SHRM recently released a list of seven HR trends. We spoke to SHRM Executive Network Members to see what resonated the most among these trends and how leaders plan to approach these topics in the year ahead.
Read how fellow HR leaders view the trends of artificial intelligence hype, workforce fragmentation, polyworking, and AI coaching.
Trend 1: AI Hype
CHROs everywhere are feeling pressure to keep up with the tsunami that is AI adoption. However, a mere 17% of HR professionals reported that their company’s AI implementation is “highly successful.” Suffice it to say, there’s a lot more questions than answers when it comes to AI hype.
“I think we’re swinging the pendulum too far when it comes to AI. I wish we would have a more measured approach to it,” said Steve Browne, SHRM-SCP, chief people officer at LaRosa's Inc., a restaurant chain in Ohio and Indiana with 11 locations.
Browne said he believes HR leaders should view AI as a tool that supports existing work. He encouraged leaders to consider: How can we make AI applicable versus being enamored by what AI can do?
“AI is in our HRIS [human resource information system] and our recruitment system, and we’re considering it for our customer service and our call center. The bigger area where we’re using it is in our growth strategy to help crunch the numbers in terms of where we should grow as a company,” Browne said.
The HR team at APG Federal Credit Union (APGFCU) is also integrating AI into their recruitment process, along with real connection with HR staff.
Teshia Davis, chief people officer at APGFCU, said she believes it’s critical to keep the human element in the recruiting process.
“AI may accelerate the recruiting process, but it will never replace the power of empathy, insight, and genuine human engagement,” Davis said. “Great talent deserves more than an algorithm; it deserves conversation, care, and a recruitment experience that honors the individual.”
For Amy Cleveland, chief administrative officer at Pierce Transit, the public transportation agency for Pierce County in Washington, AI has the potential to increase employee safety.
“We have technology on our buses, and there are AI features that we can turn on that we think would improve our safety record. For example, there are features that would alert drivers who seem to be fatigued or distracted in some way,” she said.
Cleveland acknowledged that AI brings compliance risks but said she believes it’s worth exploring the ways AI can help improve HR processes.
“On the HR side of things, I do think there are real opportunities, but people are hesitant, because I think that they are worried that it makes us look lazy. I would love it if people would start to embrace some of these useful tools a bit more,” Cleveland said.
She said she believes there are opportunities for HR to utilize AI to answer employees’ questions about benefits and open enrollment.
"I used it this morning for tax purposes: I wanted to compare a two-income family to a one-income earner. In HR, you're faced with those sorts of questions every day of your life. I think we have to start saving time and using tools that are available to us,” Cleveland said.
One concern among leaders is keeping up with the pace of AI. Chris Courneen, senior vice president and global head of HR at MS International, a building materials distributor, said he sees two potential pitfalls.
“I worry that if you make the wrong strategic decision in where to invest in this, this will lead to reduced capital expenditure, decreased budget, and the belief that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Not because it’s impossible to keep up with the pace of change, but because you couldn’t demonstrate the ROI [return on investment],” Courneen said.
The other possible pitfall he perceives is that organizations will fail at keeping up with AI if they put this task on only one person or group.
“If you make an AI committee the gatekeeper, I think you’re going to fail. You want guardrails to protect the business, but you want all the people in the business to be part of this,” Courneen said. “For us, we created AI internships — we ask them to go to demos, do research and development, then present to their business unit where the technology is today.”
Trend 2: Workforce Fragmentation
We’re seeing workplaces set their own unique policies to adapt to today’s changing workforce needs, leading to fragmentation. Some organizations are adopting a one-size-fits-all policy when it comes to in-person versus remote work, whereas others are choosing to adopt policies based on business unit needs or manager preferences.
As a pizzeria, LaRosa’s never went remote or hybrid during the pandemic.
“When I look at workforce fragmentation, I think we’re looking at the wrong thing. Instead of focusing on performance, we look at where they’re working,” Browne said. “If I think you’re doing great work for the company and you feel you’re adding value to the company, that should evolve over time, instead of ‘Here’s a mandate that says I can control your work.’ I hear a lot of CHROs trying to do things very rigidly — it’s not sustainable, and it never was.”
He said he believes workplaces need to instead focus on strengthening peer-to-peer relationships.
“We’re not looking at the working relationship between people. If I have a good relationship, we can get ahold of each other and we can get our work done no matter where the employee is,” Browne said. “We can eliminate the variability of workforce fragmentation by having a better relationship with peers.”
At Pierce Transit, managers set ground rules for whether employees work remotely or in person. The company policy is not one-size-fits-all.
“We still hear some level of unhappiness from employees, because some managers have said, ‘Three days, you must come in to the office,’ and others have provided more flexibility. My view is: Those are complexities that I can live with,” Cleveland said.
As an HR leader, her focus is more on the enduring issue of ensuring employees feel connected, regardless of where they’re working. Cleveland said she believes that creating onsite events is critical for preventing feelings of isolation, especially for remote employees. Leadership team events are conducted in person to encourage relationship building.
“What people really want is a job that matters, and I don’t think that will change. If we can focus on those enduring things, that brings me a little bit of steadiness and calm amongst the storm that is going to continue,” Cleveland said.
Beyond tracking employee engagement scores year-over-year, her HR team is also focused on ensuring employees are utilizing their company’s wellness offerings. They accomplished this by creating an incentive program.
“If you want people to participate in your wellness program, give them something that's tangible,” Cleveland advised.
When Pierce Transit employees participate in wellness program activities and take an annual wellness survey, the company provides two additional paid days off per year called wellness days. The majority of its employees are bus drivers, which is a physically and mentally stressful job.
“Their unplanned absence rate is pretty high, so it was obvious to me there’s something behind that. They’re very dedicated employees, dedicated to providing safe service. That comes at a cost,” Cleveland said. “In this year’s survey, I learned that our employees don’t know the level of mental health benefits that we provide to them already. That gives us the opportunity to do some communication campaigns.”
Trend 3: Polyworking
Holding multiple jobs, or polyworking, is a growing strategy for employees seeking financial stability. According to SHRM’s October 2025 Current Events Pulse survey of HR professionals and U.S. workers, nearly three-quarters of U.S. workers said that they either currently have a side hustle (42%) or previously had a side hustle (31%).
An estimated 5% of U.S. workers hold multiple jobs, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When it comes to supporting this segment of the workforce, it’s all about being proactive. Establish moonlighting policies early to set guidelines for what is and is not acceptable.
“Leading in the polyworking era means staying proactive, not just reactive. With evolving work models and rising employee expectations, it’s crucial to build policies that support engagement, trust, and retention," said Aka Ali-Kerr, director of HR for Andaz Miami Beach, a Hyatt hotel.
Trend 4: AI Coaching
AI-led coaching offers the potential to turn the traditional review process into a more timely, personalized feedback process. This is especially intriguing given the research: Companies that prioritize employee performance are 4.2 times more likely to outperform peers.
However, Browne cautioned HR leaders to be mindful of the pitfalls of using AI as a performance coach. You may need to coach the AI tooI to focus on performance gaps.
"AI is very affirming, so it’ll always give you the positive. If you prompt it the right way, it’ll affirm where you’re going. A lot of coaching, historically, in HR has been on gaps rather than strengths,” he said.
When preparing for the year ahead, remember the importance of human intelligence when using AI tools for HR tasks.
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