Enterprise Talent Strategies in the Age of AI
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CIO/CHRO Collaboration for the AI Era
Table of Contents
AI,and in particular agentic AI,present an chance to rethink the nature of work,reshaping teams and blurring the line between technology and talent leadership. In this new world of human-to-agent interaction, CIOs should partner with chief HR officers (CHROs) to jointly shape enterprise talent strategies and keep the hybrid workforce in step with current and future needs.
AI’s fast-paced evolution can make it difficult to stay abreast of changing skills requirements. According to PwC’s May 2025 Pulse Survey, 40% of tech leaders rank the pace of technology innovation as a top-three barrier to delivering on their tech strategies. Talent and skills shortages are a major hurdle, cited by 38% of respondents. Adapting employee skills to new roles is notably problematic for realizing value from AI agents, according to 29% of respondents to pwc’s AI Agent survey.
Previous waves of technological change (cloud modernization, for example) required CIOs to cultivate new IT architecture and technical skills.But the AI era is far more complex. CIOs are facing a soup-to-nuts recasting of both technical and soft skills in addition to conventional roles and new human-to-agent interactions. This creates a paradigm shift that requires close alignment with HR.
The scope of what’s required isn’t lost on IT leadership: confidence in their ability to build a talent pipeline for future skills.
This resource gap threatens the ability to scale AI and the potential for measurable business value.”This isn’t just about IT talent – this is end-to-end talent transformation,” notes Dan Priest, PwC’s chief AI officer.
Retooling the Talent Pipeline
Working together, IT and HR leaders can address talent pipeline deficiencies, define evolving AI skills needs, and reorient departments to take advantage of this new hybrid workforce. Their shared agenda should encompass:
Redefining Workplace Structure
CIOs and CHROs should work together to reimagine teams that support the optimal mix of human talent and agents while defining tasks and processes that should be automated and those requiring human-in-the-loop intervention. The collaboration should also yield a new talent architecture that includes revised hiring, performance management, and compensation strategies.
Review Your Organizational Model
Corporate structure is also on the table. Most companies are currently oriented around a standards culture, which encourages people to follow agreed upon business processes. This needs to evolve.