2025 isn't just another year on the calendar — it marks a seismic shift in how organisations will lead, engage, and grow their people. As Agentic AI moves from buzzword to boardroom strategy, the way we think about talent, leadership, and HR’s role is undergoing a radical rewrite.

Heralded as the ‘Year of Agentic AI’— 2025 marks the start of a transformational era that promises to redefine how organisations approach talent management, employee engagement, and strategic workforce planning. 

To understand this seismic shift better, People Matters hosted a power-packed LinkedIn Live session session ahead of the TechHR India 2025 conference in Delhi, featuring three industry trailblazers: David Green, Author, Consultant, and Managing Partner, Insight222; Dr. Shakti Goel, Chief Architect & Data Scientist, Yatra Online Ltd.; Sheenu Sekhri, Chief of staff & Strategy Head, Microsoft India & South Asia in conversation with Pushkar Bidwai, CEO, People  Matters. Together, they explored a pivotal question: How can HR leaders rethink, rewire, and reimagine delegation in the age of Agentic AI?

“This is the year of pivoting — a time when CHROs and people leaders can finally step away from operational noise and embrace real strategic impact,” said Pushkar Bidwai, CEO, People Matters, setting the tone for a much-need conversation loaded with bold ideas and fresh urgency.

From Talk to Action: The New AI Wave

David Green, Executive Consultant and Author at Insight222, opened the dialogue by pointing out that although AI discussions have been ongoing for years, the rise of generative AI has shifted the momentum from talk to tangible action.

“We’ve been talking about AI in HR for quite a long time, but one of the things we’ve noticed is that generative AI has acted as a catalyst to drive HR to action,” Green said. “Our annual survey showed that 62% of companies were in the first year of their AI journey. So, we have clearly moved from talking about AI to doing something about it,” he further remarked.

What Makes This AI Wave Different?

According to Sheenu Sekhri, Chief of staff & Strategy Head, Microsoft India & South Asia, the current AI revolution is a platform shift unlike anything we’ve seen before.

“This is the fourth major platform shift after the PC, internet, and mobile-cloud eras. Now we’re entering the AI era,” Sekhri explained. “What’s changed is that AI understands natural language, retains memory and context, and can reason with us. We’ve moved from search to conversations—and we’re now having conversations that lead to action.”

Dr. Shakti Goel, Chief Architect and Data Scientist at Yatra.com, described it succinctly: “Now, LLMs understand you like a human being. Earlier, intent had to be explained; today, it’s seamless. It’s like talking to an extremely intelligent person who knows everything.”

So What Can HR Leaders Delegate to AI?

The panel discussed areas where AI can immediately relieve HR professionals from repetitive, low-value tasks. David suggested, “An AI assistant for handling employee queries about payroll, policies, and holidays is a great start. It enhances employee experience while freeing up HR’s time for strategic work.”

Microsoft’s Sheenu Sehkri brought in a relatable metaphor to describe the burden HR professionals face: “My inbox feels like Sisyphus’ boulder—I clear it and it fills up again,” she laughed. “Agentic AI can eliminate this drudgery. At Microsoft, our Employee Self-Service agent has improved response accuracy by 42% and reduced HR case filings by 54%.”

Dr. Shakti Goel added a technical lens, highlighting the practical value of agents: “AI agents powered by retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models can handle queries at scale, 24/7. In our case, we’re using agents to handle travel queries, HR resumes, and sentiment analysis across hiring processes,” he added. 

If HR Gains 30% More Time, Where Should It Go?

With transactional tasks handled by AI, the question arose: where should HR leaders reinvest their reclaimed time? The answers were unanimous: strategic planning, learning and development, and building a high-performance culture.

Green strongly advocated for a strategic focus: “HR can now lead strategic workforce planning. Understanding which roles can be automated, where new skills are needed, and creating agile workforce models — this is our opportunity to lead in shaping organisational structures and workforce transformation.” 

Sekhri emphasised the need to build a high-performance learning culture: “Even if I’m not changing my job, my job is changing on me every day,” she noted. “HR must create a high-performance learning culture. That’s the biggest competitive edge in the AI era.” 

Dr. Shakti on the other hand noted that sentiment analysis, talent management analytics, and predictive modelling would increasingly need HR’s human insight layered over AI-generated insights.

Real-World Applications: From Employee Queries to Promotions

David Green shared a striking example from IBM’s HR transformation. “IBM trialled an AI agent during its quarterly promotion cycle. It brought together data, scheduled meetings, and made recommendations. What normally took 10 weeks was done in 5—saving 50,000 hours annually” he informed. 

Sekhri highlighted Microsoft’s internal success stories too. Internally at Microsoft, AI is already driving value in areas like sentiment analysis and talent management: “We’re now doing real-time sentiment tracking,” she said. “Performance analytics is becoming more predictive, and we’re crafting personalised learning journeys for employees.”

However, the panel agreed: while experiments are underway, the community is still in early stages of developing large-scale, evidence-based success stories.

Ethical Guardrails and Organisational Readiness

While excitement around AI runs high, Dr. Goel sounded a note of caution on ethics: “AI has no ethics—it must be taught. We must ensure AI doesn’t perpetuate bias, especially in hiring and performance management. The human touch in HR is irreplaceable.”

“AI should act as an assistant, not replace human judgement, especially in areas where empathy, fairness, and nuance are key,” Dr. Goel advised.

The conversation also turned to organisational readiness. From data governance to upskilling, HR needs a solid foundation to fully embrace AI. “Strong data infrastructure and AI governance are non-negotiable,” said Green. “We also need to boost AI literacy across HR so professionals can interpret and act on insights confidently.”

Sekhri wrapped it up with a call for bold action: “AI isn’t just a tech conversation—it’s a boardroom conversation. Organisations that adapt fast will leapfrog ahead. But this is not about dipping your toes. Go all in."

Dr. Goel concluded with a blueprint for readiness: “Organisations must invest in modern technology, strong data governance, and DevOps practices to sustain AI-driven transformations. Importantly, HR must drive AI adoption without fear.”

Final Takeaway: We’re Just Getting Started

As the session came to a wrap all three speakers agreed—we’re only scratching the surface of what AI and agentic systems can do for HR. But the organisations that experiment, learn, and adapt quickly will define the future of work. “The organisations that boldly and thoughtfully embrace AI now will leapfrog others — because this is not a 10-year cycle. It's happening right now,” Sekhri emphasised.

Inspired by that spirit of bold experimentation, let’s take the conversation a step further at People Matters TechHR India 2025, happening on 31 July – 1 August at Yashobhoomi, Delhi . Hear from stalwarts like David Green, Sheenu Sekhri and Dr Shakti Goel as they unveil real‑world case studies, lead hands‑on workshops and reveal the latest breakthroughs in an AI‑driven  HR space. It’s your chance to join over 200 global visionaries, connect with fellow people‑and‑work leaders, and leave ready to transform your organisation’s future.

Register Now for People Matters TechHR India 2025. For more details regarding the conference agenda, speakers, sessions and workshops, download the People Matters TechHR India 2025 Delegate Brochure.