How AI is impacting the workforce trends, by Aghedo
Laura Aghedo is a Chartered Human Resources professional with specialty in organisational behaviour, workplace psychology, and employee wellbeing initiatives. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, she spoke on the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on workforce trends and how employees can reduce workplace stress. Excerpts:
What informed your choice of career in Human Resources?
My empathy and passion for people and my desire to create meaningful impact within organisations informed my choice of career in Human Resources. I have always been interested in understanding what motivates people to perform at their best. HR provides a platform where I can connect human potential with organisational strategy, ensuring that both individuals and the organisation succeed.
What do you think are the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on workforce trends?
Artificial Intelligence has significantly changed workforce dynamics. It has automated repetitive administrative tasks, improved decision making through data analytics, and enhanced talent acquisition processes.
However, it also challenges employees to continuously up skill to remain relevant. The HR role now involves helping the workforce adapt to digital tools, promoting analytics, and maintaining a human touch in an increasingly automated environment.
What are the roles of HR in corporate culture submission?
HR plays a central role in building and sustaining corporate culture. It ensures that the organisation’s core values are reflected in all policies, processes, and behaviours. HR promotes ethical conduct, fairness, and inclusivity through training, communication, and policy enforcement.
In essence, HR serves as both a culture architect and a compliance guardian.
May we know some of the major challenges confronting the practice of HR in Nigeria and what is the way forward?
Key challenges include poor enforcement of labour laws, limited technology adoption, inadequate professional training, and economic instability affecting employee morale. The way forward is professionalisation equipping HR practitioners with modern digital skills, promoting continuous learning, and advocating stronger labour legislation that protect both employers and employees. Collaboration between HR bodies and government agencies is also essential. It will allow for cohesion and smooth running for both. With the growing emphasis on well-being, technology, and culture, the future of HR in Nigeria looks promising and vital to sustainable organisational growth.
As an HR professional, what are some effective strategies for refining employee commitment and custody?
Engagement and retention thrive when employees feel valued and connected to their work. Strategies include transparent communication, fair compensation, recognition programmes, opportunities for career growth, and wellness initiatives. Regular employee feedback, flexible work policies, and leadership that listen also go a long way in keeping employees motivated and loyal.
In what ways do you think employees can reduce workplace stress?
Employees can reduce stress by maintaining a healthy work-life balance, engaging in physical activity, setting realistic goals, setting priorities right, and practicing time management. It’s also important to seek support from supervisors or HR when needed. Employers, on their part, must create supportive environments through wellness programmes, flexible scheduling, and mental health awareness initiatives.
How would you describe the relationship between an average Nigerian employer and an employee?
The relationship is often characterised by a top-down approach, with limited communication and trust. However, this is gradually changing as more organisations recognise the link between employee satisfaction and business performance. A more balanced, respectful, and transparent relationship is emerging one that values dialogue, fairness, and shared success.
What is your advice to anyone venturing into HR profession?
Be passionate, people-oriented, and ethical. HR is not just about enforcing rules it’s about influencing people positively. Develop strong communication, emotional intelligence, and analytical skills. Most importantly, staying adaptable to the profession is evolving rapidly, and continuous learning is key to long term success. The world is moving the normal HR to people analytical, staying abreast of trends happening in your field. The HR profession is more than administrative work; it is leadership, empathy, and transformation.
How do you see the practice of HR in Nigeria in the next five years?
The HR field will become more strategic, and technology driven. We will see increased use of AI and analytics in decision making, a stronger focus on employee well-being, and deeper integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. HR will play a crucial advisory role in business strategy, guiding organisations through digital and cultural transformation.
Can you take us through your career trajectory?
I have implemented several people-focused initiatives that improved employee engagement and retention. I have led organisational change programmes, introduced performance management systems aligned with business goals, and driven employee development plans that enhanced productivity.
One of my most rewarding achievements was reducing turnover by improving workplace communication and recognition practices. Also, l successfully carried out various projects within and outside the company in recruitment, training, employee relations, and performance management which have yielded about a 70 percent increase in employee adherence to principles and guidelines.
I initiated a bi-monthly stress therapy at work, these proactive actions carried out once a month during lunch hour, aimed to relieve, recharge, and promote employee well-being has yielded about a 40 percent increase in employee satisfaction, metabolism, and motivation which was employed by my organisation and adopted by another sister company which earned me an award.
What are some of the challenges you have encountered in your career and how were you able to overcome such challenges?
Challenges such as resistance to change, managing diverse personalities, and balancing employee welfare with business interests are common. I overcame these through effective communication, empathy, and evidence-based HR practices. Building trust, maintaining transparency, and staying solutions oriented have helped me navigate difficult situations successfully.
Can you tell us about your research works and what motivated you to venture in to it?
My research focuses on job stress, employee well-being, employee engagement, and workplace civility/violence.
I became interested in these topics right from my graduate days where I studied managerial psychology, some of the courses I took then aroused my curiosity and first research work was on influence of socio-demographic, prevalence, personality and organisational factors on incidence and impact of workplace violence.
To what extent can personality factors predict workplace violence among employees, how does this affect employees negatively and solutions and reforms for it and after observing how workplace pressures and toxic environments can affect both productivity and mental health.
The research aims to provide evidence-based insights that help organisations create safer, more supportive, and more engaging work environments. Also, I have research on Workplace context and Stress: A comparative review of social and psychological mechanism in remote, hybrid, and in- person work and digital monitoring in the workplace: A critical review of trust, autonomy, and stress in the era of performance management tools.
Currently, I am working on two publications: “Employee productivity, personality traits, and well-being. Secondly, the recovery trajectories from burnout: Individual differences and organisational factors. This research shows that employee productivity and well-being depend on both individual traits and workplace conditions. People with positive personalities like resilience and optimism recover from burnout faster, especially when supported by good leadership and healthy work environments.
It highlights that HR should focus on both personal well-being and organisational support to sustain performance and prevent burnout. For Nigerian employers, it highlights the importance of employee well-being as a driver of organisational success. For employees, it emphasises self-care, resilience, and civility as essential components of workplace harmony.
