Weekender Digest
WEEKLY EDITION BY ZIHAN LYU
Welcome to your latest HRD Connect's Weekend Digest, your go-to source for the week’s top insights tailored for HR professionals.
Here’s what’s inside:
◾ Top 10 AI HR tools every business needs in 2025
◾ Why AI adoption is outpacing skills—and what’s holding HR teams back
◾ Why automation is making work more human
TOP LONG WEEKEND READS
AI HR TOOLS
AI is now reshaping how HR hires, supports, and retains talent. With adoption rates soaring, this guide highlights 10 standout AI tools making an impact right now.
From Paradox streamlining candidate screening to Degreed personalizing learning at scale, and Lattice co-writing your performance reviews, these platforms are already changing the way HR operates. Get familiar with the tech your peers are testing—and the results they’re seeing.
NEW RESEARCH
HR teams are adopting AI at speed—but they’re hitting a wall. According to Capterra’s 2025 survey of over 3,000 HR leaders, 43% say their teams lack the skills to use AI effectively, and nearly half cite training as their top operational challenge this year.
Most companies now juggle four separate HR systems, yet only 42% prioritize recruiting software despite rising hiring costs. The result? Missed gains in efficiency, retention, and engagement.
Organizations that link AI adoption with skills investment are already seeing stronger employee satisfaction and better hiring outcomes—but most still aren’t there.
EXPERT INSIGHTS
The rise of AI is cutting admin—but it’s also amplifying what makes people essential. New data shows AI is most often used to summarize reports (41%) and draft documents (40%), freeing up hours for communication, mentoring, and collaboration.
Deloitte predicts two-thirds of all roles by 2030 will be soft-skill intensive, but 49% of executives still say entry-level hires lack those skills. AI can’t replace trust, empathy, or team cohesion—but it can make space for people to build them. The smartest companies are using that time to grow better humans.
MORE THAN A NEWSLETTER
Editorial
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