“CHRO, stay in your lane.” Why I’m ignoring this outdated wisdom

Getting the organization AI-ready

Along with the Chief Product and Technology Officer, Boshoff is spearheading Wall Street English’s implementation of AI. “One of the first things I did was to get a group of people together just to talk informally about AI,” she says. “This group acted as a safe space for senior managers to discuss how the technology is evolving and how their team uses it. We call it The Borg and we meet monthly.”

The leadership team has since rolled out a formal training program called “Meet your new co-worker.” The aim is to educate the workforce on how to use AI safely and what its benefits are. “This training has been great to get everyone up to speed, but it quickly became apparent that a small group of super-users need training that’s more sophisticated and personalized,” adds Boshoff. This formal training is accompanied by social learning, in which employees demonstrate the uses and benefits of AI to their colleagues.

Wall Street English’s HR team has begun to experiment enthusiastically with the technology. For example, it uses the AI platform Claude to draft and compare HR policies and review HR benchmarks. Boshoff would like to use AI for more complex tasks such as strategic workforce planning – a priority for the company following rapid growth – but has yet to find a solution that meets her requirements.

A conscientious sounding board for the CEO

AI aside, Boshoff believes that the CHRO has a vital role to play in strategic decision making, especially in instances where the impact on employees could be underestimated or even unknown to the CEO. For example, restructuring programs may improve efficiency but risk employee burnout and declining morale. This should therefore be a thoughtful undertaking to ensure changes are communicated well and roles are clearly defined.

“All senior executives should weigh in on strategic issues and CHROs are best positioned constructively to challenge decisions that impact or are influenced by employees,” says Boshoff. “But, as CHRO, you need resilience and confidence to do so, as not everybody will like what you have to say.”

One area of focus is how the business can sustain a culture of support for its workforce and students as it expands internationally. Although staff are dedicated to supporting and enabling students, with more than 600 employees and 5,000 people working across its franchise network in a growing number of countries, a special effort has been made to understand diverse attitudes: “We’ve had to spend some time understanding how different work cultures and customs in countries such as Korea and Hong Kong require different approaches to training or communications,” says Boshoff.

“For example, in town halls, employees in some countries will ask multiple questions, whereas in other countries they won’t ask any. Making seemingly minor adjustments [in specific countries], such as moving town halls to a more intimate setting, encourages real communication, improves employee engagement, motivation and ultimately performance.”