Who Manages the AI Agents? Cliff Stevenson Says It Should Be HR. Part 1

This is Part 1 of a 2 part series.

AI agents are joining the workforce. Someone needs to manage their performance.

HR leaders already know how to evaluate work, identify performance problems, and make sure people have the resources they need. Cliff Stevenson argues that those same skills apply to AI agents. As organizations bring more AI into everyday operations, HR has a role in understanding what these systems do, how they perform, and who’s accountable.

In this episode… Cliff joins Amy Miller and William Tincup to unpack findings from Sapient Insights Group’s annual HR Systems research, including changing technology buying priorities, growing interest in fraud detection, and the shift toward connected marketplaces. They also explore isolved’s approach to transparent AI, workforce capital management, and the questions HR buyers should ask before committing to a new system.

Key Takeaways

HR’s performance management skills apply to AI agents. When an agent produces the wrong result, organizations need to examine its instructions, data sources, and available resources. Cliff argues that diagnosing those problems draws on capabilities HR already uses to manage human performance.
Customer feedback should shape technology decisions. Sapient Insights Group’s annual HR Systems research examines system usage, purchasing plans, user experience, and vendor satisfaction. Cliff describes input from more than 10,000 participants across over 6,000 organizations, with historical comparisons that help explain how priorities are changing.
Connected ecosystems are reshaping HR technology buying. The conversation is moving beyond choosing a single suite or separate specialist tools. Cliff sees marketplaces and partnerships becoming more influential as organizations look for systems that exchange data and work together.
Fraud detection is giving compliance a bigger role. Cliff describes increased interest in fraud detection as an AI use case and a reason to invest in compliance systems. Employee privacy also requires controls inside the organization, particularly when systems access sensitive health, benefits, and family information.
Useful AI makes actual work easier. Cliff points to the enthusiastic customer response to a simple improvement that puts payroll errors on one page. Amy explains how automating payroll comparisons and answering routine employee questions can give HR more time for work that needs human attention.
Transparent AI makes oversight possible. Cliff highlights isolved’s “glass box” approach, while Amy discusses action logs and user approval. Organizations need visibility into what agents are doing, where information comes from, and who authorized an action. William adds that an employee’s agents can become an invisible workforce if nobody tracks them.
Test real use cases and ask how the system fails. Cliff recommends bringing vendors specific problems rather than accepting a general list of capabilities. William adds that buyers should speak with customers in similar organizations and examine the vendor’s community to understand the support available after the sale.

The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.

isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.

Learn more about isolved:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.isolvedhcm.com/⁠

Chapters

00:57 Previewing the annual HR Systems research

02:23 What the survey measures

05:10 Why historical context matters

06:46 Compliance, privacy, and fraud detection

09:13 Marketplaces, partnerships, and connected systems

11:14 Embedded capabilities and customer needs

13:24 Why AI needs humans and where HR fits

14:30 Building AI around practical business problems

16:54 Compliance moves beyond avoiding lawsuits

18:20 Protecting employee privacy inside the organization

21:01 AI adoption shifts toward refinement

24:14 isolved’s agent plans and employee self-service

27:10 Introducing workforce capital management

28:01 The “glass box” approach to AI

29:47 Why HR is equipped to manage AI agents

32:37 The invisible workforce missing from the org chart

34:17 Buying advice and planning for failure

36:42 Customer references and community

Guest: Cliff Stevenson

Cliff Stevenson is Director of Research at Sapient Insights Group. His work examines HR technology, customer experience, and how organizations select and use workforce systems. In this conversation, he draws on the firm’s annual HR Systems research to explain changing buying priorities and HR’s role in managing a workforce that includes AI agents.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffordstevenson/

Website: https://sapientinsights.com/

The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by

Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/

Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/

William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Connect with WRKdefined

Site: https://www.wrkdefined.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined