Strategic HR

Is HR effectively leveraging AI for Talent Management?

By Anjum Khan

Generative AI is rapidly transforming HR, pushing the boundaries of traditional practices and ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation. But is the HR function truly ready to embrace its full potential?

To explore this question, People Matters Middle East recently spoke with Imran Ahmad, Chartered FCIPD and Group Chief HR Officer at Jashanmal National Company LLC, and Su Corkeron, Group Chief People Officer at Al Dahra. They discussed the evolving role of HR in personalising employee experiences, tackling the challenges of AI adoption, and how HR can leverage new technologies to reshape the workforce and the future of HR.

Tech integration and HR’s role

Sharing her perspective on the role AI can play in augmenting HR leadership, Su said, “When I think about AI and the human element, I see two distinct types of workers—digital and human. I view AI as the IQ of what we do. It's all about handling transactions, managing large volumes of data, offering personalisation instead of standardisation, and providing real-time access to insights. AI helps us predict and future-proof processes, focusing on the transactional and analytical aspects. On the human side, HR is more about building connections—how do we foster a sense of belonging, provide psychological safety, and ensure employees feel valued? It's about engagement, supporting people, and aligning with the business strategy to drive growth. So, when I think about the future of HR, I divide it into these two areas: AI representing the IQ piece and human workers focusing on the EQ side, like empathy and coaching. How quickly we adapt, though, is up to us. There's definitely some fear about what happens to traditional roles if AI handles most transactions. But the roadmap for HR—whether we call it HR or the people function—holds so much potential. It's about using AI and IQ to enhance our focus on the EQ side.”

Imran added, “I think there's a progression that all HR professionals need to navigate. We’ve always been highly competent in traditional HR areas, but the future is now pushing us to become equally proficient in understanding technology. This understanding is critical, as it helps us plan how to integrate new technologies—like generative AI—and assess their impact on the workplace. At the same time, we need to support employees who are facing the challenges that come with these transformations, ensuring they remain relevant in the organisation.

This is the biggest shift we’re experiencing as HR professionals—learning to integrate AI into our own roles, and helping others adapt to an environment that’s changing rapidly and often feels overwhelming. Employees are asking, "Will my job still be here? Will I remain relevant?" And as an organisation, HR must ask, "Do these roles matter to us as they did five years ago?" 

In the Middle East, we’ve traditionally valued loyalty and stability. But technology is now challenging not only employees' loyalty and capability but also their efficiency and future readiness. As HR, we must decide: do we take a transactional approach and move on, or do we invest in upskilling our long-serving employees to adapt to new technology? These are tough questions for HR today, and finding the right answers will take time.”

Is HR ready for transformation?

“Any transformation needs preparation, and there will always be some lag, whether from the organisation or individuals. We may want to move fast for agility, but real change happens at the pace of people and organisations. A key point to remember is that technology transformation, especially AI, is fundamentally about change management—it’s not just about tech, but how it impacts people. While there’s urgency to adopt these tools, if people aren’t ready, the pace of change slows. In the Middle East, many organisations are catching up. Some are moving quickly, but overall, we’re still lagging, even in HR. We need to approach this as a broader change management process, and address the lag,” shared Imran. 

Su echoed, “Digital strategies are great in theory, but without real commitment and investment, organisations will remain stuck. It's a push-pull dynamic—once the organisation invests, and people engage with the technology and get comfortable, the journey becomes easier. We also need to bring people along on this journey. Concerns like job security and salaries are real, but I believe this transformation will create new opportunities, roles, and skills. It's about adopting a growth mindset and being open to learning, not just in HR but across the organisation. Employees actually want this change. They’ve embraced digital transformation in other areas, like banking, and expect the same from us. But sometimes, the organisation or financial commitment holds things back. Without the right digital infrastructure, we’ll remain stuck in manual tasks. Aligning both the organisation and individuals is key to making this shift.”

How can AI really enhance HR’s ability? 

