AI job concerns at just 5% – report dispels job obsolescence worries

News
Joanne Swann
person holding green paper

New report reveals AI trends, rates of adoption, sentiment, and the challenges, as well as opportunities, for HR professionals. The findings come from Workday’s Global CHRO AI Indicator Report.

Many HR leaders think AI offers a solution to admin frustrations in the profession, with 40% agreeing that AI will enable their teams to deliver more strategic value – rising to 54% for AI Pioneers.

In particular, over a third (35%) of HR leaders believe an immediate benefit of AI will be support in performance management tasks. Increased revenue and profits is also an expected benefit of AI according to almost 3 in 10 (29%) respondents.

Daniel Pell, vice president and country manager, UKI, Workday, comments:

It’s a good sign that many HR leaders are hopeful about the power of AI to navigate today’s climate, from tackling talent shortages to boosting employee engagement. By automating and simplifying manual processes which impact employee experience, AI can reduce the amount of time HR professionals spend on administrative tasks and thus boost the time spent on high-value tasks only a human can do.

Daniel Pell, vice president and country manager, UKI, Workday

 

Concern around AI is measured

Despite the commonly expressed anxiety that AI will take the place of human workers, HR leaders are not troubled by this. In fact, only 5% expressed concern about their jobs becoming obsolete. However, almost half (47%) worry about the trustworthiness of AI, more than any other function surveyed. More specifically, the report shows HR see risks to implementing AI around potential errors (21%) and security and privacy concerns (20%).

AI is not replacing, but putting people first

Beyond improving the efficiency and speed of day-to-day tasks, HR leaders recognise the potential for AI to create a fairer work environment. In fact, over a third (36%) say AI will enable a more equitable and diverse workforce – rising to more than half of AI Pioneers (52%). Similarly, 38% of HR leaders say AI will make their organisation more meritocratic, compared to 47% AI Pioneers.

Upskilling HR teams will unlock the power of AI

As AI becomes more integrated with HR, leaders will want to see employee skill sets fundamentally shift toward the more technical. Currently, HR leaders prioritise skills around creative thinking and problem solving as well as the ability to identify, anticipate and manage risk (both 25%). However, increasingly, skills around the ability to work closely with new technologies as well as data literacy and data-driven decision-making (both 26%) are coming to the fore.

The need to proactively upskill teams to build confidence using the technology is crucial, especially as almost a third (32%) believe HR employees won’t have the technical skills to work well with AI. HR leaders can look to overcome this skills gap by empowering teams with AI-specific training and learning materials and intuitive tech and AI platforms that are easy to use for non-technical employee skill sets.

Daniel Pell concludes,

As governance gatekeepers, those in HR understand the importance of ensuring transparency, compliance, and risk management when rolling out and using new tools. Leaders can do this by offering the right training, working with trustworthy partners, and leading with a human-in-the-loop approach, which keeps human decision-making at the helm.

As AI interest snowballs within all areas of the organisation, HR must stay a step ahead in training, testing, and facilitating buy-in and partnership in order to help shape organisation-wide adoption. When HR adopts the tools that help automate repetitive tasks and prioritise human-exclusive strategic value, the whole company benefits.

Joanne Swann, Content Manager, WorkWellPro
Editor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional | Website |  + posts

Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.

Share

Latest News

Latest Analysis

Related Articles

Rachel Clift: What Last Year’s JLR Disruption Revealed About Health and Wellbeing in Automotive

Over the past 18 months, the automotive industry has been navigating an increasingly complex operating environment.

World Cup Absences ‘Could Impact Workplace Productivity as Fans Plan Sick Days’

Millions of UK workers are considering taking time off after World Cup matches, raising concerns about workplace productivity during the tournament.

Nearly Half Of UK Workers Now Use AI Weekly as Research Links Technology to Lower Stress

Research found that workers who regularly use AI report higher levels of workplace engagement and lower levels of stress compared to those who do not.

Amie Meslohi: Carers Week 2026 – the Hidden Cost of Being a Carer

I've known I'm a carer for a while now. But working on content for Talking Talent this week about carers in the workplace, something just clicked.
Previous article
Anna Allerton: Navigating return after children – perimenopause/menopause consulting
Next article
Businesses warned to follow these rules when gifting clients this Christmas…