Artificial intelligence is transforming every corner of the workplace, and few executives feel its impact more directly than those leading the human resources function.
As stewards of their organisation’s human capability, HR leaders now stand on the frontline of AI adoption, making decisions that will redefine how work is organised, how people and machines collaborate, and what skills will be needed to thrive in the years ahead.
While titles have evolved to often speak of “people and culture,” the essence of HR leadership remains constant: ensuring the organisation has the best talent, and that every individual enjoys an environment that enables them to perform at their best.
Although AI now dominates the conversation, its arrival builds on decades of technological evolution. Since the 1990s, successive waves of digital tools have reshaped HR operations, but perhaps the most significant shift has been in terms of who these tools are designed to serve. Once created primarily to give HR leaders data and control, today’s platforms are also built for employees themselves, improving their daily experience, engagement, and ability to get things done.
Today the impact of technology is felt all the way through the HR lifecycle. It starts in recruitment, where machine learning has long assisted with screening and shortlisting, but where generative AI now offers new opportunities to automate, personalise, and accelerate the process.
It continues through learning and development, where technology not only delivers content but also identifies emerging skills gaps and recommends tailored learning pathways.
Increasingly, technology-powered systems help managers understand the employee experience itself by diagnosing engagement and culture issues and even suggesting timely interventions to improve satisfaction and retention.
All of this plays out in a hybrid working world, where technology underpins communication, collaboration, and connection – all critical elements of the workplace, regardless of where the work is done.
And while uncertainty remains regarding which roles AI may change or replace, one truth endures: the need for humans to lead, support, and develop other humans.
The challenge for HR leaders is to harness technology’s potential without losing sight of the human purpose at the heart of their profession.
Hear from the HR leaders leveraging digital tools to transform their departments including:
- Amy Johnsson, senior manager for people and culture business partnering, Swisse Wellness
- Chelsea Mannix, chief people officer, Funlab
- Sarah Macdonald, group people and culture manager, Hardie Grant Media
- Karli Newell, people and culture advisor, Macro Mike
- Yvette McDonald, chief people and customer officer, Anglicare
- Ed Milne, people and culture manager, Air-Met Scientific
- Neal Woolrich, director, Gartner’s Business and Technology Insights Group
- Sharon Hutchinson, human resources manager, Shwartz Media
- Aaron McEwan, vice president of advisory, Gartner HR practice
- Jasleen Kaur, senior principal, Gartner HR practice
State of HR Tech Champion
Inside the API-First Shift Reshaping Enterprise Platforms
Enterprises are rethinking integration as API-first design reshapes how business systems connect and scale.
Enterprises are wrestling with some major technology challenges, but three of the biggest are sprawling tech stacks and legacy constraints and rising integration costs.Fortunately, there is a quiet revolution taking place in how software is designed and connected that is addressing these challenges. At the centre of this shift is a simple idea: what if APIs weren’t just integration tools, but the foundation of the entire platform?
