Digital Workforce Optimization

Workforce planning has always been an incredibly complex and difficult task. Despite valiant efforts to improve these models, they have remained relatively static and simplistic, relying predominantly on small teams crunching data or on predictions from the hiring manager community. In an ideal world, we would shift from a static, once-a-year exercise to a dynamic, more proactive model. We would stop reacting to what's happening now and start anticipating what's likely to happen next. Last week, I had the pleasure of spending time with our enterprise data and analytics team, a group that services over 800 customers. The most exciting topic we discussed was three pilots we're running with customers right now that aim to make this a reality: using a digital twin for work planning. It works by connecting vast amounts of external market data with a company's many internal data sources, some they typically wouldn't consider, such as ERP, CRM (sales), LMS, and Time and Attendance systems. This allows us to run scenarios and model future talent needs. Here’s a concrete example: By analyzing Salesforce, HRIS, and ATS data, we can predict that when multiple prospect opportunities reach a specific stage in our customer’s sales cycle, there is a high likelihood of winning at least one of them. We can then analyze the consistent skill sets across all of those prospect opportunities, allowing us to confidently and proactively start a recruitment process for those skills. The goal being that we have candidates at the final stages of the process, before an official requisition has been raised, positively impacting time to hire. We’ve also been able to replicate a similar model based on website sales activity. The question to ask is: what data is generated in what system that allows you to get ahead of the hiring process today. 

I've spoken with countless CEOs who recognize digital labor as essential for staying competitive—but struggle with where and how to start. At Asymbl, we're already actively using digital labor to enhance our own workforce. Our Agentforce SDR Agent, whom we've named Theodore Frank, and our Asymbl Recruiter Agent are integral members of our team. Follow my content to hear our real-world experiences and insights—not just theory. Onboarding digital labor is similar to hiring human talent. It doesn't have to mean massive organizational disruption, but it does require thoughtful planning and execution. This is how we approached it: #1 We started with a business challenge.  → We identified a real problem we wanted to solve, just as we would when deciding to hire someone new. → Our goal wasn't simply to "implement AI," but to address specific, meaningful challenges faster and more effectively. #2 We defined the role clearly.  → We outlined exactly what this position would do. → We specified their duties, performance metrics, and expected outcomes. → We considered human-equivalent labor costs to establish a budget. #3 We planned our training strategy.  → We determined how our digital employee would acquire its knowledge, how it should behave, and how it would interact and collaborate with our existing human teams. #4 We onboarded our digital employee.  → We selected and configured the right digital employee—whether using pre-built solutions like Asymbl’s Recruiter Agent or Salesforce’s Agentforce SDR Agent, or creating a customized digital employee tailored to our business. → Onboarding involved integrating the digital employee into our processes, reflecting the detailed considerations from our training strategy. #5 We enabled it effectively.  → Much like setting a human employee up for success, we enabled our digital employee by assigning clear initial tasks. → We regularly reviewed outputs to ensure accuracy, quality, and alignment with our organization's standards and communication style. #6 We supervise and coach continuously.  → Digital employees require ongoing management and oversight just like humans. → Our VP Revenue, Ken, now reviews Theodore’s performance weekly and provides coaching to continuously improve his effectiveness in interactions with prospects. One difference with digital employees compared to human employees is that providing feedback and coaching requires updating the underlying technology and training data, rather than simply having a chat. Having a structured technical plan and the right partner to guide this process is crucial. That's exactly what Asymbl does through our digital labor activation practice. Digital labor isn't future speculation—it's already here, reshaping how we work. Our team, including our digital teammates, continues to expand, and I'll be sharing more stories and insights as our journey progresses. #digitalemployee #futureofwork #aiagent

How to Get 10X More Productivity 🚀 The way we build teams is broken. For decades, org charts grew by adding headcount. If you needed more output, you hired more people. But that model is collapsing: • Budgets are flat or shrinking • Productivity growth is stagnating • Most employees spend 40% of their time on repetitive tasks (Deloitte) At the same time, the opportunity has never been bigger: • AI can now automate 60–70% of knowledge work tasks (McKinsey) • Early adopters see 20–30% productivity gains in year one • One person, with the right digital workforce, can match the output of an entire department => This is the rise of the digital worker: AI copilots, agents, and automations that sit alongside humans as part of the org chart. Hiring in the Age of Digital Workers When you hire someone today, you’re not just hiring a single individual. You’re hiring a conductor of an orchestra of AI resources. Take marketing as an example: Hiring one marketer should mean bringing in someone who knows how to activate AI agents for content, social, SEO, ads, analytics, personalization, and more. One human → multiplied by dozens of digital workers. Now extend that logic: • A finance hire who commands AI for forecasting, compliance, and reporting • An operations hire with AI copilots for supply chain, scheduling, and workflow optimization • A sales hire backed by AI prospecting, outreach, and CRM automation 5 Principles for Building a 10x Org in 2025 1️⃣ Hire for orchestration, not execution Your team should be experts at leading digital workers, not drowning in manual tasks. 2️⃣ Expect leverage, not headcount One skilled human + AI = output of 5–10 traditional FTEs. 3️⃣ Prioritize adaptability Tools will change fast. What matters is the ability to design workflows where AI compounds human creativity. 4️⃣ Measure outcomes, not hours Redefine productivity in terms of revenue, margin, CAC, cycle time, and customer experience — not time spent. 5️⃣ Redraw your org chart Start with the human role at the top, then map the AI digital workers that multiply their output. That’s your real architecture of the future. Next time you ask, “Should we hire one person?” Ask instead: “What digital workforce comes with them and how much more can they deliver from day one?” This is not the future. It’s the architecture of hiring today for any startup. Or any company that wants 10x productivity. If you had to hire one role right now, with 10x productivity in mind, which would it be? Drop your comment below and let's have a discussion. #AI #Productivity #Hiring #Career

