Designing Work for an AI-Enabled Future

In this episode of How Work Works, Kat and Alex talk about what "AI ready work" actually means before you ever touch a tool: clean job architecture, tidy HR data, and clear governance. They unpack the difference between generative and agentic AI using a simple kitchen analogy, and dig into why shadow AI, unowned decisions, and mismatched organisational tone are quietly creating risk inside businesses right now. They also cover the case for an AI governance council, the ongoing debate over who actually owns AI strategy, which roles are most likely to change in the next five years, and why Alex thinks the biggest surprise about AI won't be how much it changes work, but how much it doesn't. If you're trying to figure out where AI actually fits in your organisation, and who should be making that call, this conversation is for you. Follow the Podcast: Subscribe: 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/@zesthr Website: 🔗 https://zesthr.au/ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro and welcome to How Work Works, meet Alex Taylor 0:50 Alex's path: from wedding planning to falling in love with AI and data 3:55 Why the human impact of AI isn't getting enough airtime 6:25 What "AI ready work" actually means in practice 7:40 Unpacking the jargon: generative AI vs agentic AI 10:20 The biggest mistake: shadow AI and missing governance 12:00 Why AI needs the organisation's voice, not an individual's 14:10 Holding the tension between governance and innovation, and why leaders must own the trade offs 17:15 Learning from failed rollouts by mapping every process 20:15 What an AI governance council looks like in practice 23:40 Who should own AI strategy: HR, IT or everyone 26:00 An organisation getting this right 28:40 The roles most likely to change in the next five years 31:35 The entry level talent gap and a surprising prediction about AI 33:30 Rapid fire questions, and the one thing to take away: plan the change Follow Zest 🌐 Website 🔗 https://zesthr.au/ Instagram 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/zest.hr/ LinkedIn 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/zesthr Produced by Podwave Studios: https://podwavestudios.au/ 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Disclaimer. This podcast shares professional opinions and experiences related to the workplace and the use of AI. The views expressed are those of the individuals involved and are intended for general information and discussion purposes only. They do not constitute legal, HR or professional advice specific to your organisation. #howworkworks #zesthr #podwavestudios #perth #podcast #futureofwork #hrleaders #aiatwork #agenticai #generativeai #aigovernance #shadowai #workforceplanning #hrtech #leadership #peopleandculture #aistrategy