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The world of work is changing, and so too is the role of HR.
Historically, HR has been seen as a function that responds to business needs rather than helping shape them. That dynamic is shifting. Today, powered by data, AI, and predictive modelling, HR is becoming a strategic partner in driving performance and innovation across industries.
In the complex heavy industries that I work with, which include metals, mining, and pulp and paper, this transformation is essential. These industries are facing acute pressure to decarbonize, digitalize, and compete for a new generation of talent. Aligning workforce strategy with business strategy is no longer a nice-to-have but a defining factor in long-term competitiveness and resilience.
Embracing HR intelligence that anticipates
The traditional model of HR, often reliant on anecdotal insights or lagging indicators, simply doesn’t cut it in today’s environment. Business leaders need real-time, actionable data to make decisions that impact performance and long-term viability.
Across the industry, AI-driven tools are becoming increasingly valuable in surfacing early indicators of disengagement, absenteeism, and attrition risk, enabling managers to intervene proactively and improve retention before problems escalate. Similarly, predictive models are helping to map emerging skills gaps against future business needs, ensuring talent pipelines are aligned with strategic goals.
By analyzing hiring trends and internal skills data, we can anticipate where we need to upskill, reskill, or hire to stay competitive
Therefore, data is enabling HR to break away from perceptions of being purely a support function. It is transforming HR into a function that sees around corners and steers the organization toward opportunity rather than away from crisis.
Considering the skills shift underway in process industries, as automation, electrification, and digitalization reshape operations, demand for digital and technical capabilities is soaring. By analyzing hiring trends and internal skills data, we can anticipate where we need to upskill, reskill, or hire to stay competitive.
A 2025 World Economic Forum report on the Future of Jobs found that 60% of the global workforce will require retraining or upskilling by 2030. Organizations that use data to pre-empt these gaps are far better placed to adapt, pivot, and grow.
People first, pipelines second
In the past, recruitment often followed a predictable pattern: wait until there is a vacancy, then rush to fill it. This model is broken, especially in sectors struggling with chronic skills shortages.
It is time to flip the script. Using AI tools to model workforce demand against market dynamics and internal development data, we can anticipate when and where we will need new talent. But more importantly, we are investing in the people we already have.
By automating or streamlining routine tasks, we can empower our people by giving them the freedom to focus on more advanced activities and reducing time spent on mundane duties while also upskilling for tomorrow.
The impact of this kind of change on employee morale is often underestimated. Change can be unsettling, especially for experienced team members who may fear being left behind. That is why investing in development now is crucial. And while it helps close skills gaps, more importantly, it builds loyalty, strengthens the culture, and fosters a sense of shared ownership in where the company is headed.
Meeting a new generation with new tools
One of the greatest disruptions HR must navigate is generational. Gen Z is entering the workforce with different expectations; flexibility, purpose, and digital fluency are prerequisites for any candidate looking to undertake a new challenge.
In heavy industries, where remote locations and traditional preconceptions have historically deterred younger talent, technology is helping turn the tide. For example, ABB’s remote operations centers allow teams to manage complex industrial processes from urban hubs, offering safer, more flexible work environments. In Chile, one such center is 1,700 kilometers from the mine whose operations it controls. Half of the workforce there are women – a powerful shift for a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Of course, this level of digital transformation has direct impacts on the operational efficiency of the mine or plant in question. But subtly, it is helping to redefine the employer brand. With AI and automation taking over routine tasks, employees can focus on higher-value work, driving both personal and organizational growth.
ABB’s remote operations centers allow teams to manage complex industrial processes from urban hubs, offering safer, more flexible work environments
Unfortunately, the scale of the talent and skills shortage remains a major barrier to the industry’s broader ambitions, especially in efforts to decarbonize and modernize. In fact, 44% of mining industry leaders surveyed in a recent global ABB report cited limited expertise as a significant obstacle to achieving these long-term goals. At the same time, attracting the next generation isn't straightforward. Gen Z, for example, is typically looking for careers with meaning, where personal values align with an employer's mission. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z & Millennial Survey, over 40% would change jobs over climate concerns, underlining the urgency of visible, values-led action from employers.
By aligning people strategy with bold commitments like decarbonization, organizations in the process industries can appeal to a generation that prizes purpose and adaptability. HR, with the right data and intent, is the link between what the business needs and what tomorrow’s talent demands.
The business case for putting HR at the center
It’s about making the business more human. With the right insights, we can see the whole person behind the job title. We can match individual potential to strategic need. And we can do so inclusively, intelligently, and with purpose.
The process industries are undergoing a dramatic change. Success will not be determined solely by technology, but by how well we empower people to use it. HR – armed with data, AI, and vision – is uniquely positioned to lead that charge.
It is time to stop treating workforce strategy as a downstream concern. It must sit at the center of business transformation. When HR has a seat at the table, strong partnerships are built, and the whole organization moves forward.
