In the era of AI, the role of the head of HR, CHRO or chief people officer (CPO) needs to break out of the box they're often put into — one that's focused too much on operations and leaves their
According to
HR and people leaders play a vital role in
Instead of being limited to operational tasks like HR paperwork and compliance, the more strategic mindset is to view yourself as the enabler of change, the driver of workforce transformation, the person who shapes how your organization will succeed in the future of work. That mindset shift will profoundly alter your role, your influence, and your place in the organization.
Read more:
Two decades of transformation
If you've been in the HR field for a while, you've seen some truly seismic shifts — from digital transformation to hybrid work to the rise of AI.
Digital transformation was the first wave of major change: companies migrating from paper, manual workflows, siloed systems toward digitized, connected processes. HR functions supported or enabled many of these initiatives — adapting performance management, rethinking skills and redesigning roles.
The pandemic was the next watershed moment, forcing organizations to operate with distributed workforces almost overnight. HR and people leaders had to figure out not just new policies, but how to sustain engagement, culture, inclusion and productivity when people were physically apart. We're still living with the long tail of those decisions, as organizations grapple with whether to lock in remote/hybrid models or mandate a return to the office.
With AI, we've now reached what may be the most significant transformation yet. Business leaders are asking high-stakes questions: Where will AI be embedded in processes and work? What roles will humans continue to play? What skills will matter? According
In each of these waves — digital, remote/hybrid and AI — the CHRO or CPO has been responsible for making the change real: helping people understand the vision, adapt their ways of working, and fulfill their potential. The question is, how do you maximize your role as the change enabler?
Read more:
Embrace the role of "chief change officer"
The message to HR and people leaders is this: Whether or not your title includes the word "change," you should view yourself as the organization's chief change officer. Here's how that plays out in practice.
1. Think outside the day-to-day
In an industry defined by processes and paperwork, it's far too easy to get mired in the day-to-day — filling requisitions, managing payroll escalations, responding to compliance audits, servicing internal requests. These tasks are important — but if that's all you do, you risk being viewed as a cost center rather than a strategic partner.
Instead: think in terms of business outcomes. How can you automate or offload operational burdens (leveraging technology, outsourcing, self-service) so that you and your team free up capacity to focus on the bigger picture? Uplevel the items on your agenda: How do we increase employee contributions, align talent to business goals, enable agility and deliver measurable business value?
2. Recognize the most valuable resource
A company's workforce is usually its biggest investment of capital and the one thing that is completely unique from one company to the next. So why not think like an analyst rather than an administrator? Rather than considering talent decisions as a matter of compliance or strictly through a legal lens, think of them in the context of unlocking your enterprise strategy. If you can help the organization retain key talent, recruit for critical roles and deploy people into the right positions to do the right work, you can draw a straight line from your job to business growth.
You're no longer filling job orders — you're shaping strategy.
3. Take a (pro)active seat at the table
When your company embarks on a transformation initiative (whether it's AI deployment, a hybrid-work operating model, merger, or major product launch), don't wait for someone to ask: "How will HR make this happen?" Instead, come prepared: "Here's how we set up our people for success in this initiative: what skills matter, how roles will shift, what the learning plan is, what the change management plan is, how we will evaluate progress."
That proactive posture moves you from "HR support" to "partner in transformation." And if you find that others in the room are unwilling to listen — if they can't overcome their belief that HR should simply take orders — then it might be time to look for a different room.
Read more:
Workforces are changing. Lead the change
For HR and people leaders, the choice is clear: Remain stuck in the status quo, or step up into the role of strategic changemaker. The data shows that our workforces, technologies, and organizational expectations are shifting. Agentic AI and people analytics are rewriting what it means to get work done. To miss that moment is to risk being sidelined.
The people function must lead transformation rather than serve it. You have a seat at the table. But more than that, you have a voice. Use it. The time to embrace change is now.
