How ServiceNow Is Building the Agentic Future of HR episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 3, 2026 · 25 MIN

How ServiceNow Is Building the Agentic Future of HR

from The Josh Bersin Company · host Josh Bersin

What does it look like when one of the world’s most innovative tech companies decides to write the playbook for agentic HR — from the inside? Brandon Roberts, Global VP of People Product, Analytics and AI at ServiceNow, joins Kathi Enderes for a conversation that crackles with real-world urgency and hard-won insight. Under the bold leadership of CHRO Jacqui Canney – whose title as Chief People and AI Transformation Officer signals just how seriously ServiceNow is taking this moment – Brandon and his team have made a defining bet: empower every HR professional to experiment with AI, then ruthlessly prioritize based on value and feasibility. The results are already turning heads. When an HR Business Partner came forward with an idea, it didn’t disappear into a committee. It became a live capability: HRBPs now work alongside a people data agent paired with Galileo, giving them real-time internal workforce data fused with external benchmarks, case studies, and research insights,  all available in the moment a business conversation demands an answer.  This is what it means to bring consulting-grade intelligence into the flow of work. But Brandon’s story doesn’t stop inside HR. ServiceNow is also asking its HR team to do something far bigger: help lead the entire company’s AI transformation. That means building workforce AI capabilities and readiness at scale, redesigning jobs and work across the firm as AI reshapes what every role requires and writing the organizational playbook for AI adoption that others can follow.  It is a mandate that puts HR squarely at the center of enterprise strategy, moving from support function to transformation driver. Brandon’s own career arc captures this shift. His role evolved from a focus on people analytics – historically centered on reporting and data analysis – into enabling the business to use insights about people and organizations to make better decisions and drive better outcomes, all powered by AI.  The people analytics function didn’t shrink but grew in strategic weight and importance. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone trying to understand what agentic HR actually looks like in practice at one of the fastest-moving companies on the planet. Additional Information Podcast: Jacqui Canney, ServiceNow CHRO, Demystifies AI Transformation Article: The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun Research: The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise Get Galileo: The World’s AI Superagent for HR Chapters (00:00:03) - What Works: Systems Thinking(00:00:41) - ServiceNow CEO on the Company's Transformation of HR Using AI(00:02:19) - WSJD Live: ServiceNow's AI-Powered HR Function(00:05:41) - Six Pillars of the AI Revolution at ServiceNow(00:08:48) - How Galileo is helping HR professionals be more strategic(00:11:14) - How ServiceNow Is Bringing AI to HR(00:14:44) - What specific skills do you need in your role around AI(00:15:51) - WSJD: The HR Organization of the Future(00:20:28) - WSJDLive: The AI and HR Transformation(00:22:44) - WSJD Live: AI and HR Transformation(00:24:24) - What Works in HR: Brandon Roberts & ServiceNow's Galileo

What does it look like when one of the world’s most innovative tech companies decides to write the playbook for agentic HR — from the inside? Brandon Roberts, Global VP of People Product, Analytics and AI at ServiceNow, joins Kathi Enderes for a conversation that crackles with real-world urgency and hard-won insight. Under the bold leadership of CHRO Jacqui Canney – whose title as Chief People and AI Transformation Officer signals just how seriously ServiceNow is taking this moment – Brandon and his team have made a defining bet: empower every HR professional to experiment with AI, then ruthlessly prioritize based on value and feasibility. The results are already turning heads. When an HR Business Partner came forward with an idea, it didn’t disappear into a committee. It became a live capability: HRBPs now work alongside a people data agent paired with Galileo, giving them real-time internal workforce data fused with external benchmarks, case studies, and research insights,  all available in the moment a business conversation demands an answer.  This is what it means to bring consulting-grade intelligence into the flow of work. But Brandon’s story doesn’t stop inside HR. ServiceNow is also asking its HR team to do something far bigger: help lead the entire company’s AI transformation. That means building workforce AI capabilities and readiness at scale, redesigning jobs and work across the firm as AI reshapes what every role requires and writing the organizational playbook for AI adoption that others can follow.  It is a mandate that puts HR squarely at the center of enterprise strategy, moving from support function to transformation driver. Brandon’s own career arc captures this shift. His role evolved from a focus on people analytics – historically centered on reporting and data analysis – into enabling the business to use insights about people and organizations to make better decisions and drive better outcomes, all powered by AI.  The people analytics function didn’t shrink but grew in strategic weight and importance. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone trying to understand what agentic HR actually looks like in practice at one of the fastest-moving companies on the planet. Additional Information Podcast: Jacqui Canney, ServiceNow CHRO, Demystifies AI Transformation Article: The Great Reinvention of Human Resources Has Begun Research: The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise Get Galileo: The World’s AI Superagent for HR

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How ServiceNow Is Building the Agentic Future of HR

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What does it look like when one of the world’s most innovative tech companies decides to write the playbook for agentic HR — from the inside? Brandon Roberts, Global VP of People Product, Analytics and AI at ServiceNow, joins Kathi Enderes for a...

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