The HEART Framework: 5 Steps for HR Leaders to Humanize AI Implementation

Does automation and artificial intelligence (AI) humanise or dehumanise HR? HR is fundamentally about human connection, leading to the question ‘What does technology have to do with it?’ As technology continues to advance and we learn more about using generative AI, we may finally be on the cusp of ensuring that HR Practitioners get the time to spend on who matters most: the organization’s people. Yet, a paradox exists between technology and human-centered HR. The HEART framework may be just the solution needed to address the concerns. HEART is an acronym meaning:

• Humanize what matters most
• Eliminate routine busywork
• Amplify capabilities
• Redefine roles, don’t replace them
• Transform interactions

I developed the HEART Framework to guide HR Practitioners on how to implement automation and AI solutions whilst maintaining the human touch. The HEART framework itself represents a collaboration between human expertise and AI capabilities.

The HR Dilemma: Strategic Expectations vs. Administrative Reality

HR practitioners spend a significant amount of time on transactional rather than transformational activities. Transactional HR activities include payroll processing, benefits administration and managing employee records. Transformational activities are those which focus on strategic initiatives that drive organizational performance. If one is occupied with transactional activities, how can they be prepared to spend time being the strategic partner an organization needs? The reality is that a seat cannot be earned at the strategic table when you are chained to administrative work. This is where automation and AI can create an opportunity, not by replacing the HR practitioner, but by freeing them to provide support to all stakeholders. The future of work is here, and what employees in our multi-generational workforce need to be successful may look different than in the past. HR practitioners must have the time to strategize to truly engage in talent management. Generative AI may be one of those gifts that lets the dream of demonstrating value become reality, handling the “work of HR” so that HR Practitioners can focus on the “heart of HR”.

Introducing the HEART Framework: A Balanced Approach

The Heart Framework provides a structured approach to implementing automation and AI in HR while keeping people at the centre of everything we do. Automation and AI handle tasks, not relationships. We still need human judgment for:

• Empathy in performance discussions
• Cultural alignment in hiring
• Personal coaching and development

Let us explore each component of this framework.

H: Humanize What Matters Most

HR interactions such as sensitive conversations, coaching and culture-building require the human touch. AI can be used to handle repetitive tasks, allowing managers to focus on nurturing relationships. By handling administrative burdens, it allows us to be better advocates for both our people and our mission simultaneously.

Before AI: HR manager spends 15 hours weekly answering routine benefits questions, leaving little time for supporting an employee facing a personal crisis.

With AI: AI chatbot handles 80% of benefits inquiries, allowing the HR manager to dedicate meaningful time to high-touch employee support when it matters most.

E: Eliminating Routine Busywork

The next time you are sending an important email, time yourself. How long did it take to you? The minutes add up. Administrative tasks are extremely time consuming. This is where AI and automation tools can be leveraged to manage the repetitive, rule-based processes that follow consistent patterns. The potential to use AI for selected processes is huge. An article by McKinsey suggests that “two-thirds of current HR tasks can be automated” [1]. The figure below highlights the level of automation potential for selected processes.

Before Automation and AI: Recruitment team manually screens hundreds of resumes, requiring 25+ hours per open position.

With AI: AI screening tool identifies qualified candidates based on skills and experience, reducing screening time by 75% and allowing recruiters to focus on assessing cultural fit and potential.

Once we’ve eliminated the routine busywork that consumes so much of our time, we can focus on the next step in our HEART framework: amplifying our capabilities as HR professionals. Let’s look at how automation and AI can make us more effective in our strategic role.

A: Amplify Capabilities

HR Practitioners wear many hats inclusive of strategic partner, employee advocate and culture builders. By amplifying your capabilities, AI allows you to become the strategic HR professional you’ve always aspired to be. You can move beyond simply managing transactions to truly understanding and enhancing the employee experience. AI is an extension of your capabilities:

• Enhanced decision-making – AI can analyze patterns across thousands of employee data points to identify trends you might miss.
• Predictive insights – Rather than reacting to problems after they occur, AI helps you anticipate them.
• Personalization at scale – For example, AI can analyze an employee’s current skills, career aspirations, and performance data to recommend highly relevant learning opportunities.
• Deeper understanding – it uses data to provide with you with varying perspectives.

Before AI: HR relies on annual engagement surveys, often addressing issues months after they emerge.

With AI: Sentiment analysis tools provide continuous feedback on employee engagement, allowing HR to identify and address concerns in real time.

As we amplify our capabilities through AI, it naturally leads us to rethink our roles as HR professionals. We will now explore how AI will redefine, not replace, our contributions.

R: Redefine Roles, Don’t Replace Them

As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. The trepidation being experienced now was felt a few years ago as we moved from using the typewriter to the computer. History teaches us an important lesson: technology doesn’t typically eliminate professions, it redefines them. The secretarial role didn’t vanish with the typewriter; it evolved into the executive assistant, often with greater strategic importance and higher compensation.

A recent World Economic Forum report projected that while AI will displace some tasks, it will create more jobs than it eliminates—roughly 12 million more globally by 2027. The key difference? These new roles require different skills than those being automated. This transition requires us as individuals to intentionally reskill.

