HR leaders today are navigating a range of new challenges related to AI—managing employee fears over AI-driven layoffs, strategizing for still-unfolding skills needs, maintaining trust as AI continues to transform the relationship between employees and employers.

MetLife CHRO Shurawl Sibblies says the key to unlocking clarity amid all of that uncertainty is to not try to reinvent the wheel—but rather to amplify the work that has always been at the core of a successful HR function: actively listening to employees, leading with transparency, staying humble and helping your workforce develop agility.

Sibblies is unfurling all of those principles in her second stint with MetLife; she joined the insurance giant in 2012 for seven years then spent a handful in HR leadership at American Express before returning to MetLife in 2024. She recently spoke with HR Executive about what it takes to be an effective HR leader in the age of AI.

HR Executive: If you were to survey your own workforce today about how many worry they'll lose their job to AI—what do you think you would find?

Sibblies: I think I would find a mix of optimism as well as concern. That is not surprising during a time of tremendous change. We know that our culture of listening really matters, especially when dealing with something new. It's so important to listen to people, to understand what's on their minds.
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HR Executive: How challenging is that for HR leaders who don't yet have the answers on how AI will influence job loss or creation in the next few years?

Sibblies: It has to be about transparency and clear communication, clarity about what you know as well as clarity about what you don't know. And talking about AI as an enabler, for sure. We have to make people aware of what our intentions are—that we're aiming to build their skills, their capabilities, to give them agency in how we change the way we work. That transparency helps to fuel a sense of confidence and understanding.

I come back to the importance of what it takes when something is changing—help people understand what we're driving, give them the skills to navigate and then also make sure you reward people when they're trying something new and show them the impact and the difference. We have to make it OK to say that we're in learn mode. We don't have all the answers but we're learning with you. That requires a degree of humility.

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