Sage study finds HR professionals believe AI can help ease workload

A new study by Sage has found that more than three-quarters of HR professionals globally believe that AI has the ability to change the way of working in their company.

The annual report, The Changing Face of HR, surveyed over 1,000 HR leaders across a range of sectors and countries and found that 79% believe more HR processes could be automated. Although, 56% of organisations aren’t using automation yet.

The study also highlighted over half of HR professionals reported they need more technology to operate effectively, such as to collect, analyse, and report on metrics such as headcount, cost per hire, and employee productivity rates.

It comes as the survey showed 95% of responders reported an increase in their workload over the past year and 91% are seeing an increase in more responsibilities in their role. In fact, 80% of HR respondents cited the amount of work, while another 79% respectively said low morale and burnout of employees, and limited budgets were keeping them up at night. 

AI and avoiding burnout

Despite these increasing signs of burnout, nearly all of the respondents still admit to enjoying their jobs and are excited about the future of HR.

“Our findings show that HR professionals are facing increasing pressure to deliver results while managing an ever-growing list of responsibilities,” Sage CPO Amanda Cusdin said.

“However, the industry and its people are resilient and those that embrace technology and AI will gain more time back, which we know is so invaluable when you’re trying to avoid burnout.

“As a result, HR professionals will be able to shift their focus’ to areas of their jobs that they find more valuable, such as people strategies, which in turn can increase job satisfaction.”

Looking ahead, the report highlighted the top three areas HR professionals want to spend more time on are strategic planning (61%), using data to drive decision-making (59%), and employee engagement (59%).

At the same time, 79% identified that more education will be needed to take advantage of AI capabilities going forward, while another 71% of HR professionals believe implementing AI in HR tasks will create more jobs.

The Changing Face of HR

HR teams are taking on more admin than ever, but they believe automation, analytics, and AI can free up time to focus on strategy. Read the latest report from Sage to understand what makes HR teams feel unstoppable.

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