Axios C-Suite: Why your HR head is freaking out
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Check in on your head of HR: They are — and should be — rattled by three unfolding realities.
1. Everyone fears new layoffs, even if you aren't planning them.
- Be honest, most of you are. I've talked to very few CEOs who don't plan to trim staff in the coming year — even if they plan future growth.
2. Most HR heads aren't AI savvy, yet they assume AI will be the biggest pain in their ass in '26.
- 91% of CHROs now rank AI and workplace digitization as their most immediate concern, per the CHRO Association's 2026 survey.
3. Their job will fundamentally change — and fast.
- The HR functions that are purely administrative (scheduling, screening, form-filling, policy Q&A) should already be handled by AI.
- The next tier (performance, comp, L&D, retention prediction) is being built now, both internally and by outside firms.
- What's not automatable and won't be: culture design, executive coaching, change management, ethical judgment calls and the messy human work of managing through transformation.
What I told my head of HR: Plot to automate everything as fast as possible by the end of this year. Assume our future HR role is much more about culture building, therapy and training of top talent, and letting agents do the rest.
👯 Weird shit to watch: Digital twins of employees. Gartner reported earlier this year that digital twins or AI avatars are being developed to replicate high-performing employees.
- Think of AI versions of you: your knowledge, habits and behaviors. This opens uncharted territory in compensation. Ask yourself: who owns the value of a replicated worker's expertise?
❤️ Do good: Thank your head of HR. They deal with more crazy, stressful, weird human crap than any of us.
Go deeper: OpenAI's Sam Altman's AI adoption advice for fellow CEOs
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