Strategic workforce intelligence is now pivotal for progressive HR teams that seek genuine influence at the executive level.

Vendors must evidence the gains AI innovations will bring to HR, if they are to make their extra AI investments profitable.

The adoption of AI, HR automation and chatbots is second only to ‘being a strategic business partner’ for HR teams in 2026.

This brings challenges, not just around cost and consolidation, but also of adequate integration across platforms.

Despite the perceived importance of the quality of the employee experience, delivering it with HR’s existing solutions is challenging.

Cloud HR platforms continue to face disruption from specialists that focus on enabling a differentiated people experience.

As we look at the impact of AI on HR, keeping the ‘human in the loop’ is the dominant HR position.

Everything points to growing momentum for AI in HR – although the value is still evolving and its impact varies across processes.

The pendulum continues to swing against HR teams, and the post-COVID headcount bounce has come crashing down.

HR Realities Research 2025: Fosway Group's research is driving unparalleled insight into the realities of HR tech across Europe.