Managing Digital Labour: How Workday Plans to Oversee Human and AI Agents

Managing AI Agents Requires a System of Record, Says Workday UK Head Dan Pell

At Workday’s Elevate 2025 event in London, Dan Pell, general manager for the UK and Ireland, shared insights on managing digital labor in organisations. With experience at Salesforce and Microsoft and a background in law, Pell outlined the emerging challenges and approaches to integrating AI agents alongside human workers.

Managing Digital Labour: Treating AI Agents Like Employees

Organisations have traditionally managed two key assets: people and money. Now, digital agents represent a third asset class—a digital workforce with skills, roles, and identities that require governance.

Workday is developing an "agent system of record" that mirrors how companies manage human employees. Just as people have profiles detailing permissions, roles, hierarchies, and pay, AI agents will have similar profiles controlling their access and functionality. This system will allow organisations to monitor, control, and understand what these digital workers are doing.

Questions arise about the progression of AI agents within organisations: Will they be promoted or limited to certain tasks? Pell suggests this is uncharted territory, but Workday plans to leverage its expertise in people management to extend similar controls to AI agents. Collaborations with platforms like Salesforce are expected to broaden the management of diverse digital agents across enterprises.

Leaders Must Adapt to Managing Both People and AI Agents

According to Pell, current leaders are the last to manage only physical employees. As AI agents become more common, leadership roles will expand to include managing these digital workers.

For example, a legal department might deploy contract-managing agents that take on routine tasks. These agents augment the workforce by bringing skills that may not exist internally, such as advanced literacy or creative capabilities. Instead of retraining human staff, leaders can incorporate agents to fill skill gaps, enhancing overall team performance.

AI Enhances, But Does Not Replace, Human Skills

Pell cautions against expecting AI to replace foundational learning experiences. While generative AI provides helpful starting points—like summarising information or drafting documents—human oversight remains essential. Creativity, critical thinking, and selective judgment continue to be vital.

Organisations still prioritise digital proficiency, project management, and planning. But social skills such as communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence will grow even more important alongside AI tools. Pell warns that skipping these developmental steps risks diminishing the quality of knowledge and expertise within organisations.

From Generative to Agentic AI: What Leaders Should Know

Many senior executives recognise the value of generative AI, which produces content or answers on demand. Pell points out that agentic AI—autonomous agents capable of initiating processes—adds complexity but also opportunity.

For instance, Workday’s assistant can answer straightforward questions, like holiday entitlements, using natural language. But agentic AI can take this further: a job description agent not only drafts the description but knows budget constraints and headcount limits, can search internal talent pools for suitable candidates, and even engage with potentially disengaged employees.

Such agents learn organisational rules and adapt their actions accordingly, handling senior-level hiring differently from entry roles. This shift from reactive AI tools to proactive digital workers represents a significant change in how organisations will operate.

Preparing Your Organisation for AI Agents

• Develop systems to manage AI agents with the same rigor as human employees, including roles, permissions, and performance tracking.
• Train leaders to oversee both human and digital teams, understanding how to blend skills and workflows effectively.
• Maintain a focus on human skills that AI cannot replicate, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving.
• Explore agentic AI applications that can autonomously execute tasks aligned with organisational policies and goals.

For managers aiming to build AI-ready leadership capabilities, exploring dedicated AI training can be valuable. Resources like Complete AI Training’s courses for managers offer targeted learning paths to understand and manage AI tools effectively.