Dealing with people data also means security must also be given top priority within HR systems, but Haldar says AI-driven processes has made these concerns more complex. “Security isn’t just about meeting legal requirements, it is about setting high standards that go beyond compliance,” says Haldar. “AI systems should be built with privacy as a priority from day one, not as an afterthought. Security protocols, which prevent unauthorised access, data breaches, and intellectual property risks should all be implemented, and AI systems must respect privacy regulations to ensure users’ trust.”
“It’s about intimately understanding their needs and identifying where the human touch matters most. The key is to leverage digital solutions to enhance the human experience, ensuring that automation and AI streamline processes while still allowing for meaningful human interactions where they’re needed most.”
Despite the proliferation of technology across the sector, Tia Millar, chief product officer, Safeguard Global, notes that human capital is still fundamentally about people, which means that must be the primary focus of any technology or strategy. Her approach offers an analysis of what's out there, fundamentally filtered through the needs of the HR function.
“It’s about intimately understanding their needs and identifying where the human touch matters most,” she says. Technology should be an enabler, not a replacement. “The key is to leverage digital solutions to enhance the human experience, ensuring that automation and AI streamline processes while still allowing for meaningful human interactions where they’re needed most.”
Millar advocates multiple time horizons to govern a strategy. There should be a long-term vision of five years or so, but also an annual and even quarterly reviews to ensure technology stays relevant and the overall plan stays on track. “The reality is that technology is evolving fast,” she says, “and it’s fundamentally changing the way people work and the types of roles they perform.”
What emerges here is that, alongside the timetables and reviews, HR needs to be ready to change and adapt according to organisation demands and the potential of IT. “Agility is essential,” says Doolin, “enabling HR to adapt to shifting business priorities and external factors such as economic changes and evolving job market demands.” Continuous evaluation is key, he adds, because what defines excellence today may not be the same next year.
Beyond the processing and underpinning role of technology, HR should also consider that technology is changing the jobs people are doing. As Millar notes, AI is already shifting the nature of many roles meaning HR leaders need to rethink training and development strategies. “As AI takes over repetitive tasks, employees will need new skills to work alongside AI-powered tools,” she says. “This shift creates an opportunity for HR to play a strategic role in preparing workforces for the future by ensuring employees have access to the right upskilling and reskilling programs.”
In the early days, technology was more of a late comer to HR, a quicker solution to the more data-rich disciplines in company life. Today, however, technology is not just there to support the function, it is changing what the function needs to do—influencing the type of challenges HR is faced with as well as offering ways to cope with those changes. In this context HR’s strategy needs to be as wide as it is deep, building and retaining an ongoing understanding of the road ahead.