We need the young HR generation to think differently about the mandate and the role of HR - Interview with Dr. Dieter Veldsman (AIHR)

This year's Christmas Special is approaching. As in previous years, we will introduce the keynote speakers in a series of interviews, allowing participants to get an idea of who they are and what topics they will cover in advance. My interviewee for today is Dr. Dieter Veldsman, Chief Scientist for HR & OD at the Academy to Innovate HR. He is a well-known consultant in the field of HR management and a frequently requested keynote speaker. The title of his keynote is “HR Priorities 2026: Market signals, strategy shifts & steps to lead the AI-powered workforce”. Drawing on research, market insights, and practical foresight, his keynote will examine the forces that will shape HR’s priorities in 2026. He will outline the concrete actions leaders, scholars, and practitioners must take to navigate and lead with impact. That's why I'm thrilled that she will be keynoting at this year's HR Innovation Day.

Peter: First of all, thank you for enriching this year's Christmas Special of HR Innovation Day with a keynote. Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?
Dieter: Thanks, Peter, I'm really looking forward to the session. As mentioned, my name is Dr. Dieter Veldsman, and I am the Chief HR Scientist at The Academy to Innovate HR, as well as a Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg. I am a former CHRO and have always been interested in human behavior and its impact on work and organizations. I was born and raised in South Africa, but have been living in Europe for the last four years. I have had the privilege of working with organizations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas over the past 18 years, on various initiatives related to HR and Organizational Development.

Peter: I assume that not all participants are familiar with the Academy. Could you briefly introduce it?
Dieter: At AIHR, we conduct research, provide advisory services, and develop solutions to help HR professionals acquire the skills necessary to make a meaningful impact on the future of work. Practically, we work with individual HR professionals and more than 1,200 organizations in over 200 countries to help with HR strategy, audits, and capability-building programs. Our core product is an HR career development platform that is built by HR professionals for HR professionals - over the last six years, we have had more than 65 000 HR professionals on the platform engaging with courses from global instructors, attending weekly live events and webinars, accessing the resource library, and using various AI tools in their daily work.

Peter: In view of the current, sometimes quite controversial discussions, what do you understand by AI-powered workforce?
Dieter: For me, there are two different perspectives here. The first relates to the augmentation of humans and AI technologies as the workforce of the future. Realistically, we will see a greater incorporation of AI technologies into work, and as organizations, we need to start thinking about what work needs to be done by human beings and what work will be done by AI. Second, for me, this also refers to how we enable and equip human beings to be able to use AI responsibly and ethically in their daily work. Building this AI fluency is similar to the introduction of MS Office for knowledge workers so many years ago - how do we make AI part of what we naturally use to do work, and as an extension of our human capability and capacity.

Peter: In this context, you refer to five megatrends redefining the HR landscape. Could you say something about this at this point?
Dieter: Every year, we publish our HR Trends and Priorities report based on our client conversations and various data sources. For 2026, we focused specifically on five areas:

• How HR needs to help co-lead the AI transformation in organizations, which entails how we approach AI strategy, governance, skills, change, and technology
• The debate on how we redesign, reskill, and reframe organizational capacity based on benefits leveraged through AI
• Moving to more integrated skills-based workforce strategies, with a significant impact on how leadership is changing in flatter organizational designs
• Rethinking and reframing HR Operating Models and cross-functional working through realizing new technology opportunities
• Building AI fluency in the workforce as a core capability for HR professionals

Peter: The participants in the event come primarily from HR departments. What can HR do to successfully introduce AI solutions within their own departments and companies?
Dieter: We have to play two roles here. The first is how we enable AI readiness in the organization. This implies a few key points related to helping organizations understand why they want to use AI and how that aligns with business outcomes - not just using AI for its own sake. In this role, we also have a key responsibility in managing the AI narrative, redesigning work, and guiding people through the change and skilling processes. Second, we should also educate, equip, and expose our own HR teams to AI, intentionally building our own AI fluency, and integrate AI into how HR works. We should also lead the conversations on ethical and responsible use.

Peter: Users of AI - especially in HR departments - report employees' fears. How can these be effectively countered? 
Dieter: We have seen “AI anxiety” leading to technostress and also being caused by FOBO - the fear of becoming obsolete. Realistically, we need to address the fear first and help people understand how, as an organization, we plan to utilize AI and what the impact and implications of that will be. Importantly, it is necessary to have a transparent narrative to combat the “AI is taking our jobs” narrative, which is a much more nuanced issue and not as straightforward as the headlines make it out to be. As with many new technologies, it is changing how we work, which means we need new skills but will also require to rethink what jobs look like. So, will AI change your job - most definitely and that is a good thing, but it will require us to reframe and reshuffle how we think about work and jobs today.

Peter: Younger HR professionals will also be attending the event. What can you tell them? Do you have any special recommendations for them?
Dieter: This is such an important time to be in HR - we are on the cusp of entering a new era of work, similar to how we now view the first and second industrial revolutions. We need the young HR generation to think differently about the mandate and the role of HR and help us enter a new chapter for our profession - one that helps organizations and individuals flourish in an increasingly uncertain world.

Peter: Finally, a question I'd like to ask all the speakers. Why are you keynoting at the HR Innovation Day 2025?
Dieter: I believe in the power of ideas and how narrative can shape the future. I want to contribute to the HR profession in any way I can, and as part of the innovation day, I hope to do so by allowing today and tomorrows HR professionals to think differently about our beautiful profession.

Peter: Thank you very much for your support our event. I look forward to listen to your insights.

My interviewee, Dr. Dieter Veldsman is an award-winning expert in organizational psychology and human resources, boasting a distinguished 18-year career in Strategic HR, Organizational Design, and Development. He has held pivotal roles such as Group Chief Human Resource Officer, People Effectiveness Executive, and Principal Consultant, significantly impacting organizations across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. Dr. Veldsman's contributions to the HR field have earned him prestigious accolades, including the 'Chief HR Officer of the Year' by the CHRO SA Society in 2021 and the 'Practitioner of the Year Award' by the Society for Industrial Psychology South Africa in 2018. He also serves as Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg. A sought-after global speaker, Dr. Veldsman addresses key topics such as HR, the Future of Work, and Organizational Development. He also hosts "The HR Dialogues," a compelling videocast where he engages with top HR professionals worldwide, sharing invaluable insights and experiences. Over the past 18 years, he has spoken at over 120 conferences and published 140+ articles on HR and the future of work, along with 25 academic chapters and articles, and three books. Currently, as the Chief HR Scientist at the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), Dr. Veldsman leads the Advisory and Insights Lab.