The Deployment of AI to Infer Employee Skills: Insights From Johnson & Johnson's Digital-First Workforce Initiative
Abstract
To embark on a digital transformation journey, organisations should prepare and adapt their workforce to meet the continuous need for skill adjustments. This paper reports insights from the journey of one organisation—Johnson & Johnson—that developed an employee skills inference platform based on artificial intelligence with the objective of creating a digital-first workforce capable of thriving amid the new reality of continuous digital innovation. We describe the challenges J&J faced during the deployment of the platform and the activities they undertook in response to these challenges. Based on that, we identify three organisational practices critical for the successful deployment of AI: blueprinting the future workforce, managing ethical data work across borders, and compensating for AI blind spots. From Johnson & Johnson's experience, we derive several important lessons for other organisations interested in using AI to develop a digital-first workforce.
About the Authors
Olgerta Tona, Senior Lecturer, University of Gothenburg and Academic Research Fellow, MIT CISR
Dorothy E. Leidner, Ferguson Professor of Information Systems, Baylor University and Academic Research Fellow, MIT CISR
Nick van der Meulen, Research Scientist, MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)
Barbara H. Wixom, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)
Juliana Nunes, SVP, Global Talent Acquisition, Johnson & Johnson
Doug Shagam, Head of People Data & Insights, Johnson & Johnson
MIT CENTER FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH (CISR)
Founded in 1974 and grounded in MIT's tradition of combining academic knowledge and practical purpose, MIT CISR helps executives meet the challenge of leading increasingly digital and data-driven organizations. We work directly with digital leaders, executives, and boards to develop our insights. Our research is funded by member organizations that support our work and participate in our consortium.
MIT CISR Associate Members
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