Dive Brief:
- HR is still adapting to artificial intelligence rather than taking the lead on redesigning the workflow around AI, according to a report released by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) Tuesday.
- After surveying more than 1,300 business and HR leaders worldwide, i4cp researchers determined that even though workplaces are moving past “isolated AI use cases,” AI implementation is still a “series of disconnected experiments,” according to a Tuesday statement.
- AI is increasing expectations for what HR practitioners are expected to bring to the table, but “most HR functions are still experimenting at the margins rather than redesigning how work actually gets done,” Katheryn Brekken, senior research analyst at i4cp, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
According to i4cp researchers, firms with a “strong” AI culture tend to report that the tech has enhanced HR’s impact at a rate 4.5 times higher than other organizations. These employers were also more likely to spend time advising managers on AI — a finding that re-emphasizes how learning and development and AI adoption go hand in hand.
As early as 2024, LinkedIn declared that AI upskilling was a top priority in the L&D arena. “As AI reshapes how people learn, work, and chart their careers, L&D sits at the center of organizational agility, delivering business innovation and critical skills,” LinkedIn said at the time.
What does the process of AI upskilling entail for HR? It’s not just a matter of teaching workers how to engage with AI but also triaging which workers will need to be upskilled.
“What we see in future-ready organizations is a fundamentally different role for HR,” i4cp’s Brekken said. Instead of just supporting the business, HR is “actively shaping strategy, using AI to drive better decisions, and helping the organization adapt faster,” Brekken added.
Still, amid all this AI bullishness, it’s crucial for HR to stay human, if the sentiments shared at SHRM26 were any indication. Workplace experts spoke about the importance of being human while leading on AI as an HR professional. Likewise, SHRM’s chief knowledge officer spoke to HR Dive about how AI has yet to recreate the crucial human experience of empathy in the workplace.