The headcount paradox: How AI is forcing HR and finance to think as one

In yesteryears of tech startups, headcount was the go-to metric for measuring company growth. But today, adding 100 employees in a year could actually be seen as a failure of a company’s leadership team, with mounting pressure to adopt AI and automate work previously done by humans.So how are top decision makers approaching this question — of how to assess hiring requirements to meet business goals, when many companies are still getting to grips with where and when AI can actually be useful? That was the focus of our latest Sifted Talks, hosted by HR, payroll and IT platform Rippling, that examined how HR and finance teams are working more closely together than ever, as headcount costs come increasingly under the microscope.Our panel of experts included:

Alessandro Bonatti, chief people officer at travel company WeRoad

Katharina Bremer, Finance & HR at robotics startup Sewts

Achraf Arifi, VP of financial planning and analysis at second-hand fashion marketplace Vestiaire Collective

Rhiannon Barry, senior manager for EMEA HR, Rippling