The CHRO strategic comeback starts with the people and AI tango

As the year gains momentum, it becomes clear what pressures are already taking shape for our customers. 2026 is quickly revealing itself as another year of the “never normal” for CHROs, with geopolitical, economic, workforce, and technological uncertainties piling up. Amid these headwinds, CHROs need to manage delicate balances between organizsations and their people. 

The more I studied research and trends, the more I realized one thing emerged as the key constraint: CHROs still need to work on how CEOs and the rest of the C-suite perceive them.  

Here is some evidence: 
 

• Sapient Insights, in its 2025 HR Systems survey, showed that only half of the respondents see HR as a strategic function. CIPD showed this perception to be only slightly better at 60%.  
• In a Gartner survey in 2025, 60% of CHROs themselves indicated that their HR talent lacks the skill to support the business strategically.  
• And in the topic of AI, another Gartner survey shows CEOs have the lowest perception of CHROs when it comes to AI savviness. 

But this is not meant to be a doom-and-gloom blog. There is a way forward. CHROs can elevate their strategic perception by focusing on three key aspects related to the people and AI tango. Let’s have a look. 

AI: Answer the “how much question” 

In previous years, CEOs have shown a strong appetite for AI technology investments. And they are gradually shifting their focus from the “what” of AI (its potential) to the “how much” of AI (its ROI). Latest data from CEO surveys show more clearly the “how much” in both investment and value expectations: 
 

• 7 out of 10 CEOs are anticipating a return on investment in one to three years 
• More than 8 out of 10 CEOs measure ​AI success by cost savings/efficiency 
• 7 out of 10 CEOs are emphasizing clear policies and guidelines for AI use 
• 84% of CEOs say employee experimentation with AI is key 

In our 2026 Dayforce predictions, we acknowledge this shift from possibility to purpose and value. As CEOs embrace AI as a business enabler, CHROs should be at the center of measuring its impact: from accelerating hiring with predictive insights to reducing attrition through data-driven workforce planning.  

CHROs who establish clear metrics for AI use towards outcomes, including cost efficiency, employee engagement, and performance impact, will strengthen their strategic position and demonstrate their contribution to organisational performance. At the same time, these CHROs will often have to say “no” to flashy solutions that do not solve real problems or risk people's trust.  

People: Address culture erosion through scalable development  

Workers know that AI skills are the currency of the future. This has been voiced by the World Economic Forum and in other key reports. ​ Without skills development, the excitement of AI can turn into resistance. People who feel left behind are disengaged, and this disengagement can erode organisational culture. 

​In the Dayforce 16th Annual Pulse of Talent research, 63% said it is somewhat or very important for them to develop AI skills. They see what's coming. They know that the ability to understand and use these tools will shape their careers.​ AI won’t completely displace many people, but the vast majority will have to acquire new skills and new ways of working. 

​But wanting skills and acquiring them are two different things. Most employees and managers feel inadequately prepared. In our research, 84% of employees and 64% of managers reported not receiving any AI training on the job in the past year. Only 17% of organisations currently offer training programs to people whose jobs are impacted by AI.​ 

​Finding scalable ways to embed skills development, career planning, and internal mobility into the flow of work is a key challenge and an opportunity for CHROs to demonstrate strategic impact. CHROs should drive a recalibration of the skills and talent management process and tech stack. Fragmented process ownership, dispersed features across multiple technology solutions, and irrelevant experiences outside of the flow of work mean little in terms of meaningful outcomes.   

​CHROs who see skills and talent development as a concrete workflow and not as a loosely coupled portfolio will succeed in combining the excitement of their CEOs around AI with that of their people. This is the recipe for truly resilient organisations. 

People + AI: Evolve their tango through strategic workforce planning  

In 2026, we will see a call for true transformation. This requires a clear understanding of technology. But it won’t come from technology alone. The most effective organisations will choreograph this human–technology partnership like a great tango: with intention, trust, and balance.  

Yet organisations and leaders often don’t know where to start with this tango and end up copying others. ​Project Iceberg, a large-scale labor simulation developed by MIT, shows a 5x gap between what is visible today and what is possible with AI.  

Gartner argues that CHROs need to prepare for several human/AI work scenarios, based on how and where AI is deployed. This scenario-planning capability requires stronger data and technology support than infrequent reporting, error-prone analytics, and spreadsheet-based planning. 

Truly strategic CHROs will serve as orchestrators of strategic workforce planning. And that starts with meaningful cross-functional engagement. CHROs should mobilize their HR business partners and other teams as business-savvy problem solvers, not as guardians of processes and policies.  

For example, as AI becomes embedded across the enterprise, the line between technology strategy and people strategy will continue to blur. As AI becomes more agentic, managers will be required to account for both people and AI resources – and need help to find the optimal balance between them. As AI capabilities evolve rapidly, CHROs should become champions of agility.  

Embrace 2026 as the year of opportunity 

CHROs have a clear opportunity in 2026 to redefine how they are perceived in the C-suite: 
 

• By translating AI ambition into measurable value 
• By rebuilding people's trust and workforce culture through scalable skills development 
• By orchestrating a more intentional partnership between people and AI 

Those who move beyond fragmented initiatives and lead with outcomes, data, and cross-functional collaboration will not only navigate the “never normal” but firmly re-establish HR as a true strategic partner to the business.