In January 2026, The Josh Bersin Company released new research predicting the most significant HR transformation in decades, driven by the rapid rise of AI-powered “superagents.” According to the firm, HR technology will evolve from simple AI assistants into semi-autonomous agents and, ultimately, superagents capable of orchestrating and automating entire HR workflows. As a result, core HR headcount could decline by 30% or more—less as job destruction, and more as a structural shift toward new roles focused on AI design, governance, and optimization.



Josh Bersin Company predicts that HR teams will restructure, coordinate with IT, and rapidly accelerate AI adoption in 2026, as "superagents" automate many core HR processes

AI tools will evolve from assistants to workflow automation systems, requiring up to 30% fewer HR staff, while delivering dramatic improvements in employee services

More than 100 potential HR agents identified, grouped into new Superagent families, with top use cases across employee services, recruiting, performance management, coaching, learning & development, and workforce management

All findings, as well as company benchmarking tools, now built into The Josh Bersin Company's Galileo® AI HR agent, enabling HR leaders to redesign their HR organizations in a customized, actionable way

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 21, 2026 - The Josh Bersin Company, the world's most trusted HR advisory firm, today announces the dawn of a new era for AI in the enterprise—one that redefines how HR will operate in an AI-powered future.

This next step for both practical AI and HR as a profession centers on the imminent elevation of already-widely deployed AI "assistants" into semi-autonomous "agents," and then beyond that to a new class of capability: HR "superagents."

The research firm describes this as a revolution—one that will sweep aside lingering reservations about whether teams should deploy AI. In 2026, AI will be everywhere: in our phones, computers, vehicles, and wearable devices. As a result, business leaders and professionals alike must understand its imperfections, architecture, and the quality of the underlying data. The research firm warns that core HR headcount could fall by 30% or more as new AI assistants dramatically improve how companies hire, train, manage, pay, and support employees. The firm notes that this figure is better understood as a shift in role count, as some roles will disappear, while many new ones will emerge.

For CHROs, the implication is clear: the next few months must commence with a redefinition of HR's corporate mission. This includes a) training teams to use and build with AI, b) identifying high-value AI assistant, agent, and increasingly "superagent" use cases, and c) executing AI deployment strategies to drive growth.

These findings are explored in depth in a new report from The Josh Bersin Company, The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise—HR and Leadership Imperatives for 2026, which details multiple real-world organizational case studies and vendor roadmaps.

100 HR processes will soon be given over to AI

The thrust of the imperatives—the practical "to-do" list for HR leaders—can be understood by comparing AI's rapid development to the evolution of the automobile. As with driving, that is roughly where we are with AI in HR today. But we are moving quickly toward "self-driving" systems that will take over many of the mechanical and administrative aspects of HR.

The study has identified no fewer than 100 agent applications across HR, which can be grouped into fewer core superagent families. In L&D alone, the study proves that 60–70% of the work currently being done by training and development teams can be automated.

11 Imperatives for the AI-Aware CHRO

1. Build a unified AI architecture
   No organization wants to manage 100 agents from 100 vendors. Design a coherent, scalable AI ecosystem, use superagents to collect and consolidate agents.


2. Embrace the era of the corporate citizen developer
   AI will be built not just by coders, but by everyone. Enable the whole organization to build apps, without waiting for vendors.


3. Plan for job transformation, not job destruction
   Some roles will disappear, many more will emerge. More than 30 new job titles have already appeared within HR and IT.


4. Put employee care at the center
   As AI's impact intensifies, employee trust, wellbeing, and fairness become critically important. Refocus on mission, purpose, and internal development.


5. Move beyond yesterday's talent management
   Retire outdated models and usher in true talent density across the organization, slow hiring and improve internal upskilling and performance.


6. Prepare for AI-powered digital leadership
   Virtual "digital twins" will coach, guide, and scale leadership in radical new ways, AI-driven leadership built from your own leaders.


7. Start an AI-driven learning revolution
   Continuous, personalized, AI-powered learning will be standard: move away from courseware toward dynamically generated learning and knowledge.


8. Integrate your recruitment AI investments
   Consolidate tools and fully connect the talent acquisition tech stack.


9. Expect major HR vendor disruption in 2026
   The market will reshuffle—be ready to identify and back the new winners. Some incumbents will vanish and many will be acquired.


10. Invest in LLM quality, not just access
    Large Language Models vary widely in value; invest in data labeling, quality, external validation, and internal data governance.


11. Lead the AI transformation
    Step beyond HR. Become the CHRO who drives AI adoption for the organization's broader success.

A wholly new way to dialog with Josh Bersin Company

Significantly, and marking a new AI-empowered phase for all Josh Bersin Company research, The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise—HR and Leadership Imperatives for 2026 is best accessed through the firm's Galileo AI agent.

This development creates the first-ever interactive and live research, continually refreshed within the Galileo platform. Unlike a conventional static PDF, organizations can now interact with embedded Galileo prompts—pausing, interrogating, and customizing the findings—so the analysis is fully aligned with their unique, specific, time-sensitive HR initiatives in 2026.

 

Josh Bersin Company CEO Josh Bersin says:

"In 2026 we will see the most dramatic transformation of HR in my career, with hundreds of traditional processes automated. Ultimately, HR exists to make the rest of the company work better, and AI brings scale and value like no HR technology before.

We believe agents and superagents will eliminate up to 30% of traditional HR roles, enabling HR professionals to spend time on hiring, coaching, and managing the AI infrastructure. And many HR teams will become application developers, building and managing their own people management agents.

For CHROs and HR leaders, this is the year to build a sound architecture, invest in skills, and learn how to operationalize this enormous new toolset for process improvement and autonomy. For HR Tech vendors, this is a disruptive time to think big and reinvent your products.

We will exit 2026 with higher performing companies, more engaged employees, and superworker businesses that generate even higher levels of revenue and profit per employee."

About The Josh Bersin Company
The Josh Bersin Company is the world's most trusted human capital advisors, providing research-based insights on talent, leadership, and organizational performance.

Unlike traditional consultancies, we capture our integrated models, research, and guidance in a structured, scalable knowledge base—Galileo™—making trusted advice and decades of expertise accessible to anyone, anywhere, in real time.

With a dedicated team constantly tracking market change, testing ideas, and applying a unique business lens, we help over a million HR and business leaders address their most pressing people challenges—aligning work, knowledge, and skills for maximum impact. For more information, visit joshbersin.com.

SOURCE The Josh Bersin Company