The evolving business landscape demands that HR leaders not only adapt to technological advancements but also proactively drive change. In a recent People Matters SHRPA Success Navigator Leadership Interview, Manavi Pathak, Head of Learning and Organizational Development at Samsung R&D India, shed light on how HR can strengthen its capabilities to meet the expectations of business leaders in 2025.

 

Bridging the Gap: AI and Analytics in HR

 

Despite the buzz surrounding AI and analytics, HR leaders continue to grapple with implementation challenges. Manavi highlighted a key issue: the gap between expectations and reality. While AI promises productivity boosts, integration hurdles — technical, cultural, and structural — slow down adoption. Many HR teams struggle to merge AI-driven tools with existing systems, leading to fragmented, outdated, and inconsistent data that undermines insights.

Moreover, a lack of technical expertise among HR professionals creates further roadblocks. Understanding and interpreting data has not traditionally been an HR strength, leaving leaders frustrated when translating AI potential into measurable improvements. Human oversight remains crucial to avoid losing contextual nuances, ensuring technology enhances rather than dictates decisions.

 

Future-Ready Skill Development: Personalize, Humanise, and Adapt

 

Looking ahead to 2025, Manavi underscored three pillars essential to HR success: futurize, personalize, and humanise. Continuous learning emerges as a non-negotiable, with HR professionals needing to stay updated on tech and analytics trends through certifications and workshops.

Data literacy stands out as a critical capability — HR must move beyond basic reporting to interpret analytics and drive data-informed decisions. Cross-functional collaboration also becomes pivotal, fostering partnerships with finance, strategy, and other business units.

Crucially, Manavi emphasized the importance of change management capabilities. In a time of constant flux, HR must align initiatives with overarching business goals while leveraging data-driven insights. Designing employee-centric experiences is vital, ensuring new technologies integrate seamlessly into workflows. Personalization and customization can prevent AI tools from becoming yet another burden on employees.

 

Other Key Highlights

 

  • AI Adoption Gaps: Technical, cultural, and data quality barriers hinder implementation.
  • Essential Skills: Continuous learning, data literacy, and cross-functional collaboration are key.
  • Change Management: Strategic alignment, employee-centric design, and personalization drive success.
  • Agile HR Models: Shift from hierarchical structures to flexible, network-based teams.
  • Future Focus: HR must combine technological enablement with human-centered leadership to stay ahead.

HR’s evolution is inevitable — the question is whether leaders will embrace the challenge or risk falling behind. In Manavi’s words, the time to build these capabilities is now.