The Technology Paradox: Why More Investment Hasn't Delivered More Productivity

Karen introduces our PARC Conference taking place on Wednesday 22 April 2026 @ UCL Centre for Education, London

Here's a question for our PARC Community: organisations have poured unprecedented sums into technology over the past decade, yet productivity growth has flatlined – or worse, gone backwards. AI is now being heralded as the answer to everything. But is it?

PARC's first conference, taking place on 22 April, tackles this question head-on, and will do so without the hype that has come to dominate the conversation around AI and digital transformation. This is a day for reward directors, HR leaders and their colleagues to step back, think critically, and work out what actually drives organisational performance — and where technology fits within that picture, as opposed to above it.

The paradox reward professionals need to understand

The technology-productivity paradox isn't new. Economists have been tracking it since the 1980s, and it has only deepened. Companies are investing more than ever in digital tools, platforms and now AI, yet the returns in measurable productivity remain elusive. The reasons are complex and organisational, not purely technological. They sit squarely in the territory that reward and HR professionals occupy: how work is designed, how performance is defined and measured, how people are motivated, and how value is shared.

This conference positions reward not as a back-office function processing payroll, but as a strategic lever at the centre of the productivity challenge. If your organisation is adopting AI or undergoing digital transformation and nobody is asking "what does this mean for how we structure, measure and reward work?" - that's a problem. And it's one this event is designed to help you solve.

Why this conversation matters now

AI is a powerful tool. It can automate routine tasks, surface insights from data, and support better decision-making. But it is not a strategy in itself. Too many organisations are bolting AI onto existing structures, roles and reward frameworks and expecting transformation. That doesn't work. Real productivity gains come from rethinking the organisation around what technology makes possible - redesigning roles, redefining performance, and building reward structures that genuinely incentivise the behaviours and outcomes that matter.

This is a conversation about organisational design, business model evolution, and human capital strategy, with technology as a supporting agent rather than a silver bullet. It's the conversation that reward professionals are uniquely placed to lead, if they have the right frameworks and evidence to do so.

What the day offers

The speaker lineup brings together people who are doing some hard thinking on this topic. Leading academics including Prof. Marleen Huysman from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Dr. Nina Jörden from Cambridge University's Bennett School of Public Policy, and Andrew Rogoyski from the University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centred AI will share research-grounded perspectives on why technology investment hasn't translated into performance and what the evidence says about what does work.

Alongside them, practitioners and leaders including Faisal Galaria (Non Executive Director, Starling Bank), Tony Clements (CEO, Ealing Council), and Joe Davolio and Todd Gershkowitz (Co-CEOs, PayStandards) bring real-world experience of navigating these challenges across sectors. Justine Woolf from Innecto adds deep consulting expertise on reward technology implementation.

The day includes interactive workshops focused on practical implementation challenges - not theoretical discussions, but working sessions where you can pressure-test ideas and approaches against the realities of your own organisation.

PARC will also be launching a year-long research study into technology's impact on reward teams, giving attendees early access to what will become an essential evidence base for the profession.

Who should be in the room

This event is designed for reward directors and senior HR professionals, but it's deliberately broader than that. The productivity challenge doesn't sit neatly in one function. If you're involved in organisational design, performance management, workforce planning, or digital transformation, this day will sharpen your thinking and give you practical frameworks to take back.

It's also, frankly, a day for anyone who is tired of being told that AI will solve everything and wants instead to have an honest an open conversation about what it takes to make technology actually deliver for organisations and the people who work in them.

We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues there.

For registration and enquiries, visit parcentre.com or contact the PARC team directly.