AI Labs: Practical AI for HR Teams
AI isn't just changing HR tools. It's changing the role of HR.
For HR teams, AI brings two challenges at once: helping your organisation and its people navigate change, while building the confidence and capability to use these tools effectively in your own work.
As AI reshapes how organisations work, HR and people leaders are increasingly responsible for helping their organisations adopt AI with confidence. That means understanding not only how the technology can support work processes, but also the organisational change, workforce readiness, capability, governance and people implications of AI use in the workplace.
Brought to you by Best Places to Work™, Business Central and The AI Assembly®, Practical AI for HR Teams is a hands-on workshop combining AI and HR expertise to help you build capability in two areas: supporting AI adoption across your organisation and using AI effectively in your own HR work.
During the session you will explore:
What AI adoption means for HR, including current employment relations considerations.
How to assess organisational readiness and identify barriers to AI use.
Real examples of AI adoption, including the people, governance and legal considerations.
How to approach AI use responsibly and with confidence.
Practical ways to use AI for everyday HR tasks, with the opportunity to try these yourself.
You will also have the opportunity to hear from:
Ryan Ghisi (Head of People Operations and Experience at 2degrees) about his experience leading enterprise-wide AI adoption.
Paul Mackay (BusinessNZ's Manager of Employment Relations Policy) about changes to HR and Employment Relations policy that affect how HR leaders should approach AI adoption in the workplace.
Ben Burger (Business Central Employment Relations Consultant) about key business case studies that demonstrate challenges and legal issues HR leaders should consider.
No technical background is required. Bring your laptop and leave with practical experience using AI in your own work and a clearer understanding of HR’s role in helping your organisation adopt AI responsibly and with confidence.
Designed for people and culture leaders
If you are responsible for people, processes, and consistency across your organisation, this session is for you.
Ideal for:
HR and People and Culture leads
HR advisors and business partners
Operations managers with people responsibilities
Work on real tasks from your business
You will apply AI to tasks you are already doing, such as:
Drafting job descriptions and interview questions
Creating onboarding plans and resources
Summarising policies into clear, usable language
Developing internal communications
Supporting recruitment processes, including screening and shortlisting
And more
AI The Right Way® Responsible Citizen Certification
By participating in this AI Lab, you will receive access to the AI The Right Way® Responsible Citizen certification at no additional cost. During this session, you will complete the foundational certification content and you will leave with a unique code to continue the content online, in your own time. Once this is complete, you will receive the AI The Right Way® Responsible AI Foundation Citizen certification and the AI The Right Way® Responsible Citizen badge that can be shared on LinkedIn.
Please bring a laptop with you on the day.
Regional Business Partner Network
This training is registered with the Regional Business Partner Network. To explore if your business is eligible for support, contact your local Regional Business Growth Advisor here: Find your local Regional Business Partner
Agenda
- 7:30 am
Registration, coffee and stream sign-up
- 8:00 am
Welcome and housekeeping
- 8:05 am
Introductions
- 8:25 am
Employment policy and advocacy update
- 8:45 am
Employment relations in practice
Unpacking what's changing and what these changes mean.
- 9:05 am
Organisational readiness
Why organisational readiness matters and the common patterns we are seeing.
- 9:25 am
AI foundations
Looking at responsible AI use, setup, settings and connectors.
- 10:10 am
Break
- 10:25 am
Client case study
Looking at AI across the HR function.
- 11:00 am
HR use cases in action
Live demonstration of AI resources being built.
- 11:45 am
Lunch
- 12:15 pm
Hands-on AI Lab
Build an AI tool with expert guidance.
- 1:45 pm
30-day action plan, certification pathway and close
- 2:00 pm
Finish
Facilitators
Karrina Mountfort
Karrina is the Founder of The AI Assembly® and creator of the AI The Right Way® methodology, specialising in responsible AI education for New Zealand businesses and communities. As your facilitator for this session, Karrina will guide you through the AI The Right Way® framework and ensure every attendee leaves with access to the AI The Right Way® Responsible AI Citizen certification — included at no additional cost as part of your ticket.
Ullrich Loeffler
Ullrich (Ulli) Loeffler is the Founder & CEO of ORA Benchmarking and creator of the AI ORA™ framework. A business leader and entrepreneur with a background in technology research, advisory, and organisational transformation, he brings a human-first perspective to AI adoption. Ulli works with business leaders to understand not just how to use AI, but whether their people and organisation are truly ready to turn it into real business value.
Speakers
Ryan Ghisi (Head of People Operations and Experience, 2degrees)
A commercially focused senior HR professional, Ryan has experience leading teams at large, fast-moving organisations and working closely with executive teams and boards on strategy and initiatives that drive employee attraction, engagement and retention. He is passionate about the role AI can play in transforming organisations and has led enterprise-wide AI capability and adoption programmes. His broader interests span everything that impacts the employee experience, including recognition, wellness, culture, career and development, flexible working, remuneration, and rewards and leadership.
Ben Burger (Business Central ER Consultant, Wellington)
Ben is a highly experienced employment relations and HR professional with more than 30 years’ senior leadership experience across New Zealand, the Pacific, and Europe. He brings deep expertise across commercial and government environments, with particular strength in complex employment relations matters including investigations, disputes, restructures, terminations, and collective bargaining. With a strong grounding in both legal and HR practice, Ben supports organisations to manage risk, resolve challenges, and achieve effective workplace outcomes, and provides consulting support to members across the Wellington and Wairarapa regions.
Paul Mackay (BusinessNZ, Manager ER Policy)
Paul has worked in employment relations in the private and public sectors. He was extensively involved in the post-1980 reforms in education, the environmental sector and the public service. Previous work included a range of roles in the energy sector, change management at Ernst & Young and General Manager Employment Relations at Carter Holt Harvey. Paul has been elected Employer Deputy Member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation and Employer member of the ILO Standards Review Mechanism Group.
Julie Gill (CEO, Best Places to Work™)
Julie is the CEO of Best Places to Work™, where her mission is to "float all the boats higher" by helping organisations build cultures where leadership, innovation, and performance thrive together. With a career spanning business, technology, media, and innovation across both global enterprises and founder-led ventures, Julie is passionate about helping leaders turn employee insight into meaningful action that strengthens workplace experience and organisational success.
Access
We're committed to providing an inclusive space for all. Our rooms are wheelchair accessible, and there's an accessible toilet available on a nearby floor. We encourage you to get in touch about any specific accessibility needs so we can support you.
Getting Here
You'll find us in the NTT Tower in Midland Park. We're easy to get to, no matter how you prefer to travel:
Public Transport: We’re a 1-minute walk from the Lambton Central bus stop, and a 7-minute walk from the Wellington Train station.
On-street parking is available in the surrounding area, and we have a Wilson Car Park within NTT Tower that’s accessible from Waring Taylor Street. Though paid parking is normally available, we cannot guarantee it.
Bike racks are available around the edges of Midland Park
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
