Define the role before recruiting
You're being asked to build an AI champions network, and your AI adoption survey has surfaced confident users. Who actually wants to help, has time and knows where their responsibility ends?
We think capability ratings are a useful starting point, but a poor appointment rule. Recruit through a conversation about a bounded volunteer role.
Microsoft's Power Platform guidance, updated in May 2025, recommends deciding commitment and time requirements before communicating expectations. Applying that advice to a broader AI network, describe the proposed tasks, who will see identifiable answers and how invitations work. Make declining acceptable.
Sources: Support Microsoft Power Platform champions in your organization - Power Platform | Microsoft Learn
Keep AI adoption survey questions separate
Send the questions to employees in the teams you intend to support, including people who may decline. Pew Research Center's questionnaire guidance, as updated in 2024, recommends asking about one concept at a time; the suggestions below follow that principle.
These are editorial question examples, not a validated recruitment instrument or additional AI Adoption Score surveys. Answers describe employees' own assessments; they don't demonstrate proficiency, predict effective champions or prove that a network causes better outcomes.
Use the following list of suggested AI adoption survey questions to keep capability, consent and capacity distinct. Ask each task, activity, support option or issue separately where indicated.
- Capabilities, all invited employees: “How independently can you currently use AI to [task]?” Repeat for relevant tasks such as drafting a routine document or reviewing an AI-generated answer. Options: Haven't tried; Need step-by-step help; Simple tasks with some help; Routine tasks independently; Complex tasks independently; Not relevant. Use for task matching, not proof of teaching ability.
- Willingness, all invited employees: “Would you like to be contacted about voluntarily helping colleagues use AI?” Options: Yes; Possibly, after discussing the role; Not now; Prefer not to answer. For interested respondents, ask “Which tasks would you be willing to help with?” Offer your task list, Other and Not sure yet. This permits a conversation, not appointment.
- Time, interested employees: “Over the next month, how much work time per week could you realistically make available, subject to manager agreement?” Options: None currently; Less than 1 hour; 1 to less than 2 hours; 2 hours or more; Unsure until priorities are discussed. These suggested ranges aren't staffing benchmarks or protected hours.
- Contribution, interested employees: “Would you be comfortable helping colleagues through [activity]?” Ask separately about one-to-one help, short demonstrations, written examples and collecting questions for specialists. Options: Yes now; With preparation or support; Not currently; Unsure. Preferences inform responsibilities, not verified facilitation skill.
- Support, interested employees: “Would you want [support] before taking on the role?” Ask separately about protected work time, practice sessions, reusable examples, an escalation contact and a peer discussion group. Options: Yes; No; Unsure. Include optional Other text. Treat answers as planning preferences.
- Barriers, all invited employees: “Would [issue] make it harder for you to volunteer at present?” Ask separately about workload, approved-tool access, unclear rules, confidence using AI, confidence explaining tasks and unclear role boundaries. Options: Yes; No; Unsure; Prefer not to answer. Include optional Other text. Confirm each reported obstacle and its owner before acting.
Sources: Writing Survey Questions | Pew Research Center
Turn interest into a specific invitation
AI Adoption Score's AI Skills Distribution maps self-reported capabilities and willingness to help colleagues. Its opt-in question offers only items rated Independent or Advanced, and nobody is volunteered automatically.
We'd use an AI adoption survey to prepare invitations, not create a composite champion score. Leave room for someone who wants to contribute with preparation and support.
Sources: AI Skills Distribution: how it works · AI Adoption Score
Agree the hours before assigning responsibility
Microsoft's October 2026 Copilot champion guidance positions champions as complementing IT, compliance, training and adoption teams. For a broader network, our suggested adaptation is to keep troubleshooting, policy approvals and business-outcome ownership with the appropriate teams.
We'd make the written agreement the recruitment milestone. A willing colleague still needs a manageable assignment.
Record the supported team and tasks, protected hours, responsibilities, escalation contact, review date and a way to pause or leave with each volunteer and their manager. Make the invitation specific.
Sources: Define your AI Champion role and charter – Microsoft Adoption
Frequently asked questions
Who should own recruitment?
Choose one accountable coordinator, such as an L&D or transformation lead. As editorial guidance, have that person manage invitations and follow-up, while managers discuss workload and specialist teams handle escalations. Tell employees who the coordinator is before collecting responses so they know where to raise questions.
Should contractors be invited?
Include contractors when the proposed contribution fits their remit and working arrangements. Our suggested approach is to check scope with the relevant contract owner first, then offer the same choice to decline. Don't assume that access to an AI tool includes responsibility for supporting other employees.
When should we reopen recruitment?
Reopen it when team needs or people's circumstances change. As editorial guidance, invite fresh expressions of interest after a volunteer leaves, a new team requests support or responsibilities shift. Avoid treating the original respondent list as a permanent roster; give employees a clear route to express interest later.
