Kroger Chief People Officer Timothy Massa knows what busy is. The HR leader currently manages the retail giant’s workforce of more than 400,000 employees, who serve more than 12 million customers daily through in-person and digital experiences. Those figures will explode if a deal to merge with grocer Albertson’s goes through, with the workforce expected to grow to 700,000 and store count to rise to almost 5,000—though the future of that deal is unclear after the FTC moved to block the merger last week.
The fast-paced, quick-changing environment isn’t exclusive to Kroger’s employees, says Massa, who was recently inducted as a 2024 Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. For employees across industries, work is becoming increasingly “chaotic,” and in the coming New Year, HR needs to focus on simplifying.
“There’s a lot of work out there, and people are being pulled and pushed in a lot of different areas,” he says. “We can simplify their lives if we can reduce the chaos—that’s where AI comes in.”
Kroger’s HR teams are leveraging AI to “automate, eliminate or standardize” tasks, which he says is allowing HR to work more efficiently and invest in higher-order work: “to be that coach, that advisor, that contributor, that creative—to have more time to innovate.”
As AI enables HR employees to reframe their focus, it is pushing more people leaders to explore the potential of cross-functional collaboration, Massa says.
“The HR function can’t resolve everything—nor can operations, finance, merchandising,” he says. “It takes an integrated approach to look at a problem and come up with solutions. AI is giving us more time for that.”
Yet, as HR leans on AI in the coming year, Massa cautions, people leaders need to stay cognizant of both what AI can do and what it can’t—for their function and the organization as a whole.
“AI will never be able to help an associate flourish—people help each other flourish and be all they can be,” he says.
At Kroger, Massa says, that work involves continuously reconnecting employees to company purpose and striving to create “memorable” experiences—which help associates deliver the same quality of experience to customers.
While AI will play a role in driving those experiences, he says, HR oversight will be pivotal to “narrow the focus,” help redefine productivity and keep EX top of mind.
“Employees want to know what’s expected of them and where technology can help them fulfill their tasks throughout the day and make them more productive—but we can’t overfill their cup,” he says. “Productivity is about having the right level in the cup to do the right things.”
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