Ep 830: Is AI Anxiety Holding TA Teams Back?

There is a lot of pressure on talent acquisition to adopt AI, and the discussion about how to do it tends to focus on tools and skills. With layoffs attributed to AI in the headlines, the people in TA teams have good reason to feel anxious about the technology they are being asked to use. That anxiety makes people less willing to experiment, and addressing it has less to do with the technology than with how leaders handle uncertainty.

So what does it take to move a recruiting team from anxiety about AI to confidence in using it?

My guest this week is Jennifer Rozon, Division President of McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm whose recent research looks at leadership and AI transformation.

In our conversation, Jennifer explains what is driving AI anxiety, how leaders can give their teams the confidence to experiment, and the risks of relying too heavily on AI and cutting entry-level roles.

In the interview, we discuss:

What is driving AI anxiety in the workforce?

Why AI anxiety should not be mistaken for resistance to technology

Leading through uncertainty when you don't have all the answers

How leaders can give their teams the confidence to experiment

How structures, incentives and culture can work against leaders

What is cognitive debt and why does it matter?

What happens to future leadership pipelines when entry-level roles disappear?