Three quarters (75%) of HR leaders also reported that AI and digital labour will increase the need for soft skills at their organisation, according to research commissioned by software company Salesforce. These skills included relationship building, collaboration and adaptability.
In partnership with the market research firm NewtonX, Salesforce polled 200 chief human resource officers (CHROs) and chief people officers (CPOs).
In related news, research published today (6 May) by talent development company Hemsley Fraser shows 67% of business leaders agreeing that human skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving and innovation, are essential when adopting AI into the workforce.
To support employees in adopting AI into their work, business and HR leaders should look further than AI training, said Jon Fletcher, Hemsley Fraser's chief technology officer.
He told HR magazine: “Rather than just offering AI training, [HR leaders should] create hands-on spaces where employees can safely explore and experiment with AI tools relevant to their work. Think of this like a 'sandbox' for innovation. People learn best by doing, not by passively absorbing information.”
Read more: Shopify memo links AI to performance
HR leaders should redefine how they value skills, added Dominic Holmes, principal, value and strategy EMEA at software provider Cornerstone On Demand.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “HR and business leaders must adopt a bold, human-centred approach. The key lies not just in focusing on the technology itself but in redefining how we value and cultivate skills. That means building consensus around the fact that so-called 'soft' skills, like creativity and adaptability, are the hardest to learn, the most demanding to deliver, and absolutely essential in an AI-driven world.
“We need to reimagine the future of talent through a skills-based lens, rather than relying on outdated job titles. AI adoption is transforming how work is done, so we must move beyond simply assessing 'job fit' and instead focus on individuals’ growth potential, their ability to thrive in a human-digital partnership. Today’s workforce has not yet developed deep competency in these new ways of working. That’s why we need to step back and focus on identifying people with the potential to grow.”
Research findings by Hemsley Fraser also found that AI adoption is causing anxiety for 32% of women and 26% of men.
A further three quarters (73%) of workers are unaware of how AI will impact their work, Salesforce's findings showed.
Read more: Soft skills exaggerated in HR
To successfully implement agentic AI into the workforce, HR and business leaders should start by identifying problems, stated Vrijen Attawar, CEO of career growth platform Careerspan.
Attawar told HR magazine: “Implementing agentic AI – systems that can autonomously perform complex workflows with minimal human intervention – requires starting with clear problem identification rather than technology-first thinking. Autonomous systems excel at streamlining repetitive processes like candidate sourcing, interview scheduling, and initial resume filtering. But their implementation must be guided by specific workforce challenges you're trying to solve. Identify which HR functions could benefit from autonomous execution, then carefully design an agentic system with appropriate guardrails and human touchpoints.
“Where organisations get into trouble is when they give agentic AI systems full autonomy over consequential decisions without appropriate human oversight. Each step in the agentic flow needs to be vetted, to ensure consistent output both at individual steps and at the system level. Interpretability and explainability are absolutely critical when shifting to AI-dominant decision-making, both for reliable outcomes and for building trust while reducing reputational risk.”
Salesforce conducted an online survey in partnership with the market research firm NewtonX among 200 CHROs and CPOs. Hemsley Fraser surveyed 1,000 business decision-makers in the UK between 5 and 10 February 2025.
