Brandon Hall Group Launches AI Maturity Model to Transform HR Capabilities

Brandon Hall Group Launches AI Maturity Model to Transform HR Capabilities

Brandon Hall Group has unveiled its AI Maturity Model for HR, a research-based framework developed from insights collected from 600 HR and business professionals globally. The model maps out how organizations can evolve from reactive, hand-rolled AI efforts to optimized, strategic HR functions that use AI as a core enabler.

The research reveals that 46% of organizations currently sit in the reactive or standardized maturity phases, while only 16% claim they’ve achieved optimized HR excellence.

The Five Phases of AI Maturity in HR

Brandon Hall’s model describes a progression across five distinct phases, each with growing capabilities, governance, and impact.

1. Reactive / Ad Hoc (21%)
   HR functions are largely manual, with little structure or governance around AI initiatives. Projects are experimental and often isolated.

2. Standardized (25%)
   Basic automation and pilot programs begin to take shape. Some structure is emerging but efforts are still fragmented and not unified with strategy.

3. Defined / Strategic (25%)
   AI is aligned with HR strategy. Insights from AI help drive decisions proactively rather than reactively.

4. Managed / Transformational (13%)
   Advanced AI capabilities, predictive analytics, and integration across HR systems become more common.

5. Optimized HR Excellence (16%)
   Organizations reach continuous innovation. AI is deeply embedded in culture, governance, and everyday decision frameworks.

Key Dimensions & Transition Factors

To move through these phases, HR organizations must evolve across several dimensions:

• Organizational & Governance: Establishing AI oversight structures, governance protocols, and accountability mechanisms.

• Technology Evolution: Moving from basic automation to machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

• People & Skills: Developing competencies in AI literacy, data fluency, interpretability, and change leadership.

• Process Transformation: Reworking talent acquisition, performance, learning, and other HR workflows to incorporate AI-enabled decisions.

• Critical Success Factors: Recognizing factors such as executive sponsorship, data quality, change management, and culture readiness.

Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer, notes that AI adoption isn’t about acquiring the latest tools, it's about embedding AI into the DNA of HR operations to support human-AI collaboration.

Meanwhile, Mike Cooke, CEO, emphasizes: knowing your current maturity phase and following a clear roadmap helps shift AI from being a risk to a strategic advantage.

Implications for HR Leaders

• Many organizations are still in the early stages. Almost half (46%) are in phases 1 or 2, underscoring how much room there is to grow.

• Reaching “Phase 3: Defined / Strategic” is often a tipping point: AI moves from novelty to a driver of insights, alignment, and influence.

• After that, firms that push into “Managed / Transformational” and “Optimized HR Excellence” often distinguish themselves via predictive analytics, adaptive workflows, and talent agility.

• Organizations should assess their maturity honestly, build capability roadmaps, invest in skills, and ensure alignment with broader business priorities.

Stay updated with HR Tech News for the latest innovations in Human Resources technology and expert insights from industry leaders!

Read related news - https://hrtech-news.com/job-talent-surpasses-market-boosts-profits-evolves-into-ai-powered-workforce-platform/