurdle was cultural — changing how people are used to getting support. Many relied on personal networks, phone calls, or simply knowing someone in HR. Centralizing meant changing behavior, building trust in new systems, and showing that digital can still feel human. Of course, we also had to deal with legacy technology and fragmented processes.

HTI: What complexities arise when trying to bring multiple support functions together into a single, centralized system?

Every function has its own language, tools, and workflows — and often, their own idea of “how things should be done.” The real complexity lies in harmonizing these without losing functional depth. You also need to align different service expectations, local needs, and compliance requirements across regions — all while delivering a consistent experience.

HTI: How have you used Zendesk or similar tools to modernize employee support while working with legacy systems at AVON?

Karolina:

Zendesk gave us a flexible and intuitive platform to start streamlining support, even without perfect systems in place. It helped us centralize requests, automate repetitive tasks, and most importantly — make support transparent and measurable. The simplicity of Zendesk allowed us to move quickly, even while legacy systems were still in play.

HTI: What strategies have been most effective in breaking down silos across HR, IT, and other support functions to create a more unified employee experience?

Karolina:

Three things: shared goals, shared data, and shared platforms. Once we started measuring experience metrics across functions, we saw more collaboration. Having a common platform like Zendesk helped — it gave visibility into what employees need, regardless of the team handling it. And we made feedback loops part of the culture — so we could constantly align.

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HTI: Can you share a specific example of a digital transformation initiative you led that improved service delivery without disrupting existing workflows?

Karolina:

A great example is how we introduced Zendesk as our global employee support platform. We didn’t replace everything overnight — we started with a lightweight rollout, routing tickets through a central system. This gave us structure without disrupting existing routines. Over time, we added AI support, help centers, and analytics — all building on what was already working.

HTI: How do you ensure that your employee service strategy remains data-driven? What key metrics do you track and act on regularly to manage Global People Services and IT SSCs?

Karolina:

We’re very focused on service KPIs like time to resolution, satisfaction scores, and request volume trends. Zendesk helps us track this in real-time. But beyond the numbers, we look at sentiment — what kind of support employees are asking for, what’s changing, and where we’re falling short. This allows us to adapt quickly and make informed decisions.

HTI: In your experience, what’s the most important mindset or cultural shift needed to move from a transactional support model to a relationship-driven one?

Karolina:

You have to stop thinking of service as “tickets” and start seeing it as conversations. It’s about listening, not just resolving. We coach our teams to think in terms of experience and empathy. Automation helps with speed, but relationships are built through consistency, transparency, and trust.

HTI: Hear it straight from the HR expert: How is employee support transforming in the era of generative AI and hyper-personalized experiences?

Karolina:

AI is changing the game — not by replacing people, but by freeing them up to focus on what matters. It helps us personalize support at scale, answer questions instantly, and understand needs before they’re even spoken. But it only works if it’s built on simplified processes and trusted knowledge. We see AI as an enabler of better human experiences.

HTI: Could you tell us about the HR technologies and tools you use at AVON?

Karolina:

We use a range of tools depending on the function, but Zendesk is our core platform for employee support. We also use Workday for HCM, and various systems for payroll and benefits across regions. Integrating these systems — or at least creating a seamless front-end experience — is a big focus for us right now.

HTI: Please tell us about your favorite HR philosophy that inspired you to deal with workplace relationships:

Karolina:

For me, it’s all about presence and simplicity. People don’t remember processes — they remember how they were treated. I believe in meeting people where they are, removing complexity, and building systems that serve humans, not the other way around.

HTI: As an AI-focused company, how do you inspire people to upskill and train with new-age technologies?

Karolina:

We focus on showing value early. When people see how AI can make their day easier — fewer emails, faster answers, better visibility — they get curious. We run interactive training, share success stories, and make it a two-way conversation. It’s not just about tools — it’s about empowerment.

HTI: What are your predictions for the employee support software technology market in 2025?

Karolina:

I think we’ll see more convergence — fewer systems, but more connected ones. AI will move from being a buzzword to being embedded in everyday service. Personalization will be expected, not optional. And most importantly, employee experience will be measured with the same rigor as customer experience — maybe even on the same platforms.

HTI: Tag a leader in the People Management industry or an influencer you would like to invite to the HR Tech Top Voice interview roundtable discussion:

Karolina:

As a leader deeply committed to people-first transformation, I would be truly honored to hear from Amy C. Edmondson. Her work on psychological safety, organizational learning, and the science of failing well aligns powerfully with the journey we’ve taken at AVON — scaling support across 30+ markets without losing the human touch.

Her research, especially in The Fearless Organization and Right Kind of Wrong, offers the kind of insight every People leader needs right now: how to foster trust, enable innovation, and create space for learning — even in complex, high-change environments.

Amy’s voice in a roundtable like this would be an inspiration and a perfect complement to the conversations we’re having around the future of employee service and HR technology.

Thank you, Karolina, for speaking to us. We look forward to your conversation at the Zendesk Customer Spotlight on 23 April. 

For media inquiries, you can write to our HRTech Insights Newsroom at news@intentamplify.com

About Karolina Michalska

• People Services lead for Global scope
• People partner/lead for Avon, IBM, GE (HR generalist background) – has supported global regions

10 years with Avon – has always worked in tech teams including supporting IT delivery services (opening IBM shared service – service mindset)

About AVON

AVON is a globally recognized beauty brand with over 135 years of history, known not just for its products, but for its mission. Founded on the belief that beauty is a force for good, AVON has empowered millions of women around the world through economic opportunity, affordable beauty, and a strong sense of purpose.

Operating in over 30 markets, AVON’s reach spans across continents, with a global team of 5,000+ employees and a vast network of independent representatives. While historically known for its direct-selling model, the company is now on an exciting journey toward becoming a truly omnichannel beauty business — expanding its presence in e-commerce and retail, while staying true to its community roots.

At the heart of AVON’s identity is a commitment to women’s empowerment, with long-standing advocacy in areas like breast cancer awareness and the prevention of gender-based violence. This deep purpose continues to shape everything the company does — from product innovation to how it supports its people and communities globally.