Su explained, “Traditionally, HR has been seen as the gatekeeper of information and data, holding a lot of control. What excites me about AI is how it shifts that control to where it belongs—in the hands of the business. Our role should be about enabling the business. AI empowers leaders by providing real-time data, allowing them to make informed decisions. This shift lets HR move away from transactional tasks and focus on more strategic areas like engagement, values, and creating meaningful employee experiences. It’s not just about changing processes; it's about driving deeper, systemic change in how people think and work. We're moving from just thinking about engagement to creating holistic experiences. AI enables us to define and develop programmes and frameworks that enhance these experiences and then shift ownership to the business to run with them.”

Highlighting two key aspects, Imran added, “First, when you look at HR's traditional role, it largely falls into three areas: policies and governance, transactional HR work, and the area we don’t do as well—data analysis and talent management based on that analysis. Now, AI has the potential to take over routine tasks like generating letters and provide valuable insights by processing data, helping us identify skill gaps and make informed decisions. However, a challenge lies in HR's traditional sense of control. Many HR professionals have been gatekeepers, enjoying the authority of signing off on decisions. With AI taking over transactional tasks, that control diminishes, and some may be reluctant to give it up. This resistance could slow down AI adoption in HR, and at the end of the day, people may not want to relinquish that control to an algorithm.”

Su added, “In the past, we were rewarded for controlling processes, like signing off on approvals. But now, we need to ask if that's the best use of our time. The real value lies in contributing more meaningfully—by creating employee experiences or using AI-driven talent insights to support business strategies, like entering new markets. It's about shifting our belief system. We took pride in providing administrative services, but the business no longer needs that. The key question is: where do we add value now? This is where change management comes in—helping people adjust their mindset and find new ways to contribute to the business.”

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HR’s balancing act for a human-centric approach in automated HR processes

Su explained, “Balance is where the true value of AI and digital tools shines. We've moved from decentralisation to centralisation, with a focus on standardisation to handle high volumes efficiently. Now, with AI, we can manage both volume and personalisation. These tools allow us to offer personalised solutions at scale. While we still need policies and frameworks, there’s now much more flexibility within them. We’ve already seen this shift in benefits. Instead of offering the same package to everyone, people can now customise their options based on individual needs. This shift is driven by market demand, and digital tools make it possible. Personalisation at scale is the real superpower these technologies bring.”

Imran added, “I think this is an important point. On one hand, AI and digital tools are democratising information, giving people more choices and independence in how they engage with the organisation. But we can’t lose the human touch. While we are moving toward a more digital experience, especially in how it's delivered, maintaining a balance between technology and human connection is crucial. The balance HR must maintain, and even improve on, is in what we were always best at—interpersonal connections. With the transactional workload reduced by technology, HR should become even better at the human element. What I mean is that as we create personalised experiences for employees, we must improve at understanding and tailoring these experiences to meet their unique needs. Today’s employees are more aspirational and vocal about what they want, so we need to improve our ability to anticipate and meet their expectations. If the organisation can meet those aspirations, great. If not, we should be transparent about what is possible and guide them through their employment journey with more one-on-one engagement. This is the balance I see—leveraging technology to handle transactions while refocusing on the people-centric role HR has always played, but doing it even better now with the help of AI.”

Using AI to nurture talent and enable future leaders 

Su added, “One exciting area with AI is its predictive capabilities, especially in team formation. In the future, traditional team structures might not even be relevant. We may see more agile, mission-based teams coming together for specific tasks. Today’s technology already allows leaders to tap into internal talent pools, instantly finding candidates with the right skills or ready for stretch assignments—much more flexible and immediate than before. As HR, we need to rethink employment contracts and team structures. Do we need full-time employees for every role, or can we mix in gig workers, digital workers, and part-timers? These platforms provide instant access to the right talent, driving more dynamic and efficient performance.”

Imran shared, “In the past, a key role of leadership was sharing experiences and mentoring through personal career insights. Today, much of that advice is readily available online, which wasn’t the case just a few years ago. Instead of seeking guidance from a senior colleague, people can now find similar content with a quick search. 

That said, AI can curate relevant advice for leaders when they need it. However, human leaders remain irreplaceable in guiding others on how to apply that advice with wisdom and context. AI can provide information to young leaders, but it’s senior leaders who mentor and shape that knowledge into practical, effective action. For example, in retail, we’ve started redefining our workforce model, asking critical questions like whether future employees will be full-time, remote, or virtual. This reflection and rethinking of roles is a process many organisations are now compelled to undergo.”

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