Intentional reskilling and thoughtful change management are needed at this time. The National Artificial Intelligence Policy Recommendations from Jamaica [2] which was recently shared also support this. As leaders, we have a dual responsibility: First, we must reskill ourselves by developing new competencies in:

• Data literacy and basic analytics
• Digital collaboration tools
• AI system management
• Ethical technology oversight
• Enhanced interpersonal skills

Secondly, we must lead the change management process for our organizations. This includes:

• Creating psychological safety during technological transitions
• Mapping out how roles will evolve rather than disappear
• Developing learning pathways that bridge current and future skill needs
• Celebrating early adopters who model the way forward

Before AI: HR business partners spend 60% of their time on transactional activities and 40% on strategic initiatives.

With AI: HR business partners evolve into “People Strategy Consultants,” spending 20% of their time on transactions and 80% on strategic people initiatives.

Now that we’ve seen how AI can redefine HR roles toward more strategic contributions, let us explore the final element of our HEART framework which focuses on how AI transforms not just tasks, but interactions throughout the employee journey.

T: Transform Interactions

Automation and AI can make HR touchpoints more meaningful and personalized. Here are a few ways that AI and automation can transform key HR touchpoint:

• Recruitment: From volume management to quality engagement
• Onboarding: Creating personalized first experiences
• Performance management: From paperwork to meaningful conversations
• Employee development: From top-down to self-directed learning

Before Automation and AI: Standard onboarding program provides the same experience to all new hires regardless of role or background.

With Automation and AI: Personalized onboarding journeys adapt to each employee’s role, experience level, and learning style, significantly improving time-to-productivity and early engagement.

Getting Started: Your First Steps Toward AI Transformation

Based on research conducted by McKinsey, roughly 5% of companies are routinely incorporating technology into their people management functions [1]. It categorizes organisations as strategists, scalers and visionaries (see the figure below).

Where does your organization fall on this spectrum? This presents an opportunity for us in the Caribbean to get on board the AI transformation journey. Here are a few steps to get you started on your way towards AI transformation.

1. Conduct an AI readiness self-assessment to identify where you are on your personal AI journey.
2. Conduct an AI readiness assessment to identify your organization’s current capabilities and gaps.
3. Map your HR processes to identify high-volume, rule-based activities that are prime candidates for automation.
4. Audit your time allocation to understand where administrative tasks are preventing strategic work.
5. Inventory existing tools to discover AI capabilities you may already have access to but aren’t fully utilizing.
6. Start small with a pilot project that addresses a specific pain point and demonstrates tangible value.

Risks and Ethical Considerations

While the HEART framework highlights the transformative potential of AI, we have to be cognizant that these benefits require us to address important ethical and security considerations. With AI systems processing sensitive employee data, security and governance become paramount. Effective AI governance requires:

• Clear data access protocols—who can see what information
• Transparent documentation of how AI makes recommendations
• Regular security assessments of AI systems
• Defined accountability for AI-assisted decisions
• Compliance with Jamaica’s data protection regulations

Consider establishing an AI governance committee that includes representation from HR, IT, legal, and employee advocates.

Conclusion

The most successful HR leaders of the future will be those that adopt a posture of learning and take action based on the information garnered.  AI and automation provide an opportunity to be strategic, get a seat at the table and intentionally focus time on our people. The future of work is here. Things are not the same and pretending change isn’t here will not let it magically go away. AI is a part of our daily lives. If we take the time to learn it will feel less intimidating. This is precisely where the HEART framework comes in. The power of the HEART framework lies not in implementing all these transformations at once, but in identifying the specific interactions in your department that, if transformed, would create the greatest positive impact for both employees and the citizens we serve. The HEART framework is a practical approach to navigating automation and AI in HR while keeping people at the centre of what is done as:

• We Humanize what matters most by redirecting our focus to the relationships and judgment that only humans can provide.
• We Eliminate routine busywork by letting AI handle administrative tasks that drain our energy and time.
• We Amplify our capabilities by using AI as an extension of our professional skills, not a replacement for them.
• We Redefine our roles by evolving alongside technology rather than competing against it.
• And we Transform interactions throughout the employee journey from transactional moments to meaningful experiences.

This isn’t just a theoretical framework. It is a practical roadmap for your journey. Each element builds upon the others, creating a virtuous cycle that enhances both efficiency and humanity.

Ready to get started on your AI journey? Take the first step by clicking on this link [Take the AI Readiness Assessment] to evaluate where you are on your personal AI journey, and then register for the AI in HR course by clicking here [Register here: AI in HR course] to get you started.

References

1. Komm, Asmus, Fernanda Mayol, Neel Gandhi, and Sandra Durth and Jasmin Kiefer. 2025. “A new operating model for people management: more personal, more tech, more human.” McKinsey & Company, February 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/a-new-operating-model-for-people-management-more-personal-more-tech-more-human

2. National Artificial Intelligence Policy Recommendations – https://opm.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/National-Artificial-Intelligence-Task-Force-Policy-Recommendations-Final-1.pdf

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Yolande Hylton is the Managing Director of Hylton Insights, an HR Consultancy Firm with a mandate to guide businesses from the transactional to the transformational HR realm, thereby enhancing individual and organizational performance. For inquiries or to learn more, you can reach out to yolande@hyltoninsights.com or visit www.hyltoninsights.com