HR departments divided on the role of AI in the workplace

HR leaders appear to have conflicting opinions on the impact AI will have on the future of work.

According to a study by Employment Hero, 45 per cent of HR professionals are worried about the risk of artificial intelligence (AI) taking their jobs in the near future. However, 76 per cent said this increase in AI implementation will make their jobs easier.

This isn’t stopping people from taking advantage of this technology, as 86 per cent of HR leaders are using AI technology to support processes.

“The data from our latest study represents the HR industry in the midst of a transformation due to the influence of AI technology. Instead of their jobs being at risk, HR professionals are being given the tools and time to be more strategic in workforce planning and employee care,” said Dave Tong, co-founder at Employment Hero.

“Through AI integration, they are crafting what their roles will look like in the future, shifting from more admin-heavy work to a strategic people and culture focus. While professionals are happy to let AI enhance their understanding of data or generate content for them, they’re less likely to lean on AI to help them recognise or reward their staff, instead relying on a more personal and individual understanding of performance to lead these discussions.”

With the use of AI becoming more and more widespread, the excitement around this transformation is divided. Sixty-six per cent are excited about how AI will change their role, with the rest not sharing the same sentiment.

Mr Tong continued: “Interestingly, we found that most HR professionals believe there will be a paced approach to the increasing use of AI in their roles. This could reflect how they’d like to see AI rolled out so they have time to learn and adapt as these new tools are introduced.”

“These findings showcase how HR leaders today see AI tools helping employees become self-sufficient when advancing their careers and giving managers an easier way to check in and analyse progress and performance.”

Some areas where HR leaders are utilising AI are job descriptions, with 39 per cent claiming to have used it. Personalisation of programs was next at 29 per cent, and optimising compensation and benefits packages at 28 per cent.

Whether for or against the rise, it appears to be inevitable. Seventy-two per cent of HR professionals believe the use of AI will increase.

The areas of most impact, as identified by respondents, are training and development, for 34 per cent of HR leaders; employee analytics at 32 per cent; and employee self-service at 29 per cent.

Meanwhile, the areas least expected to be affected are employee offboarding (12 per cent), reward and recognition (14 per cent), and remuneration and benefits (16 per cent).

The benefits that AI can bring are various, with speed and efficiency being the main positives for 41 per cent of respondents. Improved HR analytics followed at 36 per cent, and streamlined HR processes at 33 per cent.