AI in HR must start at the top for lasting impact - SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, emphasizes that the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in Human Resources management should begin at the board level and then filter down through organizational leadership as he urges organizations to embrace AI in their operations.

Taylor made these remarks to a diverse audience of global business leaders, policymakers, technologists, educators, and HR practitioners at the inaugural Global Conference on Human Resources in Africa (GCHRA) currently ongoing at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra. He stressed the importance of this event being more than just an HR program, but a tangible initiative that must be implemented.

Speaking to the press after his keynote speech on day 1 of the conference, Taylor emphasized that AI adoption must start at the highest levels of an organization and permeate through to all employees.

“This can't be an HR program and initiative. We are facilitating it. We're going to encourage it to happen. But it has to come from the top of the organization, at the CEO, the president, the managing director, secretary, minister, it has to be led from the organization because it's about culture and we know culture starts at the top and filters down through the organization. So number one is talk about it,” he said.

Dr. Francis Eduku, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM), also highlighted the significance of AI in the future of people management. He encouraged practitioners to familiarize themselves with AI, harness its potential, and prepare for the changes it will bring to the workforce.

“Whether we like it or not, AI will always play a critical role in people management and what we need to do is to try to understand it, shape it up because it is going to show a significant shift in the work that we do.” Dr Eduku said. “It is going to replace some workers and we need to be upfront with it. We need to begin to train them so that they learn AI and its effect because when you understand the effect of something whether positive or negative, you can take advantage of it."

Other speakers at the conference included David Ssegawa, Group HR Director at Equity Bank Limited, and Dr. Najat El Mahdy, Director of HR at Qatar Financial Centre Regulation Authority.

Day 2 of the conference will feature a Business Executives and HR Roundtable (BEHRR), a Women in HR Technology (WiHRT) session moderated by Hannah K-Nyande, and a breakout session on strategic HR support for business success led by John Bernatovicz, Founder of Willory.

The theme for this year's event is "A Global Discourse on Exploring the Emergence and Dynamics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Resource Technologies in Africa."