Is AI Making Your Team Lonelier?

Nov 16, 2025

Emre Ok, an HR tech leader at TeamFlect, dives into the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace. He discusses the importance of context-aware AI in enhancing remote team connections and performance management. Emre emphasizes that AI should complement, not replace, human interaction and offers strategies for leaders to evaluate AI tools critically. He also tackles the challenges of bias in communication and explores how global remote work can blur boundaries, creating both opportunities and challenges for teams.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

From Literature To HR Tech

Emre Ok described his scenic route into HR tech from literature and copywriting to leading content at TeamFlect.
He used podcasting and videos to deepen his involvement and grow into the product role.

INSIGHT

HR Tech Is A Broad Umbrella

HR tech is an umbrella spanning HRS, compensation, time-off, performance management, and engagement tools.
Creative niche apps like random coffee matchers solve specific remote-work connection problems.

ADVICE

Encourage Casual Check-Ins

Encourage informal check-ins without forcing them to build team connection.
Block 30 minutes and ask genuine questions to learn about teammates' lives.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

AI in HR tech is evolving fast, but not always meaningfully. Emre Ok shares how to separate hype from real innovation, why context matters more than features, and how remote teams can stay connected in a world of AI-generated feedback. This episode explores practical ways leaders can use AI to enhance - not replace - human connection at work.

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/760

🎙️ What you’ll learn

How to evaluate AI tools for real business impact
Ways to use AI to improve performance reviews and feedback
Why context-aware AI agents are the future of HR tech
How remote teams can build stronger connections
What leaders should ask before adopting new AI solutions

✅ Highlights

“Is the tech you're implementing making your employees lonelier?”
“You might as well just go to ChatGPT on another browser.”
“We didn’t want to do it just to put a sparkly AI icon on our website.”
“Performance reviews get such a bad rep, especially when they're an Excel spreadsheet.”
“If it has context, if it knows your people, that's when it's real.”
“The talent pool is global now—and that’s both exciting and frightening.”
“Checking for bias is always an option.”
“Copilot didn’t live up to the hype—but it’s getting there.”
“The office just isn’t a necessity anymore.”
“You don’t want to force it, but you want to encourage it.”
“The more AI adapts to how people work, the better it gets.”
“It’s harder to detach from work when your bedroom is also your corner office.”

🧰 Mentioned

Microsoft Teams - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app
TeamFlect - https://teamflect.com/
Microsoft Copilot - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals/
ChatGPT by OpenAI - https://chatgpt.com/

✅Keywords
ai in hr tech, remote work, performance reviews, microsoft teams, copilot, employee engagement, feedback tools, bias detection, teamflect, chatgpt, hr software, workplace technology

Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith