Meet your new workforce productivity playbook

As AI-powered tools continue to emerge, progressive HR leaders are experimenting with new technology to accelerate workforce productivity, writes Neal Woolrich.

HR leaders are facing growing expectations from the executive team as their role expands beyond people management. Today, they’re expected to shape both human and technological capabilities to enhance organisational effectiveness.

In fact, Gartner’s 2025 CEO survey found that 97 per cent of CEOs aim to leverage both human and machine capabilities to improve personal effectiveness, competencies, and performance. Yet, the reality inside many organisations tells a different story.

Despite HR leaders’ increasing investments in technology this year, many still struggle to deliver solutions that improve employee productivity.

Meeting this challenge demands more than traditional approaches, such as redesigning workflows or time management strategies. It requires direct HR involvement in productivity initiatives. When done successfully, this can improve employee productivity by up to 11 per cent, but it can also deplete HR resources and timing.

To address this, many HR leaders are experimenting with nudgetech, an emerging set of AI-powered tools that combine behavioural science with real-time data to boost productivity and change employee behaviours. It is designed to elicit behaviours that accelerate targeted positive outcomes at the individual, team, and organisational levels.

Nudgetech helps transform team dynamics, including employee decisions, in subtle yet powerful ways. This is particularly important with miscommunication, a persistent barrier in today’s workforce that spans multiple generations.

By prompting employees to choose the right communication channel, this technology helps reduce friction while educating managers about their team’s preferred working styles, ensuring people “feel seen”.

Bridging the gap

Productivity gains often fall short because existing tools fail to address the everyday behavioural barriers that limit performance.

Nudgetech applies nudge theory, which is based on small changes in an environment, guiding people towards better decisions. It uses AI to deliver hyper-personalised recommendations, combining employee preferences and behavioural data to suggest actions that improve work quality and efficiency.

For example, solutions can prompt employees to take breaks to prevent burnout, suggest optimal times for deep work, or highlight high-impact tasks that require attention. They can also address specific productivity barriers for those struggling with time management or sustaining engagement when daily tasks feel routine.

Nudgetech helps close the gap between existing productivity investments, fostering long-term behavioural change that directly impacts employee contributions to business value.

To understand the influence this technology will have on the workforce, it’s important to evaluate the risks and ensure any solutions meet specific organisational needs.

Identify and remove productivity barriers

Start by identifying where nudgetech can make the most difference throughout the workforce. This means gaining insights from employees through engagement surveys, pulse checks and focus groups.

Make sure employees are clear on organisational strategy and how that translates to their day-to-day work. Help them identify areas of potential misalignment to strategy where nudgetech can improve their effectiveness.

Asking questions around task prioritisation, time management, or collaboration habits can highlight key behavioural barriers that limit productivity. Understanding the most common responses will ensure any interventions are focused and effective.

Once the objectives are clear, insights can then be translated into measurable implementation goals. This could include increasing completion rates of high-priority work or improving cross-team collaboration.

Before implementing any solutions, convene with other leaders, including IT stakeholders and business managers. By working together in a collaborative design process, leaders can identify where nudges are most likely to succeed and seamlessly integrate the technology into employee workflows.

Test and trial pilot programs

Before a company-wide rollout, begin with small pilots that test solutions with select employee groups. This helps refine nudges based on real-world feedback and accelerates learning.

Once implemented, continuous monitoring becomes critical. Establishing feedback loops through employee focus groups and manager check-ins ensures the technology’s effectiveness can be measured and adjusted over time.

Finally, maintain an ongoing open dialogue with employees. This helps refine, expand, and track progress against productivity goals. Keeping employees engaged in the process ensures nudgetech remains relevant, impactful, and aligned with the evolving needs of the workforce.

In an era where human and machine collaboration is central to organisational growth, this is a powerful opportunity. By moving beyond traditional productivity tools and addressing the behavioural factors that truly influence performance, leaders can unlock measurable gains.

With thoughtful experimentation, clear implementation goals, and continuous feedback loops, HR leaders can take a data-informed approach that drives lasting change in the workplace.

Neal Woolrich is a director, advisory in Gartner’s HR practice.