HR leaders will have little time for a break in 2024, with so many technical aspects to consider. This year, the potential impact of generative AI on HR has been widely explored, with reports from major analysts and consultants predicting an outsized role in increasing productivity and improving the employee experience.

However, experts and experienced practitioners point out that challenges remain in adopting AI, so HR leaders must first focus on fixing fundamental problems and quickly adapt to rapid technological changes.

At the same time, skills remain a key theme, but this approach requires a strong strategy aligned with business priorities. Another key discussion point is how the HR profession is shifting from domain expertise to a community of solution providers developing agile strategies. There is also increasing investment in HR technology tools, particularly in the areas of learning, wellness and analytics, while internal talent mobility and DEI initiatives remain critical.

It is more important than ever to lead an organization’s employees in a flexible and adaptable way, but even the best in the company have questions. To dig deeper, HR Manager asked three highly anticipated speakers to predict how these pressing issues will be addressed at the upcoming HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas. Here’s their response:

HR Manager: What key trends and technology challenges are HR leaders currently focusing on and hoping to learn more about at HR Tech?

Chris Havrilla, Vice President of HCM Product Strategy at Oracle and keynote speaker at Women in HR Tech: Generative AI/AI is currently the hot topic on every HR leader’s mind. Not only does it have the potential to increase productivity, but it will also unlock a new world of skills, ideas and creativity that will have a profound impact on the workplace.

With the ability to aggregate, create, and recommend content and best practices, generative AI can help HR leaders dramatically reduce the time spent completing tasks, improve the employee experience, increase the accuracy of workforce insights, and ultimately increase business value.

There is a huge opportunity for HR to create a gen AI-friendly culture that unleashes the performance and potential of its workforce and leaders. The benefits have only just begun when we look at what is to come, including agents, problem solving and self-service Q&A support, text analytics, data visualizations, graphics and videos, coaching and narratives.

Skills will be another big topic at this year’s HR Technology Conference. As skills become the new currency of work, organizations need a single source of truth for skills. They also need a strong skills-based talent strategy that aligns with business priorities, optimizes the workforce, and meets key performance and growth goals. To develop, maintain, and execute a skills-based talent strategy, organizations need the right mix of infrastructure, applications, and intelligence to better understand and leverage their workforce’s skills, expand access to talent, and make smarter hiring decisions.

Stacey Harris, Chief Research Officer at Sapient Insights Group and moderator of the HR Tech Mega Session: Based on where customers are increasing their HR technology investments, applications that support learning, benefits/wellness, and advanced HR analytics will be on the HR Technology Conference shopping list this year.

Organizations are specifically looking for HR analytics solutions that help them with data extraction, cleansing and mapping, as well as traditional data analysis work.

The Sapient Insights Group teams also expect midsize companies to expand their payroll/HRMS price comparison efforts as many new options hit the market this year.

Opal Wagnac, Senior Vice President of Market and Product Strategy at isolved and keynote speaker at Women in HR Tech: HR leaders want to learn about different talent mobility methods, change the trend of constantly looking for external talent, and leverage technology to audit their current talent pool. They also seek support in enforcing and sustaining DEI initiatives despite perceived dilution by large corporate organizations and associations (e.g. SHRM). Participants also address office dynamics while still achieving high performance and connection.

HR Manager: Do you have any advice on strategic human resource management in the face of technological advances?

Havrillas: Yes! I think HR departments have a huge burden to always be the “experts with answers,” but that’s not realistic in today’s world – a world of disruption and, frankly, in a state of constant change and evolution. Strategic HR is not about being an “expert” or necessarily having the solution; it’s about knowing how to help find the right solution when challenges arise.

Today’s HR leaders should focus on becoming solution providers in their organizations – for example, designers, architects, consultants, advisors, facilitators, etc. HR leaders should think about aligning their work, their workforce and their workplace with the role that data and technology play in this. For example: what is the work, who should/could do the work and where should/could the work be done – bringing together the right people with the right skills at the right time to deliver the best solution.

To start, HR leaders should think big, but start small and act fast! Break projects into smaller MVPs (if it can’t be done in three months, it’s too big!) to achieve quick wins, see the impact, build credibility and increase momentum.

Harris: The focus on AI has caused many HR leaders to question the future and their approach to HR. However, we want to be clear that our data shows that AI is not fundamentally changing HR and the work we do. In the right environments, it is enabling some companies to focus more quickly on results rather than compliance, processes and service agreements.

Preparing for AI is a shared responsibility among industry leaders, business leaders, government agencies, and the solution provider community. HR buyers know that AI in HR needs to be up and running before it can be used. The most important first step is to help HR resolve basic workflow and data issues before AI can be used to provide trusted insights for decision making.

Wagnac: Give yourself time and space to think strategically about how your business can best use technology – but not too much time, or you’ll never get started. The pace of technological change is so fast, but it’s one of those trains that you have to jump on while it’s already moving and shows no signs of slowing down.

See Havrilla, Harris and Wagnac live and in person at the HR Tech Conference coming soon to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. HR leaders, use my code JOINME24 for a FREE Expo pass or save $150 on your All-Access or Basic Pass. Register now.