HR in the age of AI

AI is transforming many areas of HR. Is talent management next? HRD chats to Alison Sibree, SVP, HR, APAC at Oracle

• The rise of AI-led talent management systems has led to a growing fear of the decline in the human factor synonymous with HR. What can HR do to ensure that the employee experience is not devoid of the human factor?

Previously, HR primarily supported the transactional side of workforce management. Today, HR can proactively deliver quality information for analysis before changes are made so organisations benefit from consistently better talent decisions.

HR will continue to remain relevant even with the rise of AI-led talent management systems. In fact, they will then be able to focus on the individual employee, make strategic business decisions and ‘leave it to the machines’. To quote Reggie Bradford, senior vice president of product development at Oracle, “ironically, machines will help human resources feel more human and personalised – from recruitment to employee engagement and education”.

• As organisations join the trend and automate talent management processes, how can HR ensure that the company experience remains differentiated?

HR departments today have a wealth of information at their fingertips: data on employee performance, onboarding, recruiting campaigns, and much more. Such knowledge can be translated to understand HR performance, validate decisions and create a differentiated employee hiring experience.

Current insights from analysis can also help HR to strategise and organise a range of suitable courses and training that will help employees strengthen their career paths, keeping an engaged workforce.

• HR tech is also set to change the dynamics of the workplace. How can HR adapt its talent strategy and succession planning and retain top talent?

The rapidly accelerating growth of the gig economy represents one of the most signifi cant and all-encompassing challenges faced by HR. The most important question for HR will be how to demonstrate agility in leading the change in culture, HR policies and processes originally designed for full-time employees to a new era of the talent portfolio increasingly being represented by contingent workers.

How an organisation adapts to this new era will heavily depend upon the successful execution of the HR policies supporting an entire talent portfolio. HR will need to play a critical role in changing the mindset of the organisation and developing managers who will fundamentally change the way they manage talent.

It will also mean a shift in career development for internal employees. Organisations will need to look at existing skill sets and what is required for the future, upskilling those who can go beyond their existing role.

HR will need to ascertain how to integrate contract terms and conditions into a cohesive, seamless whole, considering many factors such as risk management, governance, and legislative requirements around minimum wage. It is an entire paradigm shift from command-and-control to collaboration and partnership.

Alison Sibree
SVP, HR, APAC
ORACLE