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HR function Transformation

The future of human resources: Who will care for the human at work? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is about to change everything: How we live, how we play — and most certainly — how we work

Work, where most people spend the biggest portion of their days, stands at the center of the AI revolution. As AI transforms work, who will guide our organizations and ensure that our lives emerge better than before? The answer, HR, is you.

As the trusted link between organizations and their employees, HR can lead the charge in creating fulfilling workplaces and helping people thrive in an era of transformative technological change, ensuring that AI serves humanity, not the other way around.

Welcome to the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Industrial revolutions have reshaped how we work in each of the past few centuries, and the results have dramatically impacted both how we live and how we work. 
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People are looking to employers as their most trusted institution — expecting businesses to intervene in social issues and act for the greater good.

Who will care for the human at work?

The integration of AI, growing skills gaps and the need to align with shifting business goals all brought on by the Fifth Industrial Revolution are drastically reshaping the landscape of work. HR leaders can navigate these shifts smoothly by evolving beyond traditional roles, championing human-centric approaches and leveraging AI for productivity — all while safeguarding human dignity.

The future of HR will focus on strategic workforce transformation, employee experience, and people analytics. HR will evolve from administrative tasks to driving talent strategy, workforce agility, and future-fit skills development. By leveraging AI responsibly and inclusively, HR can improve organizational performance and long-term competitiveness by ensuring work remains human-centered. 

No, if anything, HR’s relevance is increasing. As technology and AI automate routine tasks, HR’s strategic role in workforce planning, talent development, employee engagement, and culture is increasingly critical. Organizations need HR leaders who can ensure humans stay central to decision-making, embed ethical governance, and drive future-fit skill development as the nature of work changes.

The transitioning role of HR

The pressing need for HR is to move beyond being stewards of employment to being stewards of work, and ultimately to being stewards of humanity, guiding organizations with a visionary approach that will help to integrate AI and human capabilities more seamlessly — while ensuring that we leave humans better off than when they began working with us.

Stewards of employment

In the past, HR was tasked with harnessing individual and collective human performance to meet organizational needs.

Stewards of work

Currently, HR is bending the demand and supply curves of work in fundamentally different ways; enabling talent to connect to work more seamlessly and meeting talent on their own terms.

Stewards of humanity

The future of HR. This new mandate focuses on doing good to improve the human condition.

How can HR best navigate toward successful stewardship of humanity?

  1. Ethical use of AI:
    Cross silos to work with other functions to effectively and ethically manage the relationships between humans and machines.
  2. Safeguarding ESG:
    Ensure the organization is keeping faith with growing societal trust and use AI in a way that doesn’t negatively impact humans.
  3. Preserving human well-being:
    Shepherd the movement to AI and automation and ensure that the benefits of AI enhance the employee experience.

Is HR being replaced by AI? 

HR is not being replaced by AI but augmented by it. AI automates repetitive administrative tasks, freeing HR leaders to focus on higher-value work including redesigning roles, shaping strategy, strengthening employee experience, and driving workforce transformation. With the right combination of human-machine teaming, HR is uniquely positioned to enhance talent decisions, upskill employees, and build agile, future-ready workforces. 

HR leaders already use AIi to:

  • Personalize career pathing to support long-term employability
  • Assess skills at scale for improved workforce planning
  • Address employee queries quickly and consistently with chatbots
  • Automate benefits enrollment processes for greater efficiency
  • Visualize people analytics to aid data-driven decision making

In the Cognitive Age, HR’s value goes far beyond managing systems; as stewards of humanity, their expertise is integral to shaping how humans and AI work together to drive performance.

How to thrive in the Cognitive Age

This point of view is a must-read for HR leaders who want to swiftly evolve and help their organization stay resilient amidst the challenges and complexities of a new Cognitive Age. Together, we can embrace the transformative power of AI and shape the future of work.

We encourage you to read on and take up the gauntlet!

The future of human resources

Who will care for the human at work?

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About the author(s)
Ravin Jesuthasan

 Global Transformation Services Leader

Miriam Daucher

HR Transformation Regional Leader, Asia, Mercer

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