EZULWINI- Human Resource (HR) practitioners have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence while ensuring that technological advancement does not come at the expense of employees’ well-being and human contribution.
The call was made during the Institute of People Management (IPM) annual conference, where performance improvement expert Belia Nel and IPM President Sharon Maziya highlighted the changing demands on HR departments and the need to prepare workplaces for the future.
Nel cautioned organisations against adopting artificial intelligence (AI) simply because it was fashionable, saying its introduction should be guided by business objectives and the specific performance challenges they wanted to address.
She explained that AI could improve efficiency through speed, data analysis, automation, pattern recognition and predictions. However, she stressed that human intelligence remained essential in areas such as leadership, judgement, ethics, experience and systems thinking.
Nel emphasised that AI should complement human capabilities rather than replace employees. “The AI mustn’t do anything without a human. It’s that bridge we are going to meet each other,” she said.
She noted that automation could free employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to concentrate on more complex and valuable responsibilities. AI could also strengthen decision-making by providing insights and helping organisations manage complex operations.
However, she warned that introducing the technology without preparing employees could undermine its intended benefits.
Nel said organisations needed to assess their workforce’s readiness for AI adoption and invest in training to ensure employees understood how to work with the technology.
She encouraged HR practitioners to take an active role in the process, saying they had an important voice in decisions about how technology would affect people and workplace performance. Employee involvement, transparent communication and committed leadership were also important in managing the transition. She said workers needed to understand why AI was being introduced, how it would affect their responsibilities and what support would be available.
Nel further urged organisations to measure the actual impact of AI on business performance rather than focusing only on the training conducted or the technology rolled out.
While Nel focused on the relationship between technology and human contribution, Maziya challenged HR practitioners to give greater attention to employees’ mental and emotional well-being.
Maziya highlighted the importance of therapy in the workplace, urging HR practitioners to consider making professional support accessible through workplace wellness programmes.
She expressed concern about the reluctance among male employees to make use of therapeutic services, raising the need to address barriers that discourage them from seeking assistance.
Her contribution highlighted the importance of creating working environments where employees can seek professional help without fear of judgement.
The call comes amid continuing challenges in accessing mental health services, particularly in countries with limited mental health resources. According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Mental Health Atlas 2024, Eswatini has 0.1 psychiatrists and 0.7 psychologists per 100 000 people. The country also reported having no work-related mental health promotion programme.
Across Africa, the WHO has reported that nearly 150 million people are living with mental health conditions. South Africa faces similar challenges. A 2026 editorial published in the South African Medical Journal reported that more than 90 per cent of South Africans with mental health conditions did not receive formal care, citing findings from a 2019 national survey.
The two contributions placed people at the centre of discussions about the future of work, highlighting the responsibility of HR departments to respond to both technological changes and employees’ needs.
As organisations consider adopting AI, Nel’s message was that technology should improve performance while keeping human judgement and involvement central. Maziya’s contribution, meanwhile, highlighted the need for workplaces to recognise and support employees’ mental health as part of their overall well-being.
