Worldwide, AI is reshaping human resources, and adoption in the Middle East is rising as firms see its value for managing talent and engagement. Driving this shift is PeopleStrong, Asia’s top HR Tech company.
During the HR Summit & Expo, held on October 23-24 at Dubai’s DWTC, Mrigank Tripathi, President of Growth at PeopleStrong, presented a keynote speech titled ‘HR Trends in the Middle East: How AI Will Be a Force Multiplier.’ He discussed how organizations are tackling local and global challenges, leading to a reevaluation of talent management strategies.
Employee Trends: Expectations and Technological Shifts
Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping workplace expectations, with Mrigank noting that ‘25% of Gen Z consider work-life balance the primary reason for choosing an employer.’ This demographic values flexibility, autonomy, and well-being, often pursuing side projects and non-traditional work arrangements.
A significant 45% of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials engage in side hustles or gig work, and many opt for gap years or delay entering the workforce. To effectively engage these groups, companies are moving away from conventional skill development toward a wide-ranging approach that nurtures mind, body, and spirit.
Mrigank remarked, ‘Previously, the focus was on enhancing specific skills. Now, it’s about engaging individuals on all three levels—mind, body, and spirit—to support meaningful connections,’ indicating a shift toward a more personalized and supportive employee experience.
Employer Trends: AI-Powered Solutions for Talent and Skill Management
Employers are also rethinking talent management, with skill-based approaches taking precedence. Organizations are redesigning the employee experience, starting from recruitment, by prioritizing candidates’ skills over traditional job titles.
This evolution enables companies to customize the employee journey using AI tools that suggest personalized upskilling opportunities and promote ongoing learning. Mrigank highlighted, ‘AI systems can guide individuals toward relevant courses and even assign career mentors,’ adding a personalized dimension to career growth.
As PeopleStrong enhances its AI solutions, it becomes clear that AI’s potential to transform HR in the Middle East and globally is only starting to unfold.
In this context, AI can be seen as a tool that enables companies to better align with the evolving needs of today’s workforce, much like how human resource management has evolved over the years to incorporate new technologies and strategies.
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Mrigank stressed the need for a practical approach, stating, ‘At PeopleStrong, we’ve long worked with AI, but our focus is on meeting customer needs rather than changing the world.’ A key AI-driven shift in HR involves AI agents, autonomous entities that handle specific tasks without human input.
These AI agents work independently, performing tasks like drafting job descriptions or evaluating candidates. Mrigank described them as ‘a force multiplier,’ significantly enhancing recruitment efficiency. For instance, AI agents can screen resumes and suggest candidates for further review, allowing recruiters to concentrate on high-value tasks.
Integrating AI across talent management, from recruitment to development, opens new avenues for HR departments. AI can aid in setting goals during performance reviews, identifying critical roles and succession plans, and ensuring talent continuity through successor recommendations.
These features enable a structured, AI-driven approach that is essential for companies aiming to remain competitive in a fast-paced, digital-first environment. While AI holds tremendous promise for HR, its deployment requires a tailored approach. Mrigank believes that “every single company will need a different type of agent; you can’t ask for the same one.”
PeopleStrong’s primary data reveals that 56% of HR leaders feel AI transformation is happening too fast, making it difficult for them to keep up. As a result, companies are focusing on developing AI solutions that meet their specific needs, rather than trying to adopt a generic approach.
The use of AI in HR is becoming increasingly prevalent, with 75% of employees already using AI in some aspects of their work. This shift towards AI-driven productivity tools is driven by the need for companies to improve workforce productivity, with 71% of businesses under pressure from management to achieve this goal.
In this context, AI is being used to track performance and align goals with broader organisational objectives. The use of AI agents is also becoming more widespread, with companies using them to perform tasks such as drafting job descriptions and assessing candidates.
Implementing AI in HR Processes
As companies continue to adopt AI-powered solutions, they are able to enhance operational efficiency and improve workforce productivity. The use of AI agents, for example, can help to automate tasks such as drafting job descriptions and assessing candidates, freeing up recruiters to focus on high-value activities.
