In a rapidly evolving digital era, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a cornerstone of workplace transformation, offering both businesses and employees unprecedented opportunities to enhance productivity and streamline operations. Karthikeyan Kesavan, Director of Permanent Recruitment at Adecco India, in a conversation with Tech Achieve Media shares valuable insights on how AI is reshaping job roles, optimizing workflows, and driving both top-line and bottom-line impacts across industries. Kesavan also highlighted how businesses are harnessing AI to not only boost efficiency and customer satisfaction but also bridge the gap in reskilling needs and ensure a seamless balance between job displacement concerns and new role creation. With leadership playing a pivotal role in ethical AI adoption, Kesavan outlines the importance of proactive reskilling, a supportive workplace culture, and a collaborative approach between employers and employees in embracing this transformative technology.
TAM: How is AI enabling employees, and how are businesses capitalizing on this?
Karthikeyan Kesavan: AI is enabling employees by reducing repetitive tasks and freeing up their time. It also helps in data-driven insights, thereby increasing productivity. The recently released Global Workforce of the Future Report by Adecco suggests that Indians save about 78 minutes at work because of using AI, which helps in optimizing workflows, boosting efficiency, and reducing errors. AI enhances decision-making through data analysis, providing customers with valuable insights for informed choices. As popular as ever, chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI streamline communication and support, improving customer service and internal interactions. It even allows employees to focus on higher-value, creative, and strategic activities. In HR, AI aids in the recruitment process by automating resume screening and identifying top candidates.
For businesses in India, AI impacts both the top line and bottom line, influencing revenue growth and profitability through the following ways:
A) Cost optimization through AI/ ML-enabled automation,
B) Personalisation at scale for end customers thereby increasing revenues,
C) Assist in compliance,
D) Reducing Errors and injuries, and
E) Increased customer Satisfaction and increase in ROI.
TAM: How is AI being adopted differently across industries?
Karthikeyan Kesavan: AI is being adopted across different industries but the pace of adoption varies significantly. For instance:
Healthcare: It can be used in drug discovery, patient care, personalised medicines, and medical imaging. According to one of our research reports, a healthcare organization can get better ROI within 3 years of AI project implementation.
Finance: It can be used in fraud detection, authentication, and data analysis on algorithmic trading among others.
Transportation: It can be used in autonomous vehicles, traffic management, and logistic optimisations.
Real Estate and Infra:AI-driven technologies, like drones, can monitor a wide range of activities including construction surveys, safety compliances in centres of manufacturing and environmental impact assessment.
Retail: The retail industry has been using AI for Client segmentation, targeting, and customer attrition, Personalized recommendations, and inventory management, to name a few.
TAM: While AI is driving productivity, there is concern about job security, with 40% of workers expressing long-term worries. How do you view the balance between job displacement and the new roles and skills AI is helping to create?
Karthikeyan Kesavan: Throughout history, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is only the latest and one of the disruptive technologies that have sparked concerns over job displacement. Whenever significant technological advancements have emerged—such as the widespread adoption of computers, the Industrial Revolution introducing automation and machinery, or the arrival of ATMs—people have often feared job loss. However, these advancements have consistently created more jobs than they eliminated. They have also increased the demand for new skills and enhanced existing jobs.
The key to achieving a balance lies in three main areas:
Reskilling: Through Training programs and Soft Skills Development
New job creation: Through Emerging Fields and Sector-specific Growth
Organizational adaptability: Through Agile practices, Cultural Shifts and Collaborative structures
Through these practices, we can not only mitigate the risks associated with AI but also harness its potential to create a more dynamic and fulfilling job market.
TAM: How can the gap between workers’ desire for reskilling and the opportunities employers are offering be addressed?
Karthikeyan Kesavan: This gap can be covered or addressed by both parties participating equally. While employers must take the initiative to address needs and provide flexible opportunities with career pathways, workers also need to take initiative in proactive learning, networking, and seeking feedback. Additionally, by working together on these key areas, the gap can be bridged: tailored training programs, investment in learning new technologies, a supportive culture, and enhanced communication.
This is another area where AI can be a game changer. I see many candidates today using AI-based algorithms to introspect on their skill gaps and address them for their betterment.
TAM: How crucial is leadership in navigating AI implementation, and what steps can leaders take to ensure AI benefits both business outcomes and employees?
Karthikeyan Kesavan: AI implementation is going to be one of the largest change management initiatives that any organization would have been through in the past 2 decades. Leaders play a pivotal role in directing and navigating the complex landscape of AI implementation. Moreover, without an executive sponsor most of these implementations will take a backseat and become a show stopper for the organization’s advancement in the market landscape. Effective leadership also calls for understanding the technology in use in order to ensure the ethical usage of AI. I personally subscribe to ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.) for today’s leaders for effective execution.
