By: Avishek Kumar Roy
The workplace is changing faster than most of us expected a decade ago. AI is changing how we work, how we learn and how we make decisions. Data helps companies spot patterns early, and technology makes it easier for employees to get things done and stay connected.
Through all of it, one question keeps coming back to me: what should not change?
For me, it is the values that have always held workplaces together: trust, empathy, accountability, curiosity, collaboration and a real willingness to listen & innovate. AI changes the tools. Values decide the outcomes.
Technology moves fast, but people decide where it goes
AI and analytics give us a chance to make better, more accurate decisions. That is where technology in HR gets interesting, though the value only shows up when insights turn into action. The place to start is the specific gap where technology can solve a real problem.
Learning works the same way. AI can help spot skill gaps earlier and suggest learning that fits the person better. But mind you, learning cannot be reduced to an algorithm.
For customer-facing teams, this balance matters even more. In FMCG, growth is not decided only in boardrooms. It happens in the field, with employees who deal with retailers, distributors and local markets every day. When we strengthen their digital fluency, technology helps them execute sharper, respond to the market faster and serve customers better. We want frontline teams to make better decisions, faster with the help of tech and AI. But the core remains their own experience.
Listening is critical
When organisations lean on data, it is easy to assume a dashboard can answer every question about people. It can’t. Data shows what is happening. It rarely explains why.
That is why employee listening matters more in a technology-led workplace. Technology helps us see patterns at scale, but understanding comes from the context behind them, and that context is what we should act on.
The same goes for HR analytics. When workforce data is linked across recruitment, attrition, learning, succession and capability, HR can take part in business planning in a real way. We move from reporting what happened to working out what the organisation needs to do next.
AI changes the leadership playbook, not the need for judgement
AI can help leaders get information, analyse patterns, spot skill gaps and make informed decisions. Leadership begins where the answer is not obvious. It means influencing people, steering through uncertainty, balancing competing interests and building trust.
Experience will still matter, but the quality of it matters more than the number of years spent in a role. Learning agility, an enterprise mindset and the ability to apply what you have learned will set leaders apart.
I sometimes do worry that AI may slowly replace the on-the-job experiences that used to build leadership skills by ready-to-consumer information or learnings. In FMCG, automation is already reshaping manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain and back-office roles. If machines take over that work, we must make sure young employees still get the chance to learn, solve problems, work with others and take charge.
This is where “high tech, high touch” matters. The more technology takes on tasks, the more HR has to focus on the human side. Technology cannot guide people, hear them out, help them grow or build trust. AI can free up time, and what we do with that time will decide the value we get from it.
Many leadership programmes combine learning with mentoring, coaching, cross-functional exposure and real business experience. These programmes let employees learn beyond their own roles and build a wider perspective. The goal is to prepare people for the complexity that comes with a role, and not only for the role itself.
The workplace of the future still needs belonging
There is one thing technology cannot take over: people’s need to feel heard, valued and connected to the organisation. A good workplace is about more than numbers and digital tools. It is about whether employees see room to grow, feel safe to speak up and believe their work matters.
Whenever we introduce a new technology, process or operating model, we should ask “Can this work?” and also “What will people need to make it work?” For change to last, employees must understand it, feel included in it and see how it connects to their own growth and sense of purpose.
Inclusion is a good example. Increasing women’s participation in manufacturing took more than creating positions. Industry leaders had to look at infrastructure, safety, working hours, support systems and mindsets before it became a place where women could do well. Such work has helped lakhs of young women build confidence, employability and access to opportunities.
Transformation is a journey
Transformation is not a one-time event. Technology will keep evolving, roles will be redefined and new skills will appear. The organisations that do well will be the ones that keep learning and adapting, and that takes investment in people, leadership, culture and learning, and not just in technology.
AI will keep making organisations faster and better informed. But speed without integrity, efficiency without empathy and intelligence without judgement will never be enough. Values do not slow transformation down. They give it direction.
Technology can change how an organisation works. Our values decide how we work together, how we make decisions and what kind of organisation we become.
About the author: Avishek Roy is the Director of Human Resources at Perfetti Van Melle, driving people strategy for the global confectionery manufacturer. With over 21 years of multi-country experience, he specializes in talent management, organizational transformation, cultural integration, and leadership development. His expertise spans Manufacturing, Sales, IT, Corporate HR, and Startups, making him a dynamic leader in building high-performing teams and fostering a strong workplace culture.
