HR leaders shift from cutting jobs to redesigning work around AI

As companies restructure for AI adoption, chief HR officers are moving beyond managing layoffs to deciding which roles survive, which employees can be reskilled and what the future organization needs. Mercer research shows 98% of executives expect organizational-design changes in the next two years, with 99% anticipating AI-driven headcount reductions. HR leaders like Snigdha Tondapu at Innostax and Priyanka Dalvi at airpay say the CHRO's role now requires understanding future business direction and mapping skills to emerging roles before structures are finalized. The shift matters because early HR involvement gives organizations time to reskill or redeploy people rather than immediately cutting positions after restructuring decisions are made.