Kurt Gillam, Executive General Manager at PERSOL Australia & New Zealand, focuses on keeping people central as workplaces adopt new technologies. He combines human insight with AI-driven tools to guide workforce planning and HR practices. In this interview, he shares perspectives on technology, leadership, and shaping adaptive, human-centred workplaces.

Kurt, thank you for joining us. To start, could you please introduce yourself, share a little about your background, your current role, and what drives your work in HR and workforce planning?

I’m Kurt Gillam, and I’m the Executive General Manager for PERSOL Australia & New Zealand. I’ve spent 23 years working in staffing across all core industries in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. My career has always centred on helping business leaders achieve their goals through building future-ready teams and the right talent strategies.

In my current role at PERSOL, my main priority is to continue creating a progressive workplace culture, to help our senior and emerging leaders to be the best that they can be so that we can build the best business and a legacy that lives on well into the future. I focus our team on being problem solvers to help guide our customers of all industries and sizes through workforce transformation and shaping more human-centred workplaces by looking not just to the now, but the future. For more than two decades I have worked in a results-based industry that is ever-changing, given the people centricity combined with the advancements in technology. In a strange way, this pursuit of excellence in a dynamic industry provides ongoing motivation for me personally. Now with 13 years since joining our organisation and navigating so much change, what really drives me is ensuring people remain at the heart of work even as technology and the world of work rapidly evolves.

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Many organisations are experimenting with AI in recruitment and workforce management. From your perspective, what are the main opportunities AI offers to HR today?

AI is no longer a distant promise – it’s here. Whether it’s streamlining tasks, generating insights, or supporting customer interactions, AI is rapidly becoming part of how we work. At PERSOL, we are transparent about how we use AI—it’s always to enhance efficiency and decision-making, never to replace the human element, but to channel it where it has the most positive impact. AI can accelerate recruitment through advanced candidate matching, provide insights into attrition and workforce trends, and support long-term planning through skills mapping and reskilling strategies.

For example, AI-driven platforms can scan large talent pools, identify transferable skills, and even predict cultural fit more accurately than keyword screening. We are already seeing this in our teams and more of the advance employers where this is allowing hiring managers and recruiters to focus on meaningful interactions with candidates, rather than sorting through CVs or completing the repetitive administrative tasks. Importantly, our 2025 Industry Insights Report highlights that across Asia-Pacific, employers are investing heavily in AI tools precisely to fill skill gaps faster and plan for future workforce needs.

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At the same time, concerns have been raised about bias and discrimination in AI-driven hiring systems. How can companies responsibly integrate AI while safeguarding fairness and inclusivity?

I recently sat in a room with twelve leading CEOs from various industries which also had me thinking about this defining leadership question: “who takes responsibility when AI is wrong?” Accountability, empathy, and human judgment are more important than ever; and we can’t afford to stand on the sidelines. Responsible AI integration requires balancing innovation with governance. That means ensuring AI models are trained on diverse datasets, continuously auditing outputs, and addressing potential bias. At PERSOL, transparency is key: candidates should always know when AI is being used in recruitment. And while AI supports decision-making, final accountability rests with our people in partnership with our customers.

When challenges arise, the temptation is to blame the tool. But the truth is simple: AI is not a shield from accountability. If you’re a professional using AI to support your work, whether you’re a lawyer, accountant, recruitment consultant, marketing professional, or perhaps someone in the medical field, you’re still responsible for the result. Technology is a tool. The responsibility for checking, validating, and refining outputs remains squarely with the human.

While we should not let fear get in the way of harnessing AI’s strengths, I believe that our PERSOL principle of transparency and accountability must guide organisations, from individual contributors to senior executives, from Government to industry. The more we integrate AI, the more important it becomes to reinforce this culture of human ownership.

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Human touch is often described as irreplaceable in HR. In your view, what aspects of recruitment and workforce engagement must remain human-led, no matter how advanced technology becomes?

HR and recruitment for that matter is fundamentally a people business. It requires intuition, emotional intelligence, and contextual understanding, skills that no algorithm can replicate. That’s why our approach has been to use AI to clear the noise, not replace the human touch.

No matter how advanced technology becomes, the human element remains central to recruitment. AI cannot replicate empathy, intuition, or the trust that comes from meaningful human interactions. Conversations about career aspirations, leadership potential, or feedback must remain human-led.

The way I see it, if AI does the heavy lifting, HR teams can do the heart work – building trust, providing guidance, and supporting people where it matters most.

This lesson translates across industries — AI can assist, but only humans can connect. AI can help us move faster, but can it tell us what matters most? As leaders, we need to ensure we’re not outsourcing our most human strengths including intuition. At PERSOL, we often discuss that organisational culture varies across markets, but what we know stays consistent is our belief that people inspire, connect, and create the trust that drives engagement. Technology can enhance processes, but long-term relationships are always built by people.

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Australia’s labour market has shown both resilience and signs of softening. How do you see AI-enabled workforce planning helping businesses stay adaptable in such a shifting environment?

There’s often fear that AI will take jobs, and we understand those concerns are real. History shows that while jobs evolve as technology advances, the key is supporting people through the transition. The real opportunity lies in using AI to help businesses plan and adapt. AI can analyse labour market trends, highlight hiring gaps, and guide resource allocation more effectively than manual processes.

