HRD Connect

For decades, organisations have built work around clearly defined roles, responsibilities and reporting lines. HR has refined job descriptions, competency frameworks and career pathways to help employees understand what success looks like. Artificial intelligence is beginning to challenge those assumptions. Rather than simply automating individual tasks, AI is changing how work is organised, who performs it and where value is created.

As thousands of young people across the UK decide what comes after school, new research suggests the traditional university route is no longer the default choice. A survey of almost 300 young people aged 14 to 18, conducted by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) through Unifrog, found that 80% intend to pursue a degree apprenticeship, compared with 37% considering university and just 2% planning to move directly into full-time employment.

As thousands of young people across the UK decide what comes after school, new research suggests the traditional university route is no longer the default choice. A survey of almost 300 young people aged 14 to 18, conducted by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) through Unifrog, found that 80% intend to pursue a degree apprenticeship, compared with 37% considering university and just 2% planning to move directly into full-time employment.

Every year on 15 July, World Youth Skills Day highlights the importance of equipping young people with the skills required for employment, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning. This year’s theme, “Skills for a Shared Future”, reflects the growing need for young people to combine technical capability with resilience, judgement, collaboration and the ability to work effectively alongside artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most sought-after workplace skills. Yet for many younger employees, using it still feels like breaking an unwritten rule. New global research from Employment Hero, The AI Paradox at Work, reveals a growing disconnect between employer expectations and employee behaviour.

The UK’s employment relations system is preparing for one of its most significant periods of change in recent years, with the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) appointing 23 new members ahead of the next phase of the Employment Rights Act 2025. The appointments, which take effect on 8 July 2026, are intended to strengthen the CAC’s capacity as it takes on an expanded role in administering new workplace rights introduced through the Employment Rights Act.

Professional services firms have long recognised that talent is their greatest asset, yet relatively few have reflected that priority at partnership level. Top 50+50 accountancy firm SRLV is seeking to change that with the appointment of Nicola O’Shea FCIPD as its first HR Partner, a move that signals the growing strategic importance of people leadership as firms compete for talent and prepare for continued growth.

Artificial intelligence has dominated boardroom discussions over the past 18 months. Organisations have invested in generative AI tools, experimented with recruitment assistants, automated HR service desks and piloted new approaches to workforce analytics. Yet as businesses reach the halfway point of the year, a more pressing question is emerging. Which AI initiatives are genuinely improving business performance, and which remain expensive experiments?

As the Employment Rights Act 2025 reshapes the UK’s employment landscape, organisations are placing greater emphasis on improving hiring decisions before employees join the business. From January 2027, unfair dismissal protection is expected to reduce from two years to six months, while the cap on compensation for unfair dismissal claims will be removed under planned reforms.

UK small and medium-sized businesses continue to recruit despite rising employment costs, but new data suggests that growth is increasingly coming at the expense of wage progression. Analysis from Employment Hero shows that while SME employment continued to rise in May, full-time wage growth fell to its lowest level since November 2025.