5 Things Holding HR Back from Getting Help from AI

Over the past few months, I’ve had countless conversations with HR leaders who are intrigued by AI but aren’t quite making it a priority. And I get it. Between managing day-to-day challenges, supporting the business, and leading through constant change, it can feel like there’s no space to take on something new.

But here’s what’s becoming clearer by the day: AI isn’t a future consideration. It’s a now opportunity — and the organizations that act on it today will be miles ahead tomorrow.

Why the urgency?

💥 Our employees are going to expect to ask a question and get an answer immediately.
💥 To attract the best HR talent, they will require automation of routine and administrative activities.
💥 The business is going to demand better employee experiences and cost savings.

If we don’t lead the charge in HR, someone else will—whether it’s another function, an external vendor, or even the employees themselves finding workarounds. This is a moment when HR has the chance to step into the driver’s seat and lead meaningful change.

Five things that might be holding you back

I’ve seen firsthand how AI is already improving how we deliver HR services. It’s helping teams work more efficiently, reduce admin, and provide a more intuitive, responsive experience for employees. And yet, many companies are still stuck at the starting line.

So what’s holding you back? Five typical challenges include:

You don’t have the in-house expertise.
AI feels complicated, and many teams don’t know where to begin. It’s hard to build a strategy when you don’t have the skills (yet) to shape one.
You are not sure how to make AI for HR a strategic business case.
Even if you believe in the potential of AI, it won’t go far without a clear, compelling business case behind it. HR leaders need to tie AI initiatives directly to business priorities—think cost reduction, productivity gains, and employee experience improvements—to get real traction and buy-in.
The tech landscape feels overwhelming.
There are so many platforms and providers, and it’s tough to know what will actually work for your people and your processes. It’s tempting to just wait until things feel clearer.
Your content and policies are all over the place.
If your foundational HR info is outdated or scattered across systems, AI won’t be able to do its job well. You’ve got to clean up the basics first — and that can feel like a huge lift.
There’s just not enough capacity to drive it forward.
Everyone is stretched. Even if the intention is there, it’s hard to dedicate time and energy to something new when your team is already at capacity.

But here’s the thing: all of these are solvable. And with the right focus and support, they’re solvable fast.

The financial investment required to get AI up and running in HR can be relatively low, especially when you consider the return: better employee experiences, faster service delivery, reduced admin, and cost savings.

If AI still feels like something on your “someday” list, I’d encourage you to take another look. Because what has felt like the future is quickly becoming the new normal—and HR has a huge opportunity to lead.

If you’re ready to start—or just want a thought partner to explore what this could look like for your team—let’s talk.