- More than half (57%) of HR professionals using AI to review people decisions say it has prompted them to reconsider an employee initially overlooked for promotion
- AI-informed performance reviews result in more favourable decisions on pay rises (43%) and promotions (40%), while almost three-quarters (73%) have used AI to challenge a manager's proposed decision
- Findings come ahead of HiBob's inaugural Horizons event in London on 18th November, exploring how AI agents and Organisational Intelligence are transforming the future of work
London, UK, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HiBob, the AI-powered Organisational Intelligence HCM platform helping businesses adapt to the age of AI, today released landmark research revealing how AI is giving HR a second opinion on decisions that shape employees' pay and careers.
AI is now informing some of the most consequential decisions in the workplace, from pay rises (50%) and promotions (51%) to performance ratings (64%) and redundancies (42%).
Crucially, in some cases, the findings suggest AI is working in employees' favour. More than half (57%) of HR professionals using AI to review workforce decisions have reconsidered employees initially passed over for promotion, while 43% report a more favourable final decision on pay rises and 40% on promotions following an AI-informed review.
AI gives HR data-backed ammunition to challenge bias in people decisions
AI insights are also helping HR professionals work with managers to revisit people decisions. Almost three-quarters (73%) say they have used AI information to encourage a manager to reconsider a proposed decision, including 42% who did so because an employee’s or candidate’s skills or potential had been overlooked.
The findings suggest AI is giving HR professionals the Organisational Intelligence needed to challenge managers' assessments and identify talent that might otherwise be missed.
Recruitment and performance reviews are also seeing different outcomes. Among those using AI to review these decisions, 40% report a more favourable outcome for a candidate's progression through recruitment or job offer, while 42% report the same for employee performance ratings.
Ronni Zehavi, CEO and Co-Founder of HiBob, comments: “AI is fundamentally changing how leaders assess capability and build teams. It gives HR a second opinion to test assumptions, challenge potential bias and spot overlooked talent. These insights strengthen HR’s role as a strategic partner and help leaders make better-informed people decisions.”
“This is where Organisational Intelligence comes in. By connecting information about people, skills and performance, we can understand the bigger picture and make smarter decisions. HR leaders have an opportunity to lead this transformation, not simply react to it.”
Putting AI to work: Safeguards and verification
Beyond individual career decisions, HR professionals are using AI to analyse workforce information (47%), screen candidates or review hiring recommendations (45%) and prepare or review performance assessments (40%). Almost a third (31%) have used it to plan changes to jobs, skills or how work is organised.
Adoption varies across HR functions, however, with more than a third of teams not currently using AI information for pay-rise recommendations (38%) or promotions (33%), while 39% do not use it for grievances or disciplinary matters.
As AI becomes part of these decisions, HR teams are also putting checks in place. The majority (59%) say AI information is checked for accuracy and relevance, while 45% review proposed decisions for unfair or inconsistent treatment and 41% consider individual circumstances that AI may have missed.
Looking to Horizons: Defining the AI-powered enterprise
These research insights set the stage for Horizons by HiBob, the company's flagship invitation-only event taking place at Protein Studios in Shoreditch, London, on Wednesday 18 November 2026.
Bringing together approximately 300 senior decision-makers across People, Finance, and Technology, the landmark event features a keynote address by Dr. Hannah Fry - renowned mathematician, broadcaster, and Professor for the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. The agenda will showcase pioneer organisations and customers including Lovable, Zepz, Formula E, Raspberry Pi Foundation, and Wayve exploring how Organisational Intelligence and AI agents are driving workforce transformation, scaling businesses, and shaping the future of work.
For more information and full agenda details, visit: https://events.hibob.com/horizons2026.
About HiBob
HiBob is the Organisational Intelligence platform for the modern world of work. Its award-winning solution, Bob, is the modern HR and payroll platform for mid-sized and multinational companies, bringing HR, payroll and finance together in one intuitive platform. Built on trusted workforce data, HiBob gives businesses an enterprise-grade foundation for managing people and operations without enterprise complexity, while delivering Organisational Intelligence into the systems where work happens.
Engineered for the realities of the modern world of work, Bob helps leaders understand their workforce, identify skills gaps, plan with greater confidence and create clear accountability across teams. With people analytics, automation and tools spanning onboarding, compensation, workforce planning and more, HiBob helps organisations move faster as they grow. More than one million users at over 5,500 companies in more than 170 countries rely on HiBob to run confidently today and adapt for tomorrow.
Press Inquiries
HiBob [at] missive.co.uk
