HR frightfest: Leaders from Salesforce to Indeed share their biggest fears about the workplace this spooky season

While most people are afraid of ghosts or spiders, HR professionals have their own particular fears about the workplace. 

CHROs are often tasked with the most terrifying responsibilities, like managing internal conflicts and cutting through a mountain of job applications. Instead of staking vampires or werewolves, people executives are confronting office bullies and lackluster managers. And just like witches brew their potions, HR leaders are always tasked with concocting the best employee experience possible. 

Fortune spoke with nine HR professionals to understand what’s keeping them up at night. And one major thing seems to be stalking the HR community: AI. Check out what these CHROs are looking out for, and how they’re tackling their fears.

These responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Kelly Joscelyne, VP of HR at Indeed

AI is taking over many tasks that have overwhelmed managers, and it’s exposing a big gap. In the past, managers could rely on administrative or knowledge-based work to cover for weaker people skills. But as AI steps in, managers who lack strong human skills—like empathy, leadership, and listening—will stand out. The shift from being a “task manager” to a true “people manager” is coming, and for some, that change could be challenging.

Nathaalie Carey, SVP of HR at Prologis, and incoming CHRO starting January 2025

I am terrified of the Death of Intuition. With so much focus on AI and data, the most frightening thing to me is people exclusively depending on KPIs and data analysis to make decisions that impact people. While I fully support using technology to help and streamline work, I also believe that human intuition is still crucial for making the “right” decisions. Sometimes, what seems best according to data isn’t always what’s truly right.

Laura Adams, global CHRO at JLL

The transformative impact of AI in how we work and live can feel scary. When new technology emerges that permanently shifts the way we do business, it’s natural to feel apprehension about the unknown. But the genie is out of the bottle on the game-changing benefits of AI. So, it’s up to us as HR leaders to ensure we’re using the technology in a responsible way that makes sense for our business and people.

Abigail Hollingsworth, VP of global benefits at Salesforce

What keeps me up at night most is the health and wellbeing of our employees, specifically their mental health. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year—that’s 59.3 million Americans. Businesses today have a responsibility to make sure their employees are happy and healthy.

Carmen Amara, CPO at Yelp

While “The Big Stay” brings many benefits as employee tenure rises, it also creates challenges as employees remain in roles for longer periods of time. Keeping employees engaged and fostering their continued development requires new strategies to help employees feel they aren’t stagnating in their careers. Finding new ways to grow our talent is critical to ensuring we have the skills we need for the continued success of the business.

Piyush Mehta, CHRO at Genpact

The world of technology is evolving rapidly, leading to an increase in unknowns. It’s hard to predict the future of technologies like AI or quantum computing, and the uncertainties surrounding geopolitics and the economy further complicate the landscape. These challenges, coupled with immediate reskilling requirements on the back of tech advancement, require HR leaders to be proactive, adaptable, and strategic in their approach to managing business needs effectively in today’s complex environment. 

Laura Coccaro, CPO at iCIMS

Hiring is a competitive sport, and AI is turning it into an entirely new game. Just as hiring teams are tapping in, candidates are also getting creative with AI, using it as their secret weapon to optimize resumes and generate responses to possible interview questions. I know this is keeping a lot of recruiters up at night. We recently surveyed recruiters and found that 87% say candidates’ use of AI in the application and interview process is a red flag.

AI isn’t going away—rather than viewing it as a red flag, see it as a yellow flag to slow down and dig a little deeper. Are [job applicants] using AI responsibly? Are they showing an understanding of the technology that could help them do their job? Don’t write off AI use by candidates—like most nightmares, if you turn the lights on, it’s not so scary!

Victoria Myers, global head of talent attraction at Amdocs

One of the spookiest things keeping people leaders up at night isn’t ghosts or goblins—it’s the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI in the workplace. There’s no doubt that this technology is radically transforming how we work, but that value won’t arise simply from gaining access to AI tools. In fact, it’s not AI itself that threatens jobs, but those with proficiency in leveraging the technology threatening those who don’t. It’s up to people leaders to provide employees with the right boundaries, guidelines, and opportunities to learn how to leverage generative AI.

Linda Ho, CPO at Seismic

What keeps me up at night is the potential loss of opportunity for learning and knowledge sharing. Specifically, we have the unique opportunity to learn from the many generations that occupy the workplace, and we only have a few more years to enjoy this melting pot of experiences before boomers retire. 

What’s more haunting is if generational stereotypes get in the way of learning—for example, the notion that Boomers are not accepting of AI, which is based in bias, not fact. In reality, Boomers have witnessed multiple emerging technologies, from the early days of the internet to the cloud and beyond, and have successfully navigated each. Encouraging cross-generational learning preserves enterprise knowledge and lived experiences, ensuring our decisions reflect diverse perspectives and making us that much more innovative and progressive.

Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com

Request your invitation to Fortune’s premier event, the Fortune Global Forum, convening in New York City Nov. 11-12. Fortune Global 500 executives and international policy leaders will discuss managing workforces in an AI-powered economy, climate and energy issues, global trade, and the future of democracy.

Around the Table

A round-up of the most important HR headlines.

Volkswagen reported a 42% decline in profits in the third quarter, as unionized workers threaten to strike against the company over wage disputes. NYT

Private-job payrolls soared to 233,000 during October, far surpassing Dow Jones’ estimate of 113,000—and ADP reported it was the best month for new jobs since July 2023. NBC News

Canada Post, the country’s government-owned postal service, agreed to increase employee wages by 11.5% over the next four years to avoid a walkout ahead of the holiday season. WSJ

Watercooler

Everything you need to know from Fortune.

Hustling. British baby boomers are working hybrid and remote roles, with nearly 40% saying they have a gig on the side—and tutoring is the most popular part-time work. —Orianna Rosa Royle

Court victory. Elon Musk has won a federal appeal over social posts he made several years ago. The National Labor Relations Board alleged that Musk made an illegal threat to take away stock incentives from unionized workers. —Kevin McGill, AP

Baby backfire. A woman won $37,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled she was unfairly dismissed because she got pregnant on maternity leave. —Orianna Rosa Royle

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