The Human Element

As an HR leader, how do you help your CIO see the potential in an AI solution specifically built for HR?

HR leaders want technology built for their function, with their specific needs and challenges in mind. They want technology that understands HR processes.

Meanwhile, the IT organization—with its focus on data security, compliance, scalability, system integration, and long-term ROI—is cautious about adopting new technology. As AI continues to evolve, there’s a healthy dose of skepticism, especially from IT teams tasked with safeguarding company data and ensuring tech investments align with long-term business goals.

Thoughtful evaluation is good. Not every AI solution will be a good fit for every company. Skepticism, however, might unnecessarily hamstring your team.

HR leaders know this, and they’re looking beyond generic AI products retrofitted for people operations—they want purpose-built technology that can safely handle sensitive employee data, integrate smoothly with HRIS platforms, and deliver insights that accelerate the operating rhythm of their company. They want solutions built with HR’s unique challenges in mind, not one-size-fits-all technology.

The key to unlocking the potential of AI for HR lies in the partnership you create with your CIO. In short, you should do the following:

• Show you understand IT’s perspective. IT leaders assess new solutions through the lens of risk and enterprise impact. HR leaders need to show they “get” these concerns and prioritize them, too.
• Identify a high-impact use case. As you bring your IT leader into the conversation, focus on how the AI solution improves employee experience, streamlines HR workflows, or enhances decision-making.
• Prioritize risk, compliance, and security. Make it clear that protecting employee data isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a core part of choosing the right technology.
• Demonstrate you’re thinking about long-term implications. Show how the AI technology aligns with long-term business goals and integrates with existing systems like HRIS and ERP without disruption.
• Show you’re thinking about deployment. A deployment plan—one with timelines, resource needs, and change management strategies—will show your CIO that you’ve thought through the rollout.
• Show how it will benefit everyone involved. CIOs respond to clear, data-backed ROI. Break down how the AI solution will deliver tangible business value—from reducing manual processes and errors to freeing HR teams for more strategic work.
  

Here’s how to make the case.

1. Understand IT’s perspective.

CIOs have seen the rise and fall of many tech trends. Generally, they aren’t quick to buy into the shiny new technologies right away. (To be fair, neither is HR. Human resources professionals know all too well how important it is to diligently review new technologies and see proof of their successes before rolling them out to employees.) IT has to balance pressure in the organization to try new tech with the priorities of the organization, in particular: data, security, and deployment. Just as HR leaders carefully evaluate platforms before rolling them out to employees, IT leaders must assess new solutions through the lens of risk and enterprise impact. HR leaders need to show empathy for these concerns and approach the conversation collaboratively.

2. Identify your use case.

CIOs want assurance that any AI investment serves a high-impact use case. They want to see that employees, job candidates, partners, or clients will benefit from the technology.

As you bring your IT leader into the conversation, focus on how the AI solution improves employee experience, streamlines HR workflows, or enhances decision-making. Demonstrate how the technology will deliver measurable improvements—whether that's increased employee engagement, reduced administrative workload, or faster, more accurate talent insights. Try working backward from an objective that’s important to your company to prove why this technology in particular is the right one.

3. Prioritize risk, compliance, and security.

Make security a core part of the conversation from the beginning and demonstrate that you want to leverage the technology in a responsible way. Ask the right questions. Here’s a list you can start with:

• What kind of AI safety measures do you have in place?
• Do you conduct bias testing?
• How do you ensure compliance with applicable laws?
• How are your AI platform’s models trained?
• What is your data retention policy?
• Do you comply with major data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA?
• Do you have security certifications such as SOC 2 that I can share with my team?

Bring IT into the evaluation process early. They’ll want to know how controls and data governance policies will prevent breaches. Above all, the HR leader should make it clear that protecting employee data isn’t just a checkbox. It’s a core part of choosing the right technology.

Craig Williams, chief digital information officer at networking systems company Ciena, said governance is “really about listening and learning from each other as we all care about the outcome, but equally as important, how we get to the outcome itself.”

4. Show you’re thinking about deployment.

“Investing in AI or deploying AI is the easiest part of the journey,” says Merve Hickok, President of the Center for AI & Digital Policy, in an interview with SHRM. “The harder part is designing and deploying it in responsible ways, making it work for all the other parts in your organization.”

Show that you understand how AI will shape your processes and systems. How will things work together, now that your organization is using AI? You don’t have to have all the answers. Work with your IT leader to figure out what would go into a deployment of the technology.

Will the new technology integrate smoothly with existing systems like the HRIS or ERP without causing a disruption? Show you’ve done your homework and have thought through why that’s the case.

A deployment plan—one with timelines, resource needs, and change management strategies—will show your CIO that you’ve thought through the rollout.

5. Demonstrate your long-term thinking.

Beyond immediate benefits, show how the AI technology aligns with long-term business goals and integrates with existing systems like HRIS and ERP without disruption. Present a deployment plan with clear timelines, resource needs, and change management strategies.

6. Show it will work for everyone.

CIOs want to see clear, data-backed ROI. Break down how the AI solution will deliver tangible business value—from reducing manual processes and errors to freeing HR teams for more strategic work. Share case studies or examples from similar companies to make the impact relatable. Most importantly, break down the ROI and show how the technology will make work easier for everyone involved.

HR leaders need to show how this investment directly supports the company’s bigger goals. They should highlight how the technology integrates smoothly with existing systems to prevent creating extra work for IT. Real-world examples or case studies from similar companies can make the impact feel more tangible. Presenting a cost-benefit analysis that outlines potential savings and productivity gains will also help make your case. Fewer manual processes mean fewer errors—and that’s a scenario where everyone wins.

By automating repetitive tasks, the new technology can free up time for more strategic work and open up incredible opportunities for your company.

The bottom line: Get your CIO’s buy-in through alignment on policy, benefits, and deployment

Securing CIO buy-in for AI in HR is about aligning on shared goals. By thoughtfully addressing IT concerns, collaborating on AI governance, and demonstrating a clear path to ROI, HR leaders can champion AI solutions—with their IT leader as an ally—and drive meaningful impact across the organization.