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Human resource leaders have been urged to reposition themselves as drivers of workforce transformation as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and other emerging technologies reshape jobs, redefine skill requirements and alter employee expectations globally.
Speakers at this year’s Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM) conference cautioned that organisations risked losing competitiveness if they failed to invest in digital readiness, continuous learning and adaptive workforce strategies to respond to the rapidly changing world of work.
They said technological disruption, economic uncertainty and evolving labour market demands required a fundamental shift in how organisations attract, develop and retain talent, with human resource professionals expected to play a leading role in managing the transition.
The speakers were the Chief Human Resources Officer of MTN Ghana, Esi Wilson; the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Stephen Owusu and the Vice-Chairperson of the Public Services Commission, Dr Stella Agyenim-Boateng.
They challenged HR leaders to take the lead in preparing Ghana’s workforce for a future in which AI, automation and other technological advances are expected to disrupt nearly a quarter of today’s jobs globally by 2030.
They also said the responsibility of guiding organisations through the transition now rested heavily on HR leaders, who must support business leaders, manage workforce expectations and sustain productivity amid uncertainty.
The conference, held in Accra yesterday on the theme, “Advancing Human Resource Excellence in Ghana: Leadership, Technology and Governance,” highlighted the growing impact of AI, automation and emerging technologies on jobs, skills and workplace structure.
Speaking on “HR Transformation in the AI Era: Technology, Future Skills and the New Employee Value Proposition,” Ms Wilson said organisations were already experiencing major shifts in work patterns, with some tasks automated, others requiring new capabilities and many roles being redefined.
She said the question was no longer whether AI would transform work.
“It already has. The real question is whether people, organisations and HR are ready to lead the transformation,” she said.
Citing the 2025 World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, she said 22 per cent of current jobs were expected to be disrupted by 2030, with 117 million new jobs created and 92 million displaced.
She added that nearly 40 per cent of workers’ core skills would change within the same period, requiring organisations to rethink workforce planning and capability development.
Representing the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, Mr Owusu said the most valuable resource of any nation was its people, not its natural resources or infrastructure.
He said the government had prioritised education and skills development through investments in foundational learning, STEM education, technical and vocational education and training, teacher development, digital learning and lifelong learning programmes, he added.
The Deputy GES DG said AI, automation and robotics were reshaping the future of work and required stronger alignment between education and labour market needs.
For her part, Dr Agyenim-Boateng encouraged organisations to strengthen systems that prevent and address workplace sexual harassment.
She said many victims remained silent due to fear of retaliation, power imbalance, cultural pressures and lack of trust in reporting systems.
