AI is pushing HR into a more strategic role across modern businesses. That message came from HiBob CEO and Co-founder Ronni Zehavi, speaking to NYSE Live.
Zehavi said AI now affects more than daily productivity. It can reshape company structures, workflows, and leadership models. For telecom and VoIP teams, that point feels familiar. Automation already changes support desks, network operations, and customer communications.
However, Zehavi believes many companies still measure AI too narrowly. They track usage, tokens, and adoption rates. Yet they often miss the larger business question. What does AI change inside the organization itself?
That question matters as AI agents become workplace participants. These agents can handle tasks, suggest decisions, and support employees. They may also alter reporting lines and team structures.
Zehavi explained the challenge clearly: “The big change is when people and agents will have to work together in the future. What’s the right way to build the bridges between both of them?”
This shift could place pressure on middle management. Zehavi suggested companies may need fewer traditional management layers. That does not mean managers vanish. Their roles may move toward coaching, coordination, and decision quality.
For HR departments, the change brings both opportunity and risk. HR can move beyond administration and workforce support. It can help leaders redesign jobs, skills, and team structures.
At the same time, the task is complex. HR teams must understand technology impacts before disruption spreads. They also need closer alignment with IT leaders.
Research from Cornerstone supports that view. The study, conducted with Vanson Bourne, surveyed more than 2,000 leaders and employees. It found that aligned HR and IT teams react faster to workforce change.
Organizations with strong collaboration respond 15% faster, according to the research. They are also 67% more likely to make timely workforce decisions. Yet only 35% jointly decide on automation and AI investments.
That gap should concern business and technology leaders. AI projects often start inside IT. But they quickly affect skills, staffing, training, and culture. Those areas sit closer to the CHRO than the CIO.
For telecom operators and unified communications providers, the lesson is practical. AI adoption cannot remain a platform decision only. It must include workforce planning, service design, and customer experience goals.
Zehavi’s view places people at the center of AI transformation. He argues employees remain the key business asset. AI may increase speed and reduce manual work. But organizations still need people to guide change responsibly.
The larger message is clear. HR should not simply support AI adoption after deployment. It should help design how people and intelligent systems work together. Companies that do this well may adapt faster. Those that delay may face confusion, skill gaps, and weaker execution.
