Filipino HR leaders are under pressure to adapt as sweeping changes in technology and workforce expectations redefine the future of work.

The rise of AI is seemingly pushing HR professionals to lead digital transformation, redesign workforce strategies, and delivery business outcomes fast.

In fact, a 2024 Microsoft study found that roles in HR and operations are among the top non-technical occupations that are steadily adding AI skills to their aptitude.

The same report also showed that 66% of business leaders are not keen on hiring employees who do not have AI skills.

The numbers indicate that organisations are changing their compensation strategies to prioritise AI-literate talent. But what specific AI skills will be beneficial to HR professionals?

Must-learn AI skillsets for every Filipino HR leader

With AI adoption accelerating and digital disruption reshaping the workplace, Filipino HR leaders need more than just familiarity with tools – they need strategic, operational, and ethical fluency.

Below are six in-demand AI and digital competencies every HR practitioner should be working on in 2025:

1) AI strategy formulation

HR must help shape the organisation’s AI roadmap, aligning it with business goals. This means understanding how AI can improve productivity, drive cost-efficiency, and enhance the employee experience – then turning that understanding into action.

2) AI governance and ethics oversight

Most AI use cases in the Asia-Pacific region are driven by employees bringing their own tools. This should prompt HR to build skillsets on crafting and maintaining AI governance frameworks and usage policies – things that are important in ensuring ethical AI use.

3) Strategic HR technology implementation

From applicant tracking systems to performance platforms with embedded AI, HR must know how to select, deploy, and optimise technology tools. Doing so would require HR to hone skills that include vendor evaluation, data-driven ROI assessment, and integration into existing workflows.

4) Data fluency and interpretation

With many HR professionals globally feeling underskilled in digital and data skills​, improving data literacy is critical. HR must confidently interpret dashboards, analyse workforce metrics, and turn insights into action that drives value.

5) Predictive workforce analytics

AI enables HR to forecast attrition risks, skills shortages, and engagement trends. Practitioners should be familiar with tools and techniques that enable predictive modelling – and use them to drive proactive and ROI-driven strategies.

6) Redesigning work for AI integration

HR must help leaders identify which roles and tasks can be automated, augmented, or redesigned. A skill that would be handy for this kind of job includes crafting job architecture in an AI-driven environment to support evolving role expectations across the organisations.

AI-powered analytics for the strategic HR leader

According to a recent Mercer study, analytics and workforce planning rank among the top five global HR priorities​ today.

The shift toward data-driven workforce planning means that organisations are becoming more reliant on predictive insights for talent decisions.

Sooner or later, the HR space in the Philippines will need more professionals who can work fluently with AI-powered analytics tools.

Globally, 60% of HR professionals feel underskilled in digital and data skills, while in the Philippines only 28% of employees use AI regularly.

The gap in AI and data skills points to a need for major upskilling programmes for Filipino HR and operations teams.

Some of the skills Filipino HR leaders need include AI governance and strategy, HR technology implementation, data storytelling, and predictive workforce modelling.

Why AI fluency builds trust in the HR function

As AI becomes more embedded in talent decisions – from hiring to performance reviews – HR must also play a key role in protecting fairness, privacy, and transparency.

Employees are more likely to trust HR leaders who not only understand AI tools but can explain how they're used and governed within the organisation.

HR teams fluent in AI can better navigate employee anxieties, ensure ethical deployment, and design guidelines that align with company values.

Credibility is crucial in driving adoption and maintaining confidence across teams – especially in environments where AI is being used to evaluate, promote, or even replace human roles.

Filipino HR leaders who develop strong AI ethics and governance competencies will not just implement smarter systems but build the trust infrastructure needed to lead responsibly in an AI-powered workplace.

AI skills are opening doors to higher roles and higher pay

AI-literate HR leaders are becoming some of the most valuable assets in today’s workforce.

In the Philippines, job listings for HR Business Partner roles increasingly cite data analytics and digital transformation experience as must-haves, not nice-to-haves.

Global data also shows that HR professionals with AI and data skills are more likely to move into strategic leadership roles and command higher compensation.

As companies overhaul their talent strategies, being fluent in AI not only improves your performance – it significantly enhances your career mobility.

For Filipino HR professionals, now is the time to invest in upskilling. Those who embrace this shift stand to gain not just better roles – but stronger influence at the table where business decisions are made.