HR’s Most Valuable Skill In The AI Era Is Knowing When To Challenge Leadership

As many companies redirect investments toward AI, basic administrative work is moving to the background. But HR is evolving with it, to take on a more pivotal role in organizations. Recent trends shaping work in 2026 and HR tech reports highlight a clear pattern: because tools now automate traditional administrative duties, professionals have the bandwidth—and the mandate—to step into executive discussions and challenge decisions using data.

Mabel Chickeme is an HR leader and strategic partner who dedicates part of her time toward helping her HR colleagues navigate this transition. She has managed HR operations for organizations with over 1,000 employees and driven a 95% increase in employee engagement alongside a 90% reduction in turnover rates. In recent roles as Human Resources Manager at ORÍKÌ Spa and Operations/Human Resource Manager at Bonike Bakeries and Confectioneries, she focused on using data and operational empathy to influence leadership. Her philosophy centers on acting as a solutions-focused partner who thoughtfully pushes back on executive orders.

“AI is taking over HR, so you have to position yourself to be relevant to the organization by doing strategic things and making strategic decisions, which involves pushing back on some executive orders,” says Chickeme. Pushing back creates friction, especially in organizations that still view the department as a pure cost center. Many HR leaders are finding they must actively advocate for employee well-being and workplace culture. Rather than treating these as perks, effective professionals frame them as core drivers of retention and employer branding. Advocating for these programs carries more weight today as organizations confront rising employee burnout and demands for human-centric leadership.

• Playing the long game: “While you are trying to balance being an HR for the company and being an HR for the people, you also have to think of the light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “The well-being of the employee is important because it will help in employee retention. It will help in the whole employee value proposition and employer branding.”

• Party of one: Balancing these priorities requires navigating egos and ingrained corporate habits. Even precise data can fall flat if it runs into rigid mindsets at the top. Chickeme notes that one of the main roadblocks is when authority rests entirely with a single founder. “It’s even more difficult when you are working with a one-man company because at that point, they feel like the sole decision maker,” Chickeme says. “Even when you have data, you have surveys, they still say no.”

• Overprepare for pushback: Chickeme believes true influence depends on a consultative approach. Instead of treating that executive echo chamber as a defeat, take the perspective of a trusted strategic partner. That means effective strategic pushback requires bringing precise employee survey data and key metrics, alternatives, and a step-by-step view of projected business results. “When you bring pushback to a management decision, you should come with recommendations,” Chickeme says. “You should not just come there and say, ‘Oh, we’re not doing this, and we’re not doing that.’ You should also put data around it and other angles at which they can come in if they cannot make that decision.” Implementing this type of framework for pushback gives executives options, allowing them to retain a sense of agency.

Chickeme applies these tactics down to everyday operational details. At a previous company, employees had staggered start times. To make sure internal communications actually reached the team, she mapped out when different groups unlocked the front doors and chose a middle-ground window that captured almost everyone. That kind of granular empathy proves to leadership that HR understands how the business actually runs.

Behind these tactics lies a deeper foundation of integrity and confidence. When HR yields to pressure against their better judgment, they risk losing their moral compass and sliding back into passive administrative roles. Maintaining that integrity requires doing the hard work beforehand: knowing the numbers, understanding what the business stands to gain, and offering viable paths forward.

• Come with a cure: “In building confidence as an HR person and to be able to challenge decisions and gain respect, you have to be a solution bringer,” she says. “If you are not a solution bringer, they will just see you as though you don’t know what you are doing.”

• Bring the receipts: “You have to command confidence by being intelligent,” she adds. “You have to be proactive. You have to have data. There should be clear insights on what you want to do, and clear solutions. What would the company gain? What would the people gain? Give them projections.”

The confidence to push back and do so in an effective way that drives real change is built over time through repetition and curiosity. Chickeme encourages early-career professionals to treat every problem as a learning opportunity to build that confidence.

As organizations focus on preparing for tomorrow’s economy, that learning loop serves as a practical roadmap for career growth. By mastering the messy realities of culture, communication, and employee experience—and pairing that knowledge with solid business acumen—professionals can thrive in areas where technology currently lacks human nuance. “AI is doing everything, but it cannot do culture,” says Chickeme. “AI cannot do employee relations. It cannot put compensation and benefits strategy together. You have to stay relevant, and one of the ways is by ensuring that you are confident enough to challenge leaders and do so intelligently.”