McLean & Company Report Finds Big Gap Between HR's Human-Centric Claims and AI Practice
Most HR teams believe they are human-centric, but few check AI projects for their human impact before rollout, according to a new report from HR research firm McLean & Company. The firm launched The Power of Human-Centricity at its McLean Signature 2026 conference.
- McLean & Company launched The Power of Human-Centricity report at McLean Signature 2026.
- 82.2% of organizations and 88.1% of HR teams believe they are human-centric, per the firm's 2026 survey.
- Only 20% of HR teams consistently assess AI use cases for human-centricity before implementation.
- The firm's HR Trends Report 2025 found highly proficient executive leaders make organizations 2.2 times more likely to be high performing.
- The report outlines technology, people, and organizational impacts as a practical roadmap.
A gap between belief and practice
McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm, announced the report on day two of its flagship HR conference, McLean Signature 2026. It is based on the firm's Human-Centric HR in the Age of AI Survey 2026.
According to the firm, 82.2% of organizations and 88.1% of HR teams believe they are human-centric. Yet only 20% of HR teams consistently assess AI use cases for their impact on human-centricity before implementation.
McLean & Company warns that technology decisions made for speed and efficiency today can become tomorrow's trust, engagement, and retention challenges if the gap is left unaddressed.
Three areas where human-centricity is won or lost
The report is structured as a practical roadmap for embedding human-centricity into the design of work, decision-making, technology adoption, and HR service delivery. It describes three connected areas of impact:
- Technology impacts: higher adoption rates, accelerated AI maturity, and reduced costly rework.
- People impacts: a stronger sense of belonging, psychological safety, preserved agency, and empowerment.
- Organizational impacts: sustained performance and growth, market competitiveness, and stronger retention and talent stability.
The report also examines what human-centricity means in a world shaped by emerging technologies, how organizations and HR teams are handling the current reality, and how HR can influence decisions. It offers guidance for reimagining HR service delivery in the age of AI.
Researchers: an intentional practice, not an assumed value
Kelly Berte, practice lead, HR Research & Advisory Services, and one of the report's lead researchers, said human-centricity "cannot be treated as an assumed value while technology decisions are made somewhere else." She said the report aims to help HR leaders move it "from a stated priority to a practiced discipline."
Amani Gharib, HR Research & Advisory Services Director and another lead researcher, said HR plays a pivotal role in ensuring the human element does not get lost as AI adoption accelerates. In her words, human-centricity "is a strategic lens that helps organizations build trust, strengthen performance, and make better technology decisions."
The business case and what it means for HR leaders
The firm points to its HR Trends Report 2025, which found that organizations whose executive leaders are highly proficient in human-centric competencies are 2.2 times more likely to be high performing at achieving strategic goals and objectives. McLean & Company says this supports treating human-centricity as a measurable organizational capability.
For HR leaders, the findings suggest that stating a commitment to people is not the same as testing AI projects against it. The firm says organizations can use its advisory services to assess human-centricity, strengthen HR's influence in AI and technology decisions, and align people, process, technology, governance, and data. Further material is available through its HR Technology Resource Center.
