Built for CHROs & HR Leaders

Most AI Projects Fail to Scale.
Your HR Team Doesn't Have To.

Most AI Projects Fail to Scale.
Your HR Team Doesn't Have To.

AI doesn't fail because of tools. It fails because of how organizations think—misalignment, unclear mindsets, and cultures not ready for workflow change.

GroundState.ai helps CHROs in mid-market companies (500–15,000 employees) measure and align AI readiness in HR before they invest big.
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10 Minutes
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100% Confidential

Proven AI Innovation from the Inside

Why HR AI Efforts Keep Stalling

HR is under pressure to "do something with AI," but few teams measure whether they're actually ready. Most rely on vendor maturity models that assess tech, not thinking.

Mid-market HR isn't struggling with tools. It's struggling with alignment, clarity, and culture.

Three things break AI in HR:

1

Misaligned Thinking

Leaders disagree on risks, ambition, ethics, and what "good AI" looks like.

82% of HR leaders report misalignment (Source: Eightfold AI)
2

Cultural + Workflow Resistance

Employees learn prompts, but teams aren't ready to change how decisions or workflows operate.

88% of AI pilots fail to reach production (Source: IDC)
3

No Meaningful Measurement

Companies track usage—not readiness, alignment, or impact.

7% of HR orgs have a documented AI strategy (Source: McLean & Co)
<1% are truly AI mature (Source: ServiceNow)

And then the CHRO gets the inevitable question from the board:

"What are we actually getting from AI?"

GroundState exists so you can answer that — clearly, confidently, and with data.

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The GroundState Solution

Before you scale tools, vendors, and copilots, we measure how your organization thinks about AI — the invisible factors that determine whether AI sticks… or becomes another stalled pilot.

Our approach is simple:

1

Diagnose how HR thinks about AI

Mindset, alignment, culture, risk, skills, clarity, governance.

2

Turn insight into a real strategy

A portfolio, roadmap, and guardrails, grounded in feasibility.

3

(Optional) Build your first intelligent workflow

Vendor-agnostic prototypes
that prove value before investment.

How we're different:

✕

Traditional Consulting

  • ✕ Measures tools & implementation
  • ✕ Vendor-biased frameworks
  • ✕ Slow, expensive, slide-heavy
  • ✕ Strategy and delivery separated
  • ✕ Defines success by activity on outputs
✓

GroundState

  • ✓ Measures thinking & leadership cognition
  • ✓ Independent, human-centered diagnostics
  • ✓ Fast, creative, outcome-driven
  • ✓ Advisory + execution in one pipeline
  • ✓ Defines success by alignment and momentum
Read our story →

Turn AI Readiness Into Real Capability

A simple 3-step system that takes HR from exploration → alignment → execution.

10 minutes
1

Diagnose

GroundState AI Score (free)

Benchmark how your organization actually thinks about AI — alignment, mindset, clarity, and risk — before you invest a dollar.

The problem: Most leaders assume they're ready. Few measure it.

The outcome: A clear view of readiness, risk, and leadership alignment.

What you get:

  • AI Clarity Score (6 Dimensions)
  • Blindspot Scan
  • 3 Personalized Recommendations
5 days
2

Design

GroundState Strategy

Align your leadership team on the few AI opportunities that matter most. Turn ambition into a clear, feasible HR AI strategy with measurable ROI.

The problem: Scattered pilots and siloed priorities waste time and budget.

The outcome: One strategy. Clear priorities. A roadmap grounded in reality.

What you get:

  • AI Opportunity Map + ROI Model
  • Leadership Alignment Workshop
  • 6-Month Activation Roadmap
2 weeks
3

Deliver

GroundState Sprint

Move from ideas to impact. We build high-leverage, agentic workflows or apps that prove value early — and clarify your governance + vendor strategy.

The problem: AI pilots stall because nothing moves from insight to action.

The outcome: Prototype, governance, and a scalable path forward.

What you get:

  • AI Prototype (Workflow or Micro-App)
  • Executive Report + Readout
  • Governance + Vendor Strategy

Know where your organization stands — start with the GroundState AI Score.

Discover your blindspots before investing in tools

Get Your Free AI Clarity Score

Your AI Expert

Helping leaders measure how their organization thinks

Dan Houston

AI for HR | Strategy & Product Innovation

Why GroundState

I built GroundState after watching the same pattern repeat inside large orgs: brilliant ideas stalled by complexity, decks that never shipped, and AI projects moving slower than the people they were meant to help.

AI can transform HR — but mindset, alignment, and culture, not tools, determine whether it scales or stalls.

My mission is: To measure how organizations think, not what they build.

View our success stories →

FAQs

Everything you need to know about working with groundstate

Engagements start at $5K — flexible by design.

From a 5-day sprint to validate ROI to full advisory partnerships, every engagement blends strategy, clarity, and hands-on AI expertise to deliver measurable outcomes.

That's exactly why we start with the groundstate assessment. If you're not ready, we'll tell you honestly and help you build the foundation first. We only work with organizations where we can deliver real value.

We work with HR teams of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Our approach scales to match your team size and needs—whether you're a team of 2 or 200.

Yes, we work remotely with growth-stage companies globally. Our expertise in US employment law gives us deep insights into HR challenges that translate well to other markets.

Yes. While our sprint model is designed to get you a working prototype quickly, many clients continue with us through fractional partnerships or micro-engagements. These lighter-weight formats let you access AI strategy, HR analytics expertise, and product innovation support without the overhead of a large consulting firm. Whether you need a focused build, an extended engagement, or ongoing advisory, we scale to match your goals.

See Where Your Organization Really Stands

Take the free 10-minute diagnostic — no sign-up, no pitch, just clarity.

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