Beyond skills: HR AI transformation with SAP SuccessFactors

I wanted to share a few reflections. This was an open, at times blunt, but deeply important conversation with Amy Wilson and Josh Gosliner from SAP SuccessFactors.

We called the session "Beyond Skills: Reengineering Work." That's exactly what's at stake.

For years, I've worked in workforce strategy. I've tried to help organizations see that people have skills but jobs have tasks. That distinction matters more than ever in the AI era.

Here's what stood out for me.

The shift from retention to reinvention

Not long ago, every boardroom was focused on retention. Employee experience was the metric. Work movement was the buzzword. It was about making people feel valued and building opportunities.

But the reality changed abruptly. Economic pressures flipped the switch. Productivity, efficiency, and cost-cutting dominated the conversation.

We talked about this shift on the call. Organizations still care about people. But the priority has changed to survival, velocity, and getting leaner.

That shift means many companies are back at square one. Even those that invested in skills-based strategies now ask:

Who are our people? What are they actually doing? How can we be more efficient?

The old focus on "skills-based org design" isn't enough on its own.

It's not skills or tasks. It's both.

One thing I keep repeating: People have skills. Jobs have tasks.

AI doesn't automate skills. It automates tasks.

When companies invest millions in static skills taxonomies, it worries me. The second you save that file, it's outdated. Every time you introduce AI, you remove certain tasks. And you introduce new ones.

We need a live, dynamic view of work.

AI capability is compounding. Work visibility is not.

That's why we built Work Context. Not to replace job architecture. To evolve it into Work Architecture.

We Map tasks, tie them back to skills, and keep that data live. Companies don't just know their people's resumes. They know what work actually gets done.

Data, not guesswork

Josh made a great point about customers buying systems without having the data to make them work.

I see this everywhere.

Companies plan massive redesigns. But their learning strategies are still guesswork. They pick "future capabilities" out of thin air.

I said it bluntly on the call. And I'll say it here:

We can't waste people's time making them learn things that don't matter.

If you want to reskill people for an AI-powered workforce, you need to know:

• What work is being done today
• What work is going away
• What new work is emerging

That's the only way to target reskilling that actually works.

The responsibility to bring people along

We also talked about the fear that this shift will be driven purely by "bean counters" slashing headcount with AI.

That's real.

We all have a responsibility here. Workforce redesign can't just mean cutting costs. It has to mean reinventing work and reinventing careers.

When 64% of a role's tasks are automated, the answer shouldn't be layoffs. It should be:

How do we pivot these people into new roles with their adjacent skills?

This is the work.

Building the right partnerships

This is why I'm excited about our partnership with SAP SuccessFactors.

SAP gives organizations the governance and structure for skills data. Reejig's Work Intelligence connects that to the reality of tasks and work design.

Together, it's not just an integration. It's a way for organizations to see and manage the full picture:

• Who are your people?
• What are their skills?
• What work are they doing?
• What work will AI change?
• How do you reskill and redeploy them responsibly?

My ask

If you're a CHRO, CLO, transformation leader, or workforce strategist reading this:

Go make best friends with whoever owns AI strategy in your company.

These conversations cannot happen in silos. If AI teams roadmap automation without talking to HR, you waste money. You lose people you could have kept. You fail at transformation.

We have to build this together.

HR AI transformation isn't optional. It's here. The train has left the station.

Our job is to make sure it happens responsibly. Without leaving people behind.

If you want to talk about this more, my inbox is always open. Get in touch.

Let's do this the right way.

Siobhan 💜