Table of Contents

• Why do HR leaders get stuck in reactive mode?
• Can AI help HR escape administrative overload?
• What does it take to break out of reactive mode?
• How can HR leaders influence executives more effectively?
• What practical steps move HR from reactive to proactive?
• The future of HR leadership in an AI-first era

Why do HR leaders get stuck in reactive mode?

The session began with a question many HR professionals know too well: why does HR often end up bogged down in reactive, administrative work?

Elaine Page, Chief People Officer, highlighted three main reasons that resonated across the audience.

Systemic inefficiencies hold HR back

Fragmented systems create unnecessary complexity. Recruiting lives in one tool, payroll in another, performance in a third. HR ends up reconciling data instead of analyzing it. As Elaine recalled, “we had five different spreadsheets just to reconcile PTO balances with payroll.” The result is wasted time and little strategic value.

HR is treated like a service desk

Organizations often say they want HR to be strategic but treat them as fixers. From last-minute offer letters to mediation requests, the flood of urgent tasks forces HR into firefighting mode. “We often spend more time chasing signatures than developing leaders,” Elaine explained.

Constant emergencies leave no space for strategy

When every day is a sprint, HR leaders lose the bandwidth to step back and evaluate what’s truly driving turnover or engagement. Elaine compared it to “tending to the smoke while ignoring the fire.”

Claire Schmidt added that this is a near-universal complaint among AllVoices customers. Many spend 90 percent of their time firefighting. Tools that simplify documentation and surface trends can help flip the ratio so leaders focus on strategy rather than administrivia.

Can AI help HR escape administrative overload?

The conversation naturally shifted to whether AI could help HR get ahead of the flood of tasks.

Elaine admitted she’s a novice user, but the time savings are undeniable. Drafts that once took days can be completed in hours with the right prompt. “If anything comes along that frees up my entire team to put their brain to work and think and come up with creative questions to solve problems, I’m all in for it,” she shared.

AI is another step in HR’s evolution

Elaine pushed back on fear of new technology. HR leaders have adapted before: from typewriters to desktops, from paper files to cloud systems. AI is simply the next stage. The key is to experiment, learn, and not over-regulate adoption in the early stages.

Where AI fits into HR workflows

Claire emphasized that AI should take on repetitive, low-stakes tasks, not human judgment. Platforms like AllVoices are already automating documentation, organizing attachments, and surfacing related cases in employee relations. This gives HR leaders more time to analyze data and partner with executives on strategy.

What does it take to break out of reactive mode?

The shift from reactive to proactive doesn’t happen by accident. Elaine shared a personal example: seeing a calendar filled with 16 back-to-back meetings. “On a day like that, no one is asking for my insights. They’re just asking me for more paperwork.”

Start small by tracking patterns

Elaine explained that she begins by identifying recurring requests. Why are so many hiring needs last minute? Why do managers escalate issues instead of resolving them? These patterns can be reframed into data points that support process redesign.

Tell the story in business terms

Instead of framing the problem as HR being overwhelmed, Elaine advised showing the financial impact. Unfilled roles mean lost revenue. Turnover in critical teams creates risk. “You can have me and my team keep reacting, or we can design some process here to fix these issues,” she said.

Strategy requires space to think

Claire related her own experience in AllVoices’ early days, when she worked every day and weekend without pause. She quickly learned that constant activity isn’t strategy. Creating space to think was the turning point, and it’s the same discipline HR needs to model today.

How can HR leaders influence executives more effectively?

An audience question pushed the discussion further: how can HR help executives themselves get out of reactive mode? Elaine’s response was direct.

Speak the language of the business

“Feelings and how people are doing, while important, is not how I lead my conversations,” Elaine explained.

Executives respond to data tied to revenue, risk, and productivity. She gave an example: if roles are taking 90 days to fill, calculate the revenue lost and show where the bottlenecks are. That frames the conversation in terms leaders already care about.

Learn the finance side of the business

Elaine urged HR leaders to read a balance sheet and P&L — and, more importantly, to sit down with their CFO to understand how they use those numbers. This knowledge allows HR to link people strategies directly to financial outcomes, building credibility as a true business partner.

What practical steps move HR from reactive to proactive?

The final discussion focused on action. How do HR leaders begin shifting the balance today?

Define the problem statements

Claire advised identifying the moments that feel like whack-a-mole.

Is it constant employee complaints? Endless performance cleanups? Once defined clearly, these problem statements guide where to apply AI, process changes, or new data tools.

Use storytelling to make data stick

Elaine reminded the group that stories resonate more than charts. Show the cost of losing a top engineer, and what it took to retain them. This makes the business case for HR initiatives more tangible.

Strengthen middle management

Middle managers are often the weak link in culture and performance. Investing in their development prevents many issues from escalating to HR, freeing leaders from unnecessary reactive work.

Pick metrics and repeat them

Elaine also encouraged HR leaders to choose three powerful metrics and reinforce them consistently. This builds a reputation for impact and creates alignment across the organization.

The future of HR leadership in an AI-first era

The conversation closed on a clear point: HR will always face urgent requests, but they don’t have to define the function. The real opportunity lies in reclaiming time, reframing problems in business terms, and using AI to amplify human judgment.

Elaine summarized it well: when your calendar leaves no time to think, that’s the signal you’re stuck. The way forward is to design processes that reduce noise, use data to tell compelling business stories, and create space to lead with impact.

AI won’t replace HR’s judgment. It will give leaders the capacity to move from firefighting to boardroom influence — and that shift is what will define the next generation of HR leadership.

As always, if you're looking to learn more about how you can modernize your employee relations tech stack to be a bit more AI-forward. Learn more about AllVoices.

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