Digital labor can unlock unlimited potential for every organization across industries. Recent Salesforce research shows that 86% of CHROs say integrating it will be a critical part of their job in the years ahead – but just 15% of organizations have fully implemented agentic AI. Leaders recognize the potential of agents in the workplace, but often lack a clear roadmap for where to begin. That’s why Salesforce announced our Workforce Innovation Playbook – a step-by-step guide designed to help any organization successfully integrate agents into the workplace. The playbook outlines the four-part framework we’ve created and implemented at Salesforce - and have been evangelizing to our customers - to help organizations across industries on their digital labor transformation: Redesign: The first step is designing new ways of working that pair AI speed and scale with uniquely human traits like creativity and judgement. Companies must reimagine jobs and workflows to optimize collaboration between humans and agents, including automating manual tasks and allowing employees to focus on complex, high-impact work. Reskill: Preparing employees for agentic AI has never been more urgent to the success of the future workforce. Organizations must create skills-based learning opportunities to support employees’ transition to new roles with agents. Redeploy: Digital labor can take on tasks and sometimes jobs of people – and at the same time, will create entirely new tasks and jobs, some of which we have yet to imagine today. This will require companies to take stock of their priorities and future growth opportunities, and redeploy talent to critical roles based on skill and experience matching. Rebalance: A human-agent workforce is constantly evolving and requires continuous monitoring and adjusting to keep up with the pace of innovation and evolving business needs. Rebalancing is a dynamic process of adjusting roles and responsibilities as agent capabilities evolve – ensuring people and AI are doing what they do best. I invite you to explore the Workforce Innovation Playbook and join us in building a human-agent workforce, together!  https://lnkd.in/gnChHzZA All built by this amazing team Austin Jackson, Ali Badibanga, Ed.D. Giulia Sergi, Marcus S., Elizabeth Patterson, Ph.D., PMP, Sanjeev Sharma, neelima vojjala, Amanda-Rae Barboza Barela, PMP, Annika Ekblad, Jada Garrett, MBA, PMP, CSM, Mandie Lupone Sarah Shahid Emily (Wiser) Marshbank Victoria Kumper

𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 McKinsey & Company, 𝐇𝐑 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐈'𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲...𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭: AI isn’t just about technology—it’s about transforming how we work. According to QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey’s 2024 State of AI report, HR is seeing some of the largest cost reductions from AI, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎%+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. Yet, many HR teams still underutilize AI’s potential to drive efficiency and EBIT growth. The reality? AI isn’t here to replace HR—it’s here to eliminate administrative burdens, optimize workforce costs, and enable HR to focus on high-value strategy. 📊 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐑 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 🔹 AI-Powered Employee Self-Service • 30-50% reduction in HR admin workloads by leveraging AI portals for payroll, benefits, PTO & compliance (Gartner). • 60% of service desk inquiries resolved without human intervention via AI chatbots, cutting admin costs and expediting issue resolution (Microsoft). • 40% faster onboarding through AI-powered paperwork automation (McKinsey). 🔹 Smarter, Faster Talent Acquisition • 70% reduction in resume screening time with AI-powered candidate matching (LinkedIn). • 10+ hours saved per week through automated interview scheduling. • Predictive hiring analytics lower attrition costs by identifying best-fit candidates before hiring needs arise. 🔹 Workforce Cost Optimization • Real-time workforce planning prevents over-hiring and optimizes staffing. • AI-driven compensation benchmarking ensures pay equity while optimizing salary & bonus structures. • Attrition prediction models reduce turnover, training, and rehiring expenses. 📈 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐑 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 HR isn't just a cost center—with AI, it’s a profit enabler. ✅ AI-Enhanced Employee Experience – AI eliminates friction in HR processes, boosting productivity & retention. ✅ Skills-Based Talent Models – AI-driven learning keeps employees future-ready, reducing external hiring costs. ✅ Proactive Workforce Planning – AI optimizes headcount strategies, reducing costly misalignment & layoffs. ✅ AI-Driven Inclusion & Equity – AI ensures fair hiring, promotions & pay, reducing compliance risks & enhancing brand reputation. ✅ AI-Powered Internal Helpdesks – AI resolves employee issues faster, keeping teams focused on business goals. 💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 HR teams that leverage AI aren’t just cutting costs—they’re fueling business growth. If AI isn’t central to your HR strategy yet, it’s time to rethink your approach. Where is your HR team using AI to drive efficiency? Let’s discuss. ⬇️ #HR #AI #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #HRTech #Leadership #AIinHR #AIforHR #RevolutionOfWork

