HR Tech Europe 2026 is closing out its two-day run in Amsterdam as a genuinely partaking occasion.
Not solely did hundreds attend, however nearly each session, not simply the keynotes, was oversubscribed, displaying simply how keen attendees are to soak up as a lot perception as potential.
That’s as a result of, like many features, AI stands to remodel HR considerably. Gartner helps the prediction that by 2030, as much as 60% of HR duties may very well be dealt with by clever brokers.
The opening keynote from Byron Clayton, Chief Individuals and Planet Officer at Pandora, made clear that AI is a central focus for the HR sector. Nonetheless, it additionally highlighted how complicated that dialog has turn into. For instance, Pandora set itself a objective of producing 200 million euros in measurable worth by way of its folks operate.
With so many layers now shaping the AI dialogue, and new challenges rising, we compiled the core themes from our conversations that stood out at present, together with one that might quickly take middle stage.
Proving HR’s Worth to the Enterprise
The stress on HR to show industrial influence dominated conversations throughout a number of classes. Laura Fink, Individuals and Tradition Director at HiBob, argued that the shift to AI has made the necessity to show influence extra pressing, not much less:
“There has by no means been extra give attention to industrial influence. If we wish a seat on the desk, we have to guarantee these packages proceed to obtain funding.”
She inspired HR professionals to work backward from enterprise priorities, linking folks initiatives on to income, productiveness, price, and velocity to worth.
Clayton strengthened this with information. Pandora’s recruitment transformation, Olivia, constructed with AI hiring platform Paradox and evaluation instrument Harver, delivered a 64% discount in recruitment administration, lowered time to rent from 38 days to fifteen, and generated 35 million euros in further worth within the US alone. Attrition has since fallen by 25%.
“This isn’t a narrative about folks packages. This can be a story about creating tangible, measurable enterprise worth,” he mentioned.
AI Adoption and Actual-World Affect
The AI dialog has matured considerably in comparison with earlier years, and HR is not any exception. Anders Holmberg, CRO at Eletive, famous the shift: “Final 12 months, folks had been asking what they might do with AI. Now everyone seems to be utilizing AI to some extent, however asking how you can take it to the following degree.”
Gianpaolo Barozzi, VP and CTO for Individuals, Coverage and Goal at Cisco, supplied one of the detailed accounts of large-scale AI adoption. Cisco has deployed AI instruments throughout greater than 80,000 workers utilizing a federated strategy. Crucially, Barozzi reframed AI’s function:
“AI isn’t impacting expertise. It’s impacting work, after which the abilities it’s good to try this work.”
Cisco constructed an engine that maps each job function in opposition to core work actions, figuring out the place AI may be utilized instantly and making a shared language for discussing work throughout the group.
Michael Neefs, Nation Gross sales Supervisor for Belgium and Luxembourg at Cornerstone OnDemand, pointed to the same shift. Cornerstone has developed a Workforce AI stack able to consolidating information from third-party techniques, together with CRMs and ERPs.
“We’re absolutely conscious that it isn’t about one system doing the whole lot,” he mentioned.
Worker Engagement and the Human Ingredient
Regardless of the give attention to know-how, the significance of the human aspect remained a constant theme.
The backdrop is regarding. A current Gallup report discovered US employee engagement at a decade low. This issues within the context of AI, as any measurable positive aspects from AI may very well be undermined by declining engagement.
Georgia Portwain, Tradition and Engagement Strategist at O.C. Tanner, mentioned this concern dominated conversations on the stand:
“Know-how is an enabler, however we are able to have all of the tech on this planet and nonetheless have folks feeling disconnected. Workers have to really feel seen, acknowledged, and psychologically secure. These are issues AI can’t construct.”
Isha Smith, World VP of Complete Rewards at SoundCloud, mentioned rebuilding engagement after a interval of decline. Following a management change in 2023, SoundCloud launched a targeted effort to enhance engagement. Its engagement rating has since risen by 19 factors, reaching 75% by December 2025, whereas common tenure elevated from round two years to 4 years.
Accountable AI and Governance
Governance emerged as a constant undercurrent, with audio system emphasizing that accountable deployment is as necessary as velocity.
Barozzi was direct. “You could begin constructing your accountable AI ideas. You could resolve what you’ll permit AI to do and what you’ll not.” He really helpful beginning with routine processes however urged organizations to maneuver shortly past them. “After you have achieved this, it’s good to perceive how AI is essentially altering how your folks work.”
Cornerstone’s Neefs famous that his group is among the many first HR tech firms licensed underneath the EU AI Act, which is able to turn into a key consideration for patrons when it comes into power in August.
The Future: Why HR Will Not Simply Deploy, However Handle AI
A lot of HR Tech Europe targeted on how HR can assist people navigate AI-driven change. Nonetheless, one dialog pointed additional forward and gained the occasion’s startup award.
Michael Beygelman, Founder and CEO of Insygna, introduced a imaginative and prescient of what the following section of AI in HR might appear to be. AI brokers at the moment are executing duties inside enterprise techniques, making choices, dealing with workflows, and interacting with prospects, typically with out human involvement. But they exist largely outdoors the accountability buildings organizations have constructed for human staff.
Beygelman’s idea, Agentic Workforce Administration, goals to offer HR higher management over these brokers:
“Firms have already got a governance infrastructure for how you can handle folks, and so we’re basically making a doppelganger infrastructure to do related for brokers, which then permits the CIO to be the financial purchaser, however HR to be the system proprietor.”
This highlights not solely how the AI dialog in HR is evolving, but in addition how HR is changing into a key stakeholder not simply in AI deployment, however in its ongoing administration.
The rise of AI can be creating authorized dangers that HR is answerable for mitigating. For instance, Workday is at the moment embroiled in a US court docket case over allegations that its AI acted in a discriminatory method when evaluating candidates for a 3rd occasion.
The broader theme of the occasion was HR adapting to the brand new AI actuality. Firms like Insygna, nevertheless, are starting to ask how AI will change what HR is answerable for.
