The talent war now runs through digital workplaces
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Seventy-six percent of IT leaders say companies that don’t equip employees with AI will fall behind within two years. Lenovo’s Work Reborn report highlights the biggest barriers to AI adoption in the workplace and how HR can help overcome them
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THE COMPETITION for top talent now hinges as much on digital infrastructure as on compensation. Salary and benefits may open the door, but the daily experience of technology determines whether people stay. That reality is reshaping how leaders think about AI at work.
Lenovo’s Work Reborn research, based on a global survey of 600 IT leaders, highlights just how urgent this issue has become. Nearly half of leaders rank productivity and engagement as their top workplace objectives, yet fewer than half believe their current digital environment supports those goals effectively. The gap is clear: organizations know the digital workplace matters, but many are still struggling to deliver.
As companies of every size rush to integrate emerging technologies, and especially AI, much of the research and debate still focuses on familiar themes: automation replacing routine tasks, shifting job responsibilities, and lingering concerns around governance, reliability, and risk.
But the conversation cannot end there. The rise of AI is not just a technical shift; it is also a test of what kind of workplace experience leaders are willing to create.
Lenovo's Digital Workplace Solutions (DWS) aim to create a modern, connected, and productive work environment for employees. They offer a comprehensive suite of hardware, software, and services designed to enhance collaboration, boost productivity, and optimize costs. DWS is delivered through the gen AI-powered Care of One platform, which enables hyper-personalized user experiences and streamlines workflows.
Find out more
“New generations entering the workplace … just have less patience … for not getting equipment provided on time, not getting efficient support processes, and maybe not getting a choice in … what the support model looks like”
BENJAMIN SCHNEIDER,
LENOVO
One of the strongest themes in the research is personalization. Sixty-five percent of IT leaders believe tailoring the workplace to individual needs is critical to productivity and engagement. Yet almost half admit their current systems lack the flexibility to configure tools and applications in ways that match how employees actually work.
This tension is not abstract. Three people in the same role will often approach the same task in different ways. A rigid system forces them into the same mould, while a flexible and personalized digital workplace enables them to work in ways that fit best.
Younger employees, in particular, have limited tolerance for clunky systems. As Benjamin Schneider, head of workplace digital solutions sales at Lenovo, observes, “New generations entering the workplace … just have less patience, rightfully so, for not getting equipment provided on time, not getting efficient support processes, maybe not getting a choice in what device to work with and what the support model looks like.”
In this environment, the digital workplace has become the front line of talent strategy. Just as a poorly designed office once signalled a lack of investment in people, a poor digital experience now speaks louder than words.
As Lenovo’s Rakshit Ghura, who leads Lenovo’s Digital Workplace Solutions, notes, “Ideally, your workplace should deliver for all, and it should deliver equally. Everybody should be able to consume the workplace in the right way. And the workplace should help you do your job in the most effective manner.”
Generative AI is enabling organizations to personalize experiences at scale. Early findings show strong potential to improve team collaboration, spark creativity, and lift productivity. At the same time, the research points to clear hurdles, from trust gaps to training investments, that companies must address to realize AI’s full value.
Personalization, once a daunting prospect for IT, is now achievable through AI-enabled configuration and support. For employees, that means a digital workplace that not only functions smoothly but adapts to their individual style. For employers, it means higher engagement and stronger retention.
The difference can be seen on day one. Imagine a new hire arriving to find a laptop configured precisely for their role: equipped with the right tools, free of unnecessary applications, and ready for immediate productivity. This is the promise of data-driven persona planning.
By segmenting employees according to their responsibilities and aligning technology accordingly, organizations not only reduce wasted IT spend but also create a smoother, more effective digital experience.
What once seemed a too-complex hyper-personalization of the workplace is now achievable. Lenovo CIO Art Hu explains, “Ten years ago, talking about hyper-personalization would have made IT folks’ hair stand up… With gen AI, that complexity becomes manageable.”
“Ten years ago, talking about hyper-personalization would have made IT folks’ hair stand up… With gen AI, that complexity becomes manageable”
ART HU,
LENOVO
Despite broad agreement on the benefits, only 39 percent of organizations have started transforming their digital workplaces. The barriers are both human and structural. On the human side, 42 percent of IT leaders say employees are worried that AI could reduce the value of their contributions. Structural issues persist as well, including the costs and complexity of training teams and integrating new systems. These combined challenges show that successful AI adoption is not just a technical project, but a shift in how people work, learn, and trust new technology.
Such obstacles highlight why responsibility for digital workplace change must extend beyond the IT function. HR leaders must share responsibility, ensuring employees’ concerns are addressed and their perspectives included. As Ghura observes, “Many times, we have seen this transformation is not very successful because we haven’t captured the voice of the employee while building the objectives around the digital workplace.”