🌐 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗗: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing Organizational Development (OD) by offering powerful, data-driven tools that drive engagement, optimize performance, and enhance decision-making. The impact of AI in OD is backed by compelling research and statistics: ▪ 25% Increase in Employee Engagement: AI-driven tools help organizations monitor engagement levels in real-time, enabling timely interventions that boost productivity and morale. ▪ 30% Reduction in Turnover Rates: Predictive analytics powered by AI can identify employees at risk of leaving, leading to targeted retention strategies that significantly reduce turnover. ▪ 50% Faster Onboarding: AI streamlines the onboarding process by automating training and integrating personalized learning paths, helping new hires become productive more quickly. ▪ 40% Improvement in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Initiatives: AI-powered recruitment tools help eliminate unconscious bias, leading to more diverse hiring outcomes and inclusive workplace cultures. ▪ 20% Boost in Productivity: AI’s ability to analyze workflow patterns and employee performance data allows organizations to optimize tasks and resource allocation, resulting in measurable productivity gains. Here's how AI is driving these impressive outcomes: ✅ Predictive Analytics: Analyze vast datasets to predict potential challenges and opportunities. Companies using AI-driven analytics report up to a 60% improvement in the accuracy of workforce planning by anticipating shifts in engagement and productivity. ✅ Personalized Development Plans: Assess individual skills, performance metrics, and career aspirations to craft highly customized development plans. These tailored approaches can lead to a 25% increase in employee retention, as employees feel more supported and aligned with their career goals. ✅ Enhanced D&I: Audit and optimize recruitment processes, identifying and mitigating biases in hiring and promotions. Companies using AI in their diversity efforts have seen a 30% increase in diverse candidates reaching the final interview stages and a 15% improvement in promotion rates for underrepresented groups. ✅ Continuous Feedback Loops: Facilitate real-time, continuous feedback mechanisms, helping organizations stay attuned to employee sentiment and needs. Organizations that implement AI-driven feedback systems experience a 20% increase in employee satisfaction and a rise in engagement. ✅ Optimized Workforce: Analyze workflow and project data to recommend optimal team compositions and task assignments, leading to 20-30% increases in project efficiency and significant reductions in time-to-market for new initiatives. #OrganizationalDevelopment #OD #AI #DataDrivenInsights #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork #DiversityAndInclusion

Day One of Dreamforce wrapping up. What a great experience! Met Mark Benioff, will.i.am, a few humanoid robots, and old and new friends. One phrase kept coming up: "Digital Labor." Not "AI tools." Not "automation." Digital labor. It's a fundamental reframing of enterprise tech, and we're watching the emergence of an entirely new economic model. 🔄 THE SHIFT FROM TOOLS TO LABOR For decades, we bought software as TOOLS - CRMs, ERPs that made humans more productive. Agentforce 360 is different: you're hiring digital labor. AI agents that DO the work, not just assist. Example: Salesforce handling 1.8M customer conversations with agents. That's a digital workforce. 👥 THREE TYPES OF DIGITAL WORKERS 1️⃣ Customer-facing → Heathrow's "Hallie" (83M passengers), Indeed's onboarding agents  2️⃣ Employee-facing → Recruiting agents, IT service agents  3️⃣ Workflow → Data processing, compliance checks 💰 THE ECONOMICS Traditional: Fixed costs, linear scaling, geographic constraints, training in weeks Digital labor: Variable costs, infinite scaling, no constraints, training in minutes Salesforce increased proactive outreach 40% without proportional headcount increase. That math only works with digital labor. ⚡ WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT ✅ Conversational - Slack as "Agentic OS" makes digital labor feel like colleagues  ✅ Contextual - Data 360 gives agents access to ALL company data  ✅ Integrated - Embedded in workflows, not parallel systems  ✅ Governed - Audit trails, compliance monitoring, performance analytics 🤔 THE HARD QUESTIONS How do you manage a workforce that's 60% human, 40% digital? What does "headcount" mean when you can deploy 1,000 digital workers instantly? How do CFOs model P&L when labor costs are variable not fixed? Who manages digital labor - IT, business units, or a new role? 💬 WHAT CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING Linda West (Indeed): "We're looking at 100 different use cases to remove day-to-day responsibilities so our folks can have more impact." Not replacing humans. Redefining what humans spend time on. 🎯 MY REFLECTION We're not deploying AI agents. We're architecting a new labor model. Companies that master hiring, deploying, and managing digital labor alongside human labor = fundamental advantage. Companies treating this as "another IT project" = stuck in pilot purgatory. Salesforce betting Agentforce 360 is the infrastructure for the digital labor economy. 12,000 customers testing that bet. Tomorrow: governance, trust, compliance challenges. If you're "hiring" 10,000 digital workers, you need HR policies for AI. More from Day Two soon 🌙 #Salesforcepartnership Kate Strachnyi Pascal BORNET