Why HR Visibility Matters in the Age of AI

Image/Canva Alt-text: A business meeting with five people, two men shaking hands across a table.

While AI can draft, only humans can build trust and trust requires visibility

HR sits at the centre of culture, talent and trust, all three of which determine whether organisations thrive in the age of AI.  Yet, despite its strategic importance, HR’s influence is too often underestimated.

The reality is this, while AI may be driving transformation, it is people who will decide whether that transformation succeeds, and no one knows people better than HR.

HR Successes

Unlike many on the executive bench who can showcase a lot of their results, HR’s biggest wins often remain hidden because of the sensitive nature of its work. The dept., occupies a delicate position and its greatest contributions and achievements are often hardest to see.

In the age of AI, HR leaders need to be more visible – in both presence and voice

Recruiting top talent, preventing costly (financial as well as reputation) employment tribunals, resolving grievances and protecting the organisation’s brand are vital contributions, yet rarely shared openly because of confidentiality, legal and/or privacy reasons.  Furthermore, many of these achievements and impacts are also difficult to quantify, although no less essential.

However, to secure influence and relevance in the era of AI and the ‘attention economy’, HR leaders must work harder than most, to ensure their value is recognised. CHROs need to be more visible – in both presence and voice.

Trust in HR

Research by Cezanne HR (June 2021), which surveyed 1,000 employees at organisations with 250+ employees, found that only 55% of respondents would recognise a member of the HR team if they met them, with 17.8% responding ‘maybe’.  

Among those who would recognise HR, 66% trusted HR to help them manage conflict. Among those who would not, trust fell to 37%.

Given HR’s touchpoints at every stage of the employee lifecycle, shouldn’t these (recognition) numbers be far higher?

The Attention Economy

Brilliance behind the scenes counts for little if few see or hear HR leaders, especially in the midst of a tech revolution such as AI

In today’s ‘attention economy’, visibility matters, as the survey results above indicate. Brilliance behind the scenes counts for little if few see or hear HR leaders, especially in the midst of a tech revolution such as AI.

Other executives rarely wait to be invited to the stage. They step forward, often beside the CEO in AI conversations. While of course every organisation is unique, how often is the CHRO present, sitting to the right of or directly opposite the CEO in meetings about AI? How often do CEOs seek counsel from HR on AI, even though the CHRO is often the executive with the richest people data at their fingertips?

Engagement

Whether in the board room, the CEO’s office, internal comms., social media or external media, as HR leader, you must be more visible and comfortable speaking about AI and the contribution that you and your team are making in helping your organisation deploy AI responsibly. If people don’t see you, they cannot value you. For many employees, HR is only visible at recruitment or exit – not enough in an AI-driven world.

Like other departments, HR is also being asked to do more with less and its achievements are often invisible at the very time they are most needed. The challenge is real but so too is the opportunity. By consistently showing up and shaping the AI conversation, HR leaders can position themselves not at the margins but at the heart of the AI revolution – building trust and preparing the workplace for AI deployment.

HR’s Bridging Role

HR visibility is not about chasing the stars. Instead, it’s about positioning you and your dept., as core members of the AI revolution, responsible for building trust and upskilling the workforce.

As HR leader, you are uniquely placed to bridge technical and human priorities. By collaborating early with CIOs, data scientists, IT, legal, and other experts, HR can bridge technical and human priorities ensuring compliance while protecting people. This is where trust in AI begins – with visible, credible HR leadership.

Conclusion

While AI can draft, only humans can build trust and trust requires visibility. HR leaders who recognise that trust is the new currency will not only survive the AI era; they will thrive.

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If you’d like to learn more about embedding AI Literacy and Responsible AI in your organisation, then please free to contact me on LinkedIn or, visit ExecutiveGlobalCoaching.com to learn more about how we work

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1. Responsible AI - (this one) Putting People and Culture at the heart of AI Strategy.

2. Leading with Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

3. Inclusive Leadership in the era of AI