For decades, the rhythm of global HR was set by the annual survey. It was a massive effort, followed by a slow analysis, and resulted in a report that was often outdated by the time it landed on managers' desks. That era is over.
In today's dynamic landscape, agility is survival. The real challenge is no longer if you should adopt new technology, but how you use it to build a culture of "People Success"—a proactive, data-driven approach that empowers the entire organization. It’s a strategic shift from HR owning engagement to everyone sharing the responsibility.
In 2025, the most successful companies will be those that master three core competencies:
Leveraging real-time data to solve complex global challenges.
Building a new HR operating model with future-ready skills.
Leading the critical, human-side of technological change.
This is the new playbook. And at the People Success in Global Enterprise 2025 virtual event, the leaders who are writing it will show you how to execute it.
The Foundation: From Slow Data to Proactive Strategy
The old model, as companies like the telecom leader Drei and the global food producer Dole discovered, is simply too slow. It's reactive. By the time you get the insights, the problems have already taken root.
The first step in any modern People Success strategy is to build a better data foundation. This means creating a continuous feedback loop through agile, real-time pulse surveys. This fundamental shift empowers managers with the immediate insights they need to have meaningful conversations, celebrate wins, and solve problems before they escalate. It’s the difference between reading a history report and looking at a live dashboard.
But how do you roll this out across a massive, international workforce while keeping it from feeling like a disconnected, top-down mandate? It requires a deliberate, human-centric approach. At our upcoming event, Johannes Sundlo will tackle this exact challenge in the opening session, providing a framework for integrating AI on a global scale while strengthening—not sacrificing—your human-centric culture.
Solving the Real-World Challenges of a Global Workforce
Once the foundation is in place, you can start solving the complex problems that global enterprises face every day.
Challenge A: Engaging the Entire Workforce (Not Just HQ)
Global companies like the manufacturer Kitron, the retailer Gina Tricot, and the climate solutions provider Purmo Group don't just have employees at desks. They have massive blue-collar and frontline teams in factories, stores, and distribution centers—often without a corporate email address. A successful engagement strategy must include them.
Technology like kiosk solutions and QR codes can be the entry point, but the real challenge is creating a strategy that resonates with their specific needs and work environment. This is one of the toughest nuts to crack in global HR. Retention and engagement expert Diana Bond will share her field-tested strategies for using technology to genuinely connect with and empower these crucial blue-collar workforces.
Many of our employees don't have access to work emails or phones, but with Eletive's KIOSK solution, QR codes, and the mobile app, it's easy for everyone to access the surveys.
Challenge B: Taming the Complexity of the Matrix Organization
The modern enterprise is rarely a simple hierarchy. It's a complex matrix where communication gets siloed, reporting lines get blurry, and accountability can become diluted. This creates hidden friction that kills productivity and engagement. AI and people analytics can provide a "heat map" of the organization, revealing these bottlenecks and allowing leaders to intervene with precision. Navigating this complexity requires a unique playbook, and we're excited to have Dennis Tudor dive deep into the specific HR challenges of matrix organizations and show you how to tackle them at scale.
Building the Team for the AI-Powered Future
You can't execute a new strategy with an old team structure. The skills and roles that made HR successful yesterday are not what will drive success tomorrow.
First, you need a new role to bridge the gap between HR strategy and the tech stack. This isn't a traditional HRBP or IT function. Successful transformation requires a new, hybrid expert. In his session, Sasha Vincic will explain why the that is serious about getting results.
Second, you need to elevate the skills of your entire team. This isn't about turning HR generalists into data scientists. It's about building data literacy, strengthening change management expertise, and fostering the strategic thinking required to leverage the insights AI provides. In his talk, René Janssen will provide a clear-eyed view of the AI-driven upskilling landscape, focusing on the future-ready skills your team needs right now.
Conclusion: From Great Strategy to Adopted Reality
The best technology and the most brilliant strategy will fail if people don't adopt it. The final—and most important—hurdle is the human element.
When the global giant AkzoNobel successfully rolled out their engagement platform to nearly 35,000 employees, their success was driven by securing buy-in from local managers and executing a strong communication plan. This proves that AI implementation is, first and foremost, a change management project. Leading this change is the most critical part of the puzzle, which is why leading strategist Katie King will share her expert framework on mastering change management and deploying AI responment-at-scale-akzonobels-journey-with-eletive/) successfully rolled out their engagement platform to nearly 35,000 employees, their success was driven by securing buy-in from local managers and executing a strong communication plan. This proves that AI implementation is, first and foremost, a change management project. Leading this change is the most critical part of the puzzle, which is why leading strategist Katie King will share her expert framework on mastering change management and deploying AI responsibly.
Empowering people managers and enabling self-leadership were at the heart of our transformation. Eletive helps us do both – globally, and at scale.
Ultimately, this all must connect back to business value. The C-suite needs to see a return on investment. This is where the rubber meets the road, and Nicolai Janning will close the loop by showing exactly how AI for HR delivers tangible, bottom-line benefits, particularly for enterprises running on core systems like SAP SuccessFactors.
The playbook for People Success in 2025 is clear: build an agile data foundation, solve the real-world challenges of your global workforce, and empower your people to lead the change.
Don't just read the playbook—learn how to execute it. Join all the experts featured here at People Success in Global Enterprise 2025, a free virtual event on October 15.
