Will HR Be Replaced by AI or Will the Human Touch Stay?

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Let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t replacing HR. It’s redefining its most valuable work.

This shift isn’t down the road—it’s already happening. Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that 4,000 jobs were cut due to AI-related reasons out of the over 80,000 job losses. And since the launch of many AI tools, some companies have openly admitted to using them to replace employees. Take IBM: In 2025, it introduced AskHR, an internal AI tool that now handles 94% of routine HR queries, everything from leave requests to pay slip information.¹

But here’s the thing: AI still has limits, especially when it comes to human connection.

So the real question isn’t, “Will AI change or replace HR?”

It’s, “How can HR lead this change and make it count?”

What AI Can (and Can’t) Do for HR

AI’s strength lies in pattern recognition, scale, and speed. It can screen resumes in seconds, write job descriptions, and even identify retention risks. Tools like HireVue and Harver already use AI to assess candidate fit based on behavioural data and psychometric models.²

Korn Ferry’s 2025 Talent Trends report confirms that leading HR teams are using AI to reduce friction in the candidate journey and enable faster, data-backed hiring decisions.³

But here’s the edge: AI doesn’t build trust. It doesn’t mentor. It doesn’t lead change. And it doesn’t earn the respect of a leadership team navigating uncertainty.

That’s why the most effective HR teams won’t outsource decision-making to algorithms. They will use AI to amplify human judgment, not replace it.

Talent Segmentation as the Catalyst for Striking the Balance Between HR and AI

AI isn’t about replacing every step of recruitment—it’s about amplifying what works.

That’s where talent segmentation comes in. It’s the practice of dividing your candidate pool into smaller, more manageable groups based on common traits, like experience level, job type, or location. Segmentation isn’t a new concept in HR. But when paired with AI, it gets a major upgrade.

Instead of sifting manually through hundreds of profiles, recruiters can focus their time where it matters most: building real relationships with the right people.

Strategies on How to Use Segmentation to Improve HR Recruitment

When using AI and applying talent segmentation to your recruitment process, it’s important to consider the following strategies:

1. Use Tech in Areas Where It Can Perform At Its Best

Not all roles require the same level of nuance.

For high-volume roles with clear, objective criteria, like work eligibility, availability, or basic qualifications, AI is a great fit. It can screen candidates quickly and accurately, saving recruiters hours of repetitive work (and countless phone calls).

DBS Bank is a standout example.⁴ Their AI-driven tool, Job Intelligence Maestro (JIM), developed with impress.ai, reviews resumes, conducts psychometric testing, and flags high-risk candidates. The result?⁵

75% reduction in time-to-hire
40 recruiter hours saved monthly
880+ hires made across Asia

But when it comes to senior or strategic roles, the rules change. These hires require a deeper evaluation, encompassing cultural fit, strategic vision, and leadership potential. No algorithm can replace the insight and empathy that come from a human recruiter’s conversation.

Takeaway: Let AI handle scale while HR professionals handle nuance.

2. Consider the Candidate’s Experience

Segmentation should also consider how different candidates interact with your hiring process.

For example, using chatbots may speed up screening for factory roles, but some candidates might not respond well to automated systems. In contrast, applicants for tech-related roles are usually more comfortable engaging with AI.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to fill executive roles, it’s important to note that these candidates are not typically actively applying for jobs. Instead, they expect personal outreach and meaningful dialogue, not automated messages. These candidates require nuanced conversation, and therefore, human interaction is required.

Insight: Tailor your engagement to the expectations of each segment. A one-size-fits-all experience turns the best candidates away.

3. Segment Your Hiring Process

Segmentation isn’t just about roles. It also applies to your recruitment process.

Even before a job is posted, AI can support early planning by helping craft better job descriptions or analysing location-based requirements. Once hiring begins, technology can streamline repetitive tasks like interview scheduling or coordinating calendars.

A great example: FloCareer partnered with ThisWay Global and IBM watsonx Orchestrate to revamp their hiring workflow. AI handled candidate matching, removed bias, and managed scheduling, allowing recruiters to focus on meaningful conversations and better hiring decisions.⁶

Key point: Smart segmentation combines automation and attention, letting recruiters focus on people, not processes.

4. Personal Touch Still Matters

Even if AI handles parts of your recruiting, it shouldn’t replace real human interaction.

Candidates want to feel connected to the people they’ll work with. Without that, they’re more likely to leave for a better offer elsewhere. Humans are social—we need to feel that we belong.

Onboarding is a great time to create that connection. A simple message like “We’re excited to have you onboard” or a welcome note before their first day can make a big difference. That human touch helps build long-term engagement.

Final takeaway: Technology enhances the journey. But it’s the human moments that make it meaningful.

Ensuring the Ethical Use of AI in Talent Acquisition

AI promises speed and scale, but without strong ethical guardrails, it risks amplifying the very biases hiring teams have long sought to eliminate.

Bias doesn’t vanish when a machine takes over; in fact, it often becomes less visible and harder to correct. AI models trained on historical hiring data can inherit outdated prejudices, disfavouring candidates based on their school, postcode, employment gaps, or demographic profile.

The consequence? Qualified candidates get filtered out before they even get a chance. Over time, these small biases compound, resulting in less diverse teams, reputational damage, and recruitment processes that feel anything but fair.

A notorious example is Amazon’s 2015 AI recruitment tool, which was trained on a decade of resumes mostly submitted by men. The system began to favour male candidates, reinforcing gender bias rather than reducing it.⁷

How Singapore Addresses the AI Bias

As more businesses in Singapore adopt AI for recruitment, ethical oversight is becoming a priority.⁸ The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued guidelines on the use of Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDTs) to ensure fair practices.

If AI-driven decisions result in discriminatory outcomes, job seekers can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). TAFEP works with employers to address grievances and ensure hiring and appraisal processes stay aligned with Singapore’s fair employment principles.

How Businesses in Singapore Can Address the AI Bias in Their Recruitment Process

So, if you want to use AI responsibly in recruitment, you’ll need more than good intentions. You need guardrails:

Regular audits to check for bias and adjust models accordingly.
Clear boundaries around where AI adds value and where it must stop.
Transparency so candidates understand how decisions are made, and hiring managers remain accountable for their outcomes.

Hiring is high-stakes. If AI is going to be part of the process, it must be designed and deployed with care because fairness isn’t automatic, even when the process is.

Empowering HR to Lead in the Age of AI

AI doesn’t eliminate the need for HR—it magnifies the need for HR to evolve.

At Korn Ferry Academy, we help HR professionals build the future through skills that blend AI fluency with strategic judgment. Our HR AI course, Driving HR Efficiency Through AI and Tech, equips teams to:

Integrate AI into recruitment, performance, and workforce planning
Make tech decisions that align with human values
Lead digital transformation without losing the human core

And for those ready to make workforce data a strategic lever, sign up for our talent analytics course. Our Talent Analytics for Decision Making programme teaches HR leaders how to turn data into action, from succession planning to predictive attrition models.

AI may be the disruptor, but HR is the designer.

The future won’t belong to those who fear AI. It will belong to those who use it to amplify what humans do best: connect, lead, and create lasting impact.

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