AI x Workforce: Why CFOs and Tech Leaders Must Act Now to Future Proof Their Teams 

AI is not a future disruption; it is a current force reshaping workforce dynamics across finance, HR, and operations. For CFOs and tech executives, this is no longer about early adoption or experimentation.

AI is automating workflows, redefining roles, and recalibrating headcounts in real time. In finance, the shift is seismic: 57 percent of CFOs expect smaller finance teams by 2026 due to AI. In HR, AI is already handling recruiting, onboarding, and performance management. This transformation isn’t theoretical; it’s measurable, accelerating, and irreversible. 

To remain competitive, CFOs must prepare their departments and their people for a future defined by intelligent automation, not just efficiency. This article outlines how AI is already transforming work, why CFOs must lead this change, and what practical steps HR leaders should take to ensure their organizations thrive, not lag, in the AI age. 

Table of Contents 

• AI’s Real Time Impact on the Workforce 
• How Finance Is Being Rewritten by AI 
• The Silent Transformation Inside HR Departments 
• The Three Phase Action Plan for HR Transformation 
• Key Metrics HR Should Track to Measure AI Success 
• Lead the Workforce Transformation Before It Leaves You Behind 
• Need Help? 

AI’s Real Time Impact on the Workforce 

AI is no longer confined to pilot programs. It is actively reshaping how teams function. According to McKinsey, generative AI alone could automate tasks that consume 60 to 70 percent of employees' time today, especially in knowledge heavy domains like finance, HR, and legal.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) anticipates that while 85 million jobs may be displaced by AI by 2025, another 97 million will emerge that are better aligned with future skillsets. 

In finance, this translates into leaner teams focused on strategic insight rather than transactional work. In HR, it means fewer coordinators and more data savvy strategists. For CFOs and tech leaders, the challenge is to manage this transformation without losing operational continuity or talent. 

How Finance Is Being Rewritten by AI 

As outlined in The CFO’s Reckoning white paper, AI is not just automating finance. It is redefining its purpose. 

The Surge in Adoption 

• 58 percent of finance functions are using AI in 2024 (up from 37 percent in 2023) 

• 70 percent of CFOs plan to invest in AI in 2025 

• 30 percent expected headcount reduction due to AI productivity gains 

Despite these investments, only 20 percent of companies use generative AI in production, suggesting the steepest productivity gains are still ahead. Organizations piloting today are tomorrow’s market leaders. 

What’s Being Automated 

• Accounts Payable: AI reduces processing costs by 81 percent and accelerates cycle times by 73 percent 

• Financial Reporting: AI enables 40 percent faster book closings 

• FP&A: KPMG reports 90 percent of transactional FP&A tasks can be automated 

• Compliance and Audit: 39 percent of finance teams use AI for real time anomaly detection 

These are not hypotheticals. Companies like SAP, BlackLine, and Workday are embedding AI agents directly into ERP systems. Autonomous invoice processing, AI generated forecasts, and real time reconciliation are live and scaling. 

Role Evolution 

• Declining Roles: AP and AR clerks, bookkeepers, and data entry roles 

• Evolving Roles: Analysts, controllers, and business partners focused on storytelling and strategy 

• Emerging Roles: Finance data engineers, AI auditors, and algorithm trainers 

CFOs who understand these shifts can reposition their departments from cost centers to value creators. 

The Silent Transformation Inside HR Departments 

While HR helps the organization prepare for AI, many overlook the AI revolution in their own backyard. 

What’s Being Automated in HR (Now) 

According to the executive brief AI x HR, core HR tasks are rapidly being delegated to AI: 

• Recruiting: Resume parsing, AI based matching, automated scheduling 

• Onboarding: Document handling, benefits enrollment, provisioning 

• Performance Management: Real time feedback, goal setting, sentiment analysis 

• Employee Mobility: Exit interview analysis, internal job recommendations 

Why It Matters 

1. Leaner Teams: Fewer coordinators are needed as AI handles admin tasks 
2. New Skills: HR becomes a data function, requiring analytics literacy 
3. Value Shift: HR's role evolves from administration to workforce strategy

The lesson is clear: HR cannot guide organizational AI transformation if it has not transformed itself. 

The Three Phase Action Plan for HR Transformation 

To stay ahead, HR departments must adopt a phased transformation plan that aligns with AI disruption timelines in finance and beyond. 

Phase 1: Immediate (Next 90 Days) 

• Inventory AI Capabilities: Review current HR tech (Workday, SAP, etc.) for underutilized AI features 

• Reframe Roles: Define what HR work should remain human versus digital 

• Upskill Staff: Launch training on AI interpretation, data fluency, and tool usage 

• Set Governance Baselines: Draft AI usage policies, human in the loop standards, and data ethics protocols 

Phase 2: Short Term (Next 6 Months) 

• Automate Key Workflows: Expand AI driven automation in recruiting, onboarding, and employee services 

• Redesign Career Paths: Update job descriptions with AI fluency requirements and future ready competencies 

• Embed Change Management: Prepare employees for AI adoption using HR led programs and workshops 

• Build Cross Functional Alliances: Partner with IT and Finance to co lead automation initiatives 

Phase 3: Long Term (Next 12 to 18 Months) 

• Scale Analytics Driven HR: Use AI to forecast attrition, analyze engagement, and drive retention 

• Launch HR Innovation Labs: Experiment with new tools and AI pilots for workforce planning 

• Talent Marketplace Activation: Power internal mobility with AI driven skill matching 

• Benchmark and Optimize: Continuously refine AI strategies based on industry best practices and internal metrics 

Key Metrics HR Should Track to Measure AI Success 

For transformation to stick, it must be measurable. HR leaders should monitor the following metrics: 

• AI Utilization Rate: Percentage of workflows augmented by AI tools 

• Time to Hire Reduction: AI impact on cycle times for recruiting 

• Employee Satisfaction: Changes in engagement post automation 

• HR Cost per Employee: Efficiency gains from automation 

• Skills Acquisition Rate: Percentage of HR team with AI proficiency 

• Internal Mobility Rate: Movement powered by AI based recommendations 

LinkedIn data shows that companies with strong internal mobility retain employees nearly two times longer, underscoring the value of AI driven mobility. 

Lead the Workforce Transformation Before It Leaves You Behind 

AI is not just reshaping the workforce. It is redefining the very identity of departments like HR and Finance. Yet too many HR leaders remain passive, caught between strategy and execution. The risk is not just inefficiency; it is irrelevance. 

Now is the moment for HR to step up as a proactive, AI savvy partner to the business. Not by waiting for transformation to be mandated, but by designing and leading it from within. By upskilling themselves, redefining their value, and partnering with Finance and IT, HR leaders can ensure their teams become catalysts of innovation rather than casualties of disruption. 

Because here is the truth: AI will transform your company, with or without your help. The question is whether your HR function will be an architect of that future or an afterthought.