SMART business on Employee Adaptation Strategies to AI Technologies at HR for Business 2025
On October 4, Ivano-Frankivsk brought together over two hundred executives, HR professionals, and business owners for the main conference of the autumn — HR for Business 2025. For the eleventh year in a row, the event has united the professional community around the industry’s most pressing challenges — from attracting talent to building resilient organizational cultures. This year’s concept focused on finding solutions in the context of war, technological breakthroughs, exhaustion, and the growing need for resilience.
13 speakers, 6 hours of practical insights and discussions on how to find stability in chaos — and turn it into a competitive advantage. The conversations centered around the role of HR as a strategic navigator capable not only of retaining the team but also of inspiring it with new meaning in times of rapid transformation.
Among the key topics of the conference were balancing the human and the technological, the new role of leaders in a turbulent environment, and the impact of artificial intelligence on business processes.
SMART business joined the discussion on the impact of AI — this year as both a speaker and one of the event sponsors.
Reskilling/Upskilling in the Age of AI: How to Prepare Teams for the New Reality
Andrii Lysenko, a Senior HR professional with 18 years of experience, HR Business Partner and HR Lead at SMART business, delivered a talk titled “Reskilling/Upskilling: A Strategy for Employee Adaptation to AI Technologies.” One of the key messages of his presentation was the following: artificial intelligence will not take your job — the people who learn to use it effectively will.
Andrii Lysenko emphasized the scale of the challenge and the prospects of AI transformation with data from various global studies, such as:
- Over 89% of executives consider AI a top priority, yet only 6% of companies have launched systematic upskilling programs in this area. This trend represents both a risk and an opportunity for those who start acting now to strengthen their competitiveness.
- Organizations that have already implemented generative models report productivity growth of more than 40% — a figure demonstrating the tangible operational benefits of AI technologies.
- Currently, only about 28% of employees in companies have actual access to Generative AI tools (such as Copilot, ChatGPT, or Midjourney). Meanwhile, among professionals who already work with AI or possess a high level of digital literacy — such as IT specialists, analysts, and marketers — this number reaches 70%. This highlights unequal access to GenAI, suggesting that companies should expand the use of AI wherever it can create additional value.
- 78% of surveyed executives expect to increase AI investments next year — a signal for those who are still postponing transformation.
At the same time, Andrii Lysenko stressed that technology alone changes nothing unless there are people and clear processes behind it. According to SMART business observations, about 70% of AI implementation success depends on the team and organizational structure, 20% on platforms and IT infrastructure, and only 10% on algorithms and models. Therefore, before talking about the use of Generative AI, companies should invest in preparing specialists, setting up processes, and defining clear roles along this journey.
How SMART business Organizes AI Upskilling
During his presentation, Andrii Lysenko shared how SMART business turns learning to work with AI into a strategic advantage for the company, highlighting several key approaches:
- Priority roles and skills — Upskilling should start where AI brings the greatest value. According to SMART business observations and global studies, the most active GenAI adoption happens in IT (28% of initiatives), operations (11%), marketing (10%), and customer support (8%). In these areas, automation and content generation with AI deliver the most visible results, so developing relevant skills within these teams provides maximum business impact.
- Practical access to tools — Employees not only learn about AI but also gain hands-on experience by applying it to real tasks.
- Psychological safety — Overcoming fear of change is critical. Mistakes should be viewed as a natural part of the learning process, not as failures.
- Motivation and gamification — Internal programs, challenges, and rewards help increase engagement and interest in learning.
- Leadership involvement — Top management should not only approve the strategy but also lead by example, participate in training, and support a culture of continuous growth.
- Multi-level performance assessment — The program should include evaluation on several levels — from training satisfaction to actual growth in competencies and measurable business results.
In his presentation, the speaker emphasized that investing in AI skills development should become a systematic part of HR strategy.
Throughout the day, participants received a wealth of valuable insights: Olga Prokhorenko, HR mentor, consultant, and Adjunct Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, detailed the components of the new HR role; Igor Luzhansky, military serviceman and owner of tech businesses, shared how experiences from military service and the “improvisation theater” — the ability to act without a script when events unfold unpredictably — help maintain effectiveness in business even in situations of complete uncertainty; Roman Romanenko, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Kitsoft and gestalt therapist, explained why transformations begin with overcoming internal resistance among people.
Participants left the event with practical tools, inspiration, and a clear understanding: transformations are possible where leaders think strategically and act boldly. The key takeaway from HR for Business 2025 can be summarized as follows — the future of organizations is determined not so much by processes or systems, but by people’s readiness for change and ability to apply innovations in practice.
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Submit a consultation request — and learn more about the platform that will make your work more transparent, convenient, and focused on people’s development.