Manhattan Live 2027: People & HR

Organizations have moved beyond experimenting with AI and are now embedding it into everyday workflows across the business. As AI becomes part of how work gets done, leaders are shifting their focus from isolated use cases to organization-wide adoption, workforce readiness, and long-term value. How are companies redesigning jobs and workflows to take advantage of AI while keeping people at the center? What skills and training do employees need as AI becomes a routine part of their work?

Entry-level jobs have been the foundation of career growth, giving new graduates and early-career professionals a chance to build skills and experience then advance into larger roles. But as AI takes over more routine tasks and organizations streamline work, many of those traditional first jobs are evolving or disappearing. How are employers rethinking the entry point into the workforce? What models for internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, and on-the-job learning are emerging? How can organizations ensure early-career talent still develops the critical thinking and leadership skills needed for long-term success? 

As healthcare costs continue to climb, employers are facing increasingly difficult decisions about which benefits to expand or scale back. Demand continues to grow for high-cost offerings such as GLP-1 medications, fertility benefits, caregiving support, and mental health services, while organizations are under pressure to manage budgets and demonstrate a ROI. How can leaders decide where to invest across pay and benefits when every dollar has to work harder? What strategies are helping control costs without diminishing the employee experience? How can leaders evaluate the long-term value of emerging benefits while ensuring equitable access?

AI is moving from an experimental tool to a core part of how work gets done. As organizations embed AI into everyday workflows, HR leaders will need to rethink roles, skills, performance expectations, and workforce planning. How can companies help employees successfully adapt to AI-enabled work? What does a productive partnership between people and technology look like? Where does the human touch matter most, and where can AI help out?

Business today is a game that moves as you play, and there is no sign of it slowing down. Today’s managers are at the forefront of helping organizations navigate a rapidly evolving workplace. Yet many leaders are stepping into these roles without the training, tools, or support needed to succeed. As organizations prioritize retention and productivity, building stronger managers has become a critical business imperative. How are companies equipping leaders with the skills to coach, communicate, and guide their teams through uncertainty? What capabilities set today’s most effective managers apart? How can organizations create the support systems needed to help managers and their teams thrive?

In a workplace defined by disruption, employees are paying closer attention to whether company values show up in meaningful ways. While many organizations invest in defining their purpose and principles, the challenge is translating those ideas into consistent behaviors across teams. How can employers equip managers to model company values, hold teams accountable, and create trust between leadership’s vision and employees’ daily experiences? What does it take to build a culture that feels authentic rather than simply aspirational? What’s the role of recognition and total rewards in supporting workplace culture?

AI is a male-dominated field. Data from LinkedIn shows that women account for just 26% of AI hires and occupy only 13% of C-suite positions at AI companies, creating severe inequities in terms of job opportunities and earnings. The impact of AI could be imbalanced as well: traditionally female-dominated roles, like bookkeeping and clerical work, are at greater risk for displacement by AI. What is the cost of this lopsided picture? How can corporate leaders in fields ranging from talent acquisition to IT make sure women have access to the skills and career opportunities being created by the latest tech transformation? What should companies do differently in recruiting, learning and development, and internal mobility? How can HR leaders ensure that AI-powered decisions about performance and promotion don’t deepen existing gaps or reinforce biases?

Employee well-being is no longer viewed as a standalone initiative. Increasingly, organizations are integrating well-being into leadership development, workplace culture, job design, and business strategy, recognizing that burnout, workload, flexibility, and manager support all influence employee health. How are employers moving beyond wellness programs to create healthier ways of working? Which organizational changes have the greatest impact on well-being and performance? How can leaders measure success beyond participation rates? What does a truly integrated well-being strategy look like?

Agentic AI is moving beyond experimentation and into the core of talent acquisition, with systems increasingly able to screen applicants, schedule interviews, and support hiring decisions with limited human intervention. But as AI reshapes recruiting workflows, TA leaders face a new set of challenges: declining candidate trust, rising applicant volumes, inconsistent quality of hire, and the shift toward skills-based hiring over traditional credentials. How are leading organizations redesigning their talent strategies and tech stacks for an AI-enabled future? How can recruiters use AI to improve efficiency without sacrificing the human experience candidates expect?

Companies are throwing out the old workforce-planning playbook, moving beyond traditional job titles and career paths toward a skills-based approach to recruiting, talent development, and internal mobility. The first steps of this transformation are often the most challenging. Before organizations can put skills at the center of their workforce strategy, they need to figure out what skills they already have and what they’ll need in the future. So, where to begin? How do you make the business case for a skills-based approach, and what does it take to win over executives and employees alike? What technology and data infrastructure do you actually need, and how do you build a skills taxonomy, taking stock of the capabilities already inside your workforce and spotting critical gaps?

Recognition and rewards have become a critical part of how organizations engage and retain employees, but many companies are rethinking whether their current approaches reflect what workers actually value. How are organizations designing recognition strategies that motivate employees and strengthen belonging? What role do technology and personalization play in making recognition more timely and impactful? How can companies ensure their rewards programs support both employee satisfaction and business goals?

Thanks to AI, HR teams are automating their grunt work, freeing up time and resources for HR teams to be coaches, consultants, and strategists. What new skills does your HR team need to stay relevant and grow its influence as a strategic partner in your organization? What new roles belong in people operations? And how should HR leaders rethink the responsibilities and development of their teams? In this session, speakers will share how they’re transforming their own departments for an AI-powered era.