HAIKU: The HR profession today and in the future – AI, skills and education

Swedish workplaces are being reshaped due to rapid technological development and automation. Sweden lags behind in international comparison when it comes to the development and use of digital HR tools (Tengblad & Nord 2024). HR practitioners in Sweden need access to powerful digital tools for automation, for instance advanced AI solutions, as well as the opportunity to develop new skills for the AI-era.

A new research project will be initiated in 2025 within DigMa: The HR profession today and in the future – AI, competences and education (HAIKU). The theme for HAIKU is competence supply and the purpose of the project is to deliver a knowledge overview of the changing role of the HR profession and central HR competences. The purpose of the HAIKU project is to carry out a scientific mapping of previous research concerning the HR profession's changing role and responsibilities, strategic HR competences, and the need to renew strategies and processes for effective future competence supply. The HAIKU project will also critically analyze which competencies the course content in today's HR education is focused on supporting, as well as discuss what changes to the traditional education offering might be needed in order to satisfy both today's and future's needs for HR competencies.

The HAIKU project will be carried out by research assistant Helena Landstedt Wennberg and docent Eva Lindell. Helena is well suited to conduct the literature study and expert interviews within HAIKU based on her long HR career and previous research experience regarding digital transformation within the HR function. HAIKU is funded by the Center for Global HRM at the University of Gothenburg in its inaugural research grant for knowledge overviews in the HRM area in autumn 2024.

This analysis of HR competences is very timely in view of the ongoing development work regarding a futuristic HR programme at MDU, which is planned to launch and welcome its first batch of MDU students in the fall semester of 2026. The knowledge overview produced within the framework of the HAIKU project will be reported as of 31 August 2025 and aims to contribute to increased insight among researchers and practitioners alike.

For any questions/comments, kindly email digma@mdu.se