As technological advancements, automation and AI flow into the modern workplace, their flashy, captivating capabilities have left humans in second place.

Many organizations have relegated people to being just another resource in a time when any asset equals a larger footprint or an advantage over the competition.

But some companies were uncomfortable with the commoditizing of humanity. Others still took a stand against it.

Rethinking the corporate structure

While working alongside Jean Oelwang – Founding CEO of Virgin Unite, the Branson family and Virgin Group’s nonprofit foundation, and Co-Founder of 100% Human at Work – Anna Gowdridge, then Head of People and Head of Strategic People Initiatives, became part of a broader effort to rethink the world of work.

“My career has been rooted at the intersection of business and social impact,” she tells The CEO Magazine.

“That exposure to both the brilliance and the shortcomings of the corporate systems inspires me to ask bigger questions about the future of work and how we can take collective action to create a vision for a better future.”

Jean Oelwang, Founding CEO of Virgin Unite and Co-Founder of 100% Human at Work

Gowdridge now feels fortunate to be working on an initiative that has laid the groundwork for asking those bigger questions – exploring how we can redesign systems in ways that serve both people and planet. She sees herself as part of a growing community striving toward a more regenerative, inclusive future of work.

“Jean’s vision and ability to convene unlikely allies helped lay the foundations to bring this initiative to life,” she says.

Doing business better

Today, Gowdridge is the Director of 100% Human at Work, founded in partnership with The B Team, a global collective of business and civil society leaders driving a better way of doing business for people and the planet.

“100% Human at Work was born out of a recognition that the world of work is undergoing seismic shifts,” Gowdridge says.

“Global crises, technological disruption, new generations entering the workforce and now the rapid rise of AI are all rewriting the rules. We could see a way to reimagine work not just as a system of productivity, but as a force for shaping societies equipped for the future.”

A global collaborative, 100% Human at Work is focused on harnessing these recent shifts to create organizations that are not simply adaptive but deeply human.

“We want to move beyond treating people as resources and instead focus on how we can help people achieve their highest potential and purpose,” Gowdridge says. “Naturally, that will positively impact the bottom line.”

How this is done comes in a variety of ways, all with two pillars: inspire and catalyze.

“At our core, we inspire by sparking a global conversation to shape the future of work for good and scale impact,” she says. “While catalyzing means reimagining and redefining the working world to impact the working lives of millions through action and innovation.”

Taking a human and collaborative approach

With both Oelwang and Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson championing the work, the 100% Human at Work initiative has found strong backing at the highest levels.

Branson explained, “The 100% Human at Work movement provides us with the opportunity to co-create a more human future of work, one that serves humanity for the current and future generations.”

“We’re incredibly lucky to have a leader like Richard, who believes that the business world should make people’s lives better and that if you look after your employees, they will look after your business,” Gowdridge says.

“Having leaders like Jean and Richard makes it very easy to be brave and challenge outdated approaches in this space, championing people at the heart of business.”

The human and collaborative approach of both Virgin Unite and The B Team has imbued 100% Human at Work with a series of core values that are at once timeless and immediate in a world of AI and rapid change: respect, equity, growth, belonging and purpose.

“There are many things a workplace should be and do,” Gowdridge says. “It should be a place where all workers are treated with dignity, where empowerment, challenge, learning and development coexist with participation, relationships and community, and where fairness and equality of opportunity can help the business realize the full potential of the talent within.”

Work, she adds, should not be an end in itself.

“Work should be meaningful and contribute more broadly to people and society.”

For Gowdridge, her role is both the culmination of a career in people and culture, as well as the beginning of something bigger.

“This work gives me a sense of possibility,” she says. “Right now, the world seems very uncertain. The news cycle around AI and the changing nature of work can feel overwhelming at times, but I see incredible potential in people and the willingness of organizations to step into challenging problems.”

100% Human at Work invites organizations and companies seeking a better tomorrow to join the journey and help drive systemic change, not just incremental improvement.

“This is not just about fixing today’s workplace,” Gowdridge says. “It’s about shaping the future of work in a way that ensures humanity and dignity for generations to come. The good news is that people and organizations are ready for it. We have the ability to create a better future together.”