The traditionally loose partnership between technology and HR leaders has evolved, with their collaboration becoming a critical leadership dynamic, says Saket Srivastava, chief information officer at Asana, a work management platform. This shift is particularly important now, as employee burnout rises and AI transformation accelerates.
Srivastava emphasizes the CHRO and CIO collaboration is “one of the most fundamental partnerships” organizations need. In many companies, interdepartmental partnerships aren’t common, but when leaders “connect the dots,” a relationship between the CIO and CHRO is “not just a nice to have,” he told HR Executive.
Industry analysts such as RedThread’s Stacia Garr and Josh Bersin warn against technology-first transformation strategies, saying that developments should always be human- and problem-centric. At Asana, this philosophy manifests in a tight partnership between tech and HR leadership. “Digital employee experience is a thing,” explains Srivastava, highlighting how employees interact with both technology and HR practices as part of their overall workplace experience.
“Perhaps in the past, employee experience was separate from digital [initiatives],” notes Srivastava. “However, we can’t keep EX and tech separate.”
CHRO + CIO = winning formula
The joint efforts of CIOs and CHROs create a synergy that enhances the employee experience through every digital touchpoint. Srivastava says this alignment ensures that company-level goals remain connected with the work that makes achieving them possible.
He believes this partnership has become especially critical in addressing workplace challenges such as employee burnout, where clarity from leadership is essential. As people become more accustomed to frictionless tech that solves problems quickly, they increasingly expect a similar experience from the tools they use at work. Encountering HR tech-related disconnects, frustration or delays can further contribute to employee burnout.
Asana is not the only organization with this outlook. In fact, HR Executive reported earlier this year that ServiceNow predicts that CHROs and CIOs will form the new “power duo.”
The emergence of generative AI presents a perfect example of why this partnership is essential. What started with considerable hype and questions about whether it was “real or noise” has evolved into a rapid transformation that requires careful management, says the CIO.
At Asana, Srivastava and CHRO Anna Binder have pioneered a comprehensive approach to gen AI integration. Together, they established an AI council with representatives from each business sector and a people leader serving as council chair.
Their journey began with an employee survey to determine the workforce’s comfort and engagement level with generative AI, followed by collaborative efforts on enablement and training for various employee cohorts based on experience levels.
The success of their approach lies in presenting AI adoption as “more of an organizational change movement, rather than forced tech,” according to Srivastava. He particularly values Binder’s role as an “incredible soundboard” based on her experience working with people—specifically in providing perspective on how employees outside the IT sector will perceive new tools. “Don’t assume that tech is understood,” he emphasizes. “Create opportunities, not fear and complexity.”
Attention to digital and people perspectives
“The potential and promise of AI is removing friction between people and productivity,” Srivastava observes. While every CEO faces pressure to define their AI strategy, he advocates that this can’t exist in a vacuum: “What they should have is a business strategy, with a plan for where AI can give opportunities.”
This approach becomes particularly important as every tech provider adds AI capabilities, creating what can become a noisy environment with different departmental needs.
Srivastava notes that the enterprise relationship with any vendor is “very important,” emphasizing that tech strategy feels like a cohesive journey rather than noise. Without proper management from both digital and people perspectives, he warns, the situation can become chaotic, leading to lost investment costs and declining employee experience.
At Asana, the AI council’s approach has proven “quite compelling,” with Srivastava noting that “people feel good” about how their company is moving forward with generative AI. This success demonstrates the value of prioritizing a structured AI journey that prevents scattered, individual initiatives across the organization.
His final message is clear and emphatic: “If the CHRO and CIO aren’t partnering, the company is missing out.” As organizations continue to navigate digital transformation, this partnership ensures that technology serves human needs while driving organizational success. In an era where employee experience and digital capability are inseparable, Srivastava says, this collaboration has become essential for organizational success.
Credit: Source link