Our 2025 Industry Insights Report shows that global demand for critical skills in technology, healthcare, and engineering is intensifying. This puts pressure on Australia’s labour market, driving competition and wage growth—as also reflected in our latest Salary Guide. AI-enabled workforce planning can help businesses identify where those shortages may hit hardest and prepare by reskilling existing staff or sourcing transferable skills earlier.

Australia’s resilient economy and smaller population mean we can digest these transitions more effectively than larger economies. AI gives us a chance to stay agile in an evolving global market.

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For leaders looking to adopt AI in HR processes, what practical steps can they take to balance automation with human judgment and empathy?

Despite the clear momentum behind AI, many businesses are still hesitant. Some are watching from the sidelines, waiting for the technology to ‘mature’ or the ‘perfect solution’ to arrive. But I think that mindset is a mistake. The cost of inaction or late action is increasing. The longer organisations wait, the harder it becomes to catch up. Competitors that are investing now will benefit from faster learning, earlier efficiencies, and greater cultural adaptability.

The key isn’t to jump in blindly. It’s to prepare with intention. Leaders should begin by setting clear governance around AI usage, then start with pilot projects rather than sweeping adoption. Just as important is training HR teams to use these tools effectively, while keeping human oversight in decision-making.

The most successful organisations will be those that integrate AI as an enabler while keeping people firmly at the centre. This includes setting ethical boundaries: Where will you allow AI, and where won’t you, importantly what information will you allow to be shared with AI and how will you track it?

Then training your people not just to use AI, but to understand its risks and rewards. Being proactive doesn’t mean being reckless. It means acknowledging that AI is coming, and choosing to shape the wave, rather than be dumped by it. Overall, I believe that balance is the key to successful adoption. Too much speed and you risk ethical lapses or cultural backlash. At PERSOL, it’s about progress, and I believe that starts with curiosity.

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Transparency and trust are critical in any HR practice. How can organisations ensure their use of AI remains transparent to both candidates and employees?

Transparency starts with communication. Organisations should inform candidates when AI is being used in recruitment, explain what the technology does, and clarify how final decisions are made. The same applies internally: employees deserve to know how AI informs performance evaluation or workforce planning.

At PERSOL, we believe trust is built when people understand how technology affects them. Openness, paired with consistent human oversight, ensures AI strengthens rather than undermines confidence in HR processes.

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Reflecting on your experience, can you share any specific milestone or example where combining technology with human insight created a meaningful positive outcome in HR?

One example comes from our work using AI-powered platforms to scan wider talent pools and identify transferable skills in what was a leadership job vacancy in the sporting industry where the client was specific in that they preferred that the successful candidate not have a background in sport whilst also searching for a gender balanced shortlist. AI flagged candidates who might have been overlooked with traditional keyword searches. But the real success came from our consultants who engaged these candidates personally, uncovering their aspirations, motivation and cultural fit.

That combination – technology expanding the options, and people building the connection – led to successful placements and long-term retention.

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Beyond efficiency, what role do you think AI can play in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace — when used thoughtfully?

When applied responsibly, AI can help reduce unconscious bias in recruitment by focusing on skills and experience rather than subjective markers. At the same time, we know that poorly designed AI systems can reflect existing human prejudices, which is why safeguards and ongoing monitoring are critical. On a positive note, it can also highlight pay gaps or progression patterns that may not be obvious to human managers.

Most importantly, through proper training and by automating repetitive processes, AI allows HR leaders to focus on shaping culture, engaging employees, and advancing DEI initiatives. At PERSOL, we see AI as a leveller – but people must steer it to ensure inclusion and fairness.

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Looking ahead, what do you believe the future of humane HR will look like in Australia, as technology continues to advance?

AI may be the headline, but I believe people are still the heart of every business. The future isn’t about humans versus machines — it’s about humans and machines, working together to create more value than either could alone.

The future of humane HR in Australia will be defined by balance. As technology continues to reshape work, HR leaders will need to keep people at the centre while leveraging AI to address skill shortages, enable green transitions, and maintain adaptability in a smaller but resilient labour market.

We believe humane HR means using technology to free people to do more human work: building trust, nurturing culture, and supporting employees through change.

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If you were to write your bio in your own words, what would you say? What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to think that I am someone who leads with purpose, empathy, and a genuine curiosity for people. I believe leadership is about creating the conditions where others can thrive, grow, and bring their best selves to work. What drives me is building connections that matter, helping people adapt to change with confidence, and creating opportunities that unlock potential — both for individuals and for the business.

The legacy I’d like to leave is one of impact through people: workplaces that are more inclusive, adaptive, and human-centred. If I can be remembered for enabling others to succeed, building teams that care as much about each other as they do about results, and shaping a culture that balances progress with empathy, then I’ll know I’ve made a difference — not just for today, but for the generations to come, including my own children, who will step into a very different world of work than the one we’ve known.

Links:

• Kurt on LinkedIn
• PERSOL Australia website

About Humane HR Talk

Welcome to Humane HR Talk, where we present insightful interviews with HR industry experts and thought leaders in related fields sharing their strategies, perspectives, and visions for creating more human-centric workplaces. Through these discussions, you’ll gain practical tips and fresh inspiration to transform your HR practices, to foster inclusive, thriving cultures, and to help in your own journey in the evolving world of work.

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