Every week Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest dive into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the world of work. From rethinking employee experience and organisational culture to exploring innovative strategies for leadership and learning, they bring fresh perspectives, actionable insights, and a touch of humour to each session.
Whether you're a seasoned HR professional, a forward-thinking leader, or simply curious about what’s next in the workplace, this is your chance to connect, learn, and be inspired.
AI Adoption Isn't AI Training: Why Policies and Skills Aren't Enough
Everyone's talking about AI adoption. But how do we know whether it's actually happening?
Your employees have completed their AI training. They've signed the AI policy. You've rolled out the tools.
So why isn't everyone using them?
In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest are joined by Aylia from our partners at Thrivea to explore the difference between introducing AI into an organisation and genuinely changing how people work.
We discuss:
Why training completion doesn't equal AI adoption
Why signing an AI policy doesn't mean people will follow it
How leaders can create the confidence and conditions for employees to experiment with AI
Why understanding the barriers to adoption matters more than simply rolling out more training
How AI can enhance people's capabilities rather than simply replace their work
What organisations should actually measure to understand whether AI is making a difference
Because successful AI adoption isn't about how many people have access to the technology. It's about what changes as a result.
And that means looking beyond the tools to the people, behaviours and working environments that determine whether AI delivers value.
Freeformers Unplugged is our weekly conversation about making the world of work better for everyone.
In partnership with Thrivea.
8 Oct 2026
What Employee Data Tells Us — and What It Misses
In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby, Emilie and Gavin explore the limits of employee engagement data, what surveys and dashboards can miss, and why understanding what really happens inside organisations matters.
7 Oct 2026
Human-centred design without the Post-it notes
Human-centred design is supposed to start with people, not a wall full of sticky notes. In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest unpack what discovery is really for, why so much employee research collapses into generic pain points, and why the most useful thing HR and L&D teams can do is simply talk to real users. They explore how many people you actually need to interview, where AI can help with research without replacing the human conversation, why surveys rarely explain the why behind behaviour, and how teams can build a more systematic discovery process. The episode also connects directly to the thinking behind InsightCon 2027, Freeformers’ human-centred event for senior HR and L&D leaders. InsightCon tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/insightcon-tickets-1999366942346 (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/insightcon-tickets-1999366942346)
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