New report reveals HR might be stuck on task-level work for AI
HR leaders across the world are missing out on the potential of agentic AI as a new report revealed that they remain stuck in using the technology for task-level assistance.
Findings from a new global report from Culture Amp revealed that 39% of HR professionals said they use AI in HR operations automation, and only 34% are using agentic workflow support.
According to the findings, 86% of HR professionals are still using AI for just content creation. The majority are also utilising the technology just for brainstorming (83%) and information synthesis (81%).
"We're at a moment in HR where nearly every practitioner is using AI, but most are still using it the way they'd use a very smart intern — creating drafts, summaries, and brainstorming," said Caroline Rawlinson, CEO at Culture Amp.
Real value from AI
But the real value from AI emerges when HR professionals move to "ceding bounded autonomy," according to Rawlinson.
The report found that HR professionals who have already seen transformation in core HR processes are nearly three times as likely to say that AI made them better leaders.
"Our data shows clearly that the people who have crossed that threshold are seeing meaningfully more impact," Rawlinson said.
"If HR leaders can enable that effectively within their organisations, they will remain in positions of strategic partnership with the C-suites and boards they answer to, and unlock enormous business value."
Problems with AI experimentation
Despite these gains, the report found that HR professionals are hesitant to experiment with agentic AI due to AI-related layoffs.
Only 24% of HR professionals globally feel comfortable in using agentic AI systems to transform their HR operations, with the number plunging to 16% for individual contributors.
The rate of comfort, however, rises for HR leaders in the C-suite, with 37%. Some 54% of C-suite leaders also said they are already using AI for agentic workflow support.
"The HR professionals in our data who have crossed into agentic territory and who have let AI act within boundaries they set, rather than just respond to what they ask, are seeing process transformation at rates two to three times higher than everyone else," said Amy Lavoie, VP of People Science at Culture Amp.
"Willingness to experiment with a different kind of relationship with the tool is the key."
