Although organizations are heavily investing in the digitalization of HR with new systems, better data, and modern tools, this progress doesn’t always lead to real transformation. Processes become faster, reports more precise, and workflows more efficient, yet the underlying way of working often remains unchanged.
In my work, I see many HR transformations get stuck in optimizing existing structures. The focus is still mainly on digitalizing administration, not on reimagining how work itself happens. And that’s precisely where the real difference will emerge in the coming years: between organizations that use technology to accelerate, and those that use it to transform.
True HR transformation requires more than a new system or better data. It calls for a fundamental rethinking of how work is organized, how value is created, and how technology can amplify the human factor instead of replacing it.
During the Horizon Summit, I had the opportunity to speak about this topic.
Three Forces That Are Redesigning HR
The world of work is changing dramatically. In my experience, three key forces are driving organizations to redesign their HR function.
1. Technology as a Catalyst
AI, data, and digital platforms are reshaping how organizations operate. But technology alone doesn’t create value — the real impact happens when HR understands how digital solutions can unlock new opportunities. Think of using skills data more effectively, making data-driven decisions, or enabling agile ways of working.
2. Humans as the Benchmark
Employees increasingly expect autonomy, purpose, and personalization in their work experience. A one-size-fits-all HR model no longer fits organizations that are becoming more diverse and international. The power of HR lies in using technology to strengthen the human dimension — not by standardizing people, but by enabling insight, connection, and growth.
3. Organizational Agility as a Prerequisite
The environment in which organizations operate is changing faster than ever. Adaptability is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a condition for survival. Here, HR plays a crucial role — not as a process guardian, but as a designer of structures and cultures that help people learn, collaborate, and adapt quickly.
From Efficiency to Possibility
In our advisory practice, we see that the real value of HR technology becomes visible only when it’s used not to drive efficiency, but to create new possibilities. For example: identifying skill gaps and workforce needs early on, dynamically matching people to projects based on their capabilities rather than job titles, and empowering leaders with data-driven insights that enhance empathy, trust, and decision-making.
These applications require more than technology — they demand a shift in mindset. HR technology is not an IT project; it’s a strategic instrument that helps organizations become more human-centered and future-ready.
The Jazz of Work
The future of work is no longer defined by job titles or linear career ladders. Careers are evolving more like climbing walls — people move sideways, diagonally, and sometimes even backward, acquiring new skills along the way. Yet many organizations are still built like factories: hierarchical, predictable, and control-driven. Employees, however, want to move more like jazz musicians — improvising, collaborating, and responding to what happens around them.
The challenge for HR lies in finding the balance between freedom and structure. Systems and processes must allow space for creativity and improvisation, without losing the rhythm and direction of the organization.
The Future Can’t Be Predicted — But It Can Be Designed
In my talk at the Horizon Summit, I used the fortune cookie as a metaphor for how we think about the future of work. That small cookie represents something bigger: our tendency to wait for the “right message” or the “lucky answer,” while the real choice lies within ourselves. fortune cookie als metafoor voor hoe we naar de toekomst van werk kijken. In de talk liet ik zien dat zo’n klein koekje symbool staat voor iets groters: het idee dat we allemaal wachten op een briefje met antwoorden, terwijl de echte keuze bij onszelf ligt.
Fortune cookies don’t come from China, but from California — they are the result of reinvention. And that’s exactly what modern organizations need today. Success in the future of work isn’t a matter of luck; it’s the outcome of experimentation, learning, and continuous redesign. Those who dare to do so create their own opportunities.
Reflection: HR as the Designer of the Future
The future of work can’t be predicted — but it can be designed. Not by algorithms or policies alone, but by leaders who understand that technology only has real impact when the human dimension stays at the center. HR holds a unique position to bridge system and human, data and empathy, strategy and culture.
That requires vision, analytical thinking, and the courage to question existing structures. At its core, HR transformation is not a technological project but a design challenge — about creating coherence between people, technology, and organization, and consciously shaping how we work, learn, and lead in a world that never stands still.
As I concluded in my talk at the Horizon Summit: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Advisory Services HQ is an independent boutique consultancy specializing in HR Transformation, HR Technology, Change Management, Employee Experience, and HR Data Insights.
We help organizations become future-ready by smartly aligning people, processes, and technology.