Long-term success will belong to organizations that treat AI not as a destination but as a foundation for ongoing progress. When leaders align the aspirations of their workforce with the capabilities of AI, they create conditions where innovation can flourish and where both employees and customers are better positioned to thrive.
The Work Reborn research series explores how organizations are addressing the next wave of workplace transformation, from AI adoption to personalization and security. Read the full report to discover how forward-looking leaders are using AI to build workplaces that attract, empower, and retain top talent.
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The impact of personalization
Overcoming barriers to transformation
Published October 20, 2025
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Areas where employees believe gen AI could have a “significant positive impact”
57%
employee collaboration
productivity
employee creativity
55%
41%
Source: Lenovo Workplace Reborn Survey
Employees’ concerns are main barrier to wider gen AI adoption
Generative AI will reduce the contribution of their work to the business
42%
Source: Lenovo Workplace Reborn Survey
Top 3 concerns:
Privacy/security/ethical risks of using AI
35%
Skepticism over accuracy of generative AI platforms
32%
Find out more
Lenovo's Digital Workplace Solutions (DWS) aim to create a modern, connected, and productive work environment for employees. They offer a comprehensive suite of hardware, software, and services designed to enhance collaboration, boost productivity, and optimize costs. DWS is delivered through the gen AI-powered Care of One platform, which enables hyper-personalized user experiences and streamlines workflows.
Despite broad agreement on the benefits, only 39 percent of organizations have started transforming their digital workplaces. The barriers are both human and structural. On the human side, 42 percent of IT leaders say employees are worried that AI could reduce the value of their contributions. Structural issues persist as well, including the costs and complexity of training teams and integrating new systems. These combined challenges show that successful AI adoption is not just a technical project, but a shift in how people work, learn, and trust new technology.
By segmenting employees according to their responsibilities and aligning technology accordingly, organizations not only reduce wasted IT spend but also create a smoother, more effective digital experience.
What once seemed a too-complex hyper-personalization of the workplace is now achievable. Lenovo CIO Art Hu explains, “Ten years ago, talking about hyper-personalization would have made IT folks’ hair stand up… With gen AI, that complexity becomes manageable.”
“Ten years ago, talking about hyper-personalization would have made IT folks’ hair stand up… With gen AI, that complexity becomes manageable”
ART HU,
LENOVO
Younger employees, in particular, have limited tolerance for clunky systems. As Benjamin Schneider, head of workplace digital solutions sales at Lenovo, observes, “New generations entering the workplace … just have less patience, rightfully so, for not getting equipment provided on time, not getting efficient support processes, maybe not getting a choice in what device to work with and what the support model looks like.”
In this environment, the digital workplace has become the front line of talent strategy. Just as a poorly designed office once signalled a lack of investment in people, a poor digital experience now speaks louder than words.
As Lenovo’s Rakshit Ghura, who leads Lenovo’s Digital Workplace Solutions, notes, “Ideally, your workplace should deliver for all, and it should deliver equally. Everybody should be able to consume the workplace in the right way. And the workplace should help you do your job in the most effective manner.”
“New generations entering the workplace … just have less patience … for not getting equipment provided on time, not getting efficient support processes, and maybe not getting a choice in … what the support model looks like”
BENJAMIN SCHNEIDER,
LENOVO
One of the strongest themes in the research is personalization. Sixty-five percent of IT leaders believe tailoring the workplace to individual needs is critical to productivity and engagement. Yet almost half admit their current systems lack the flexibility to configure tools and applications in ways that match how employees actually work.
This tension is not abstract. Three people in the same role will often approach the same task in different ways. A rigid system forces them into the same mould, while a flexible and personalized digital workplace enables them to work in ways that fit best.
The impact of personalization
THE COMPETITION for top talent now hinges as much on digital infrastructure as on compensation. Salary and benefits may open the door, but the daily experience of technology determines whether people stay. That reality is reshaping how leaders think about AI at work.
Lenovo’s Work Reborn research, based on a global survey of 600 IT leaders, highlights just how urgent this issue has become. Nearly half of leaders rank productivity and engagement as their top workplace objectives, yet fewer than half believe their current digital environment supports those goals effectively. The gap is clear: organizations know the digital workplace matters, but many are still struggling to deliver.
As companies of every size rush to integrate emerging technologies, and especially AI, much of the research and debate still focuses on familiar themes: automation replacing routine tasks, shifting job responsibilities, and lingering concerns around governance, reliability, and risk.
But the conversation cannot end there. The rise of AI is not just a technical shift; it is also a test of what kind of workplace experience leaders are willing to create.
Published October 20, 2025
News
Specialization
EVents
Best in HR
Resources
Subscribe
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