As part of the HR-AI project, the Needs Verification phase was conducted to confirm the needs identified during the project proposal stage and ensure that the training content reflects the real challenges and skill gaps of HR professionals and VET stakeholders across Europe.

The research was carried out through focus groups with HR professionals, VET trainers, educators, and recruitment specialists in Greece, Poland, Germany, Portugal, and Cyprus. Discussions focused on the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR processes and the sector’s readiness to adopt it responsibly.

Across all countries, participants recognised AI’s potential to improve HR workflows, while also expressing concerns about ethics, transparency, bias, privacy, and the need to maintain human judgment in decision-making.

The findings highlighted common training needs, including:

• understanding ethical and legal aspects of AI,
• improving data literacy and interpretation of AI outputs,
• practical integration of AI into HR processes,
• maintaining human oversight and trust,
• and strengthening communication and change management skills.

Another important finding was the clear preference for a human-centred approach to AI adoption. The focus groups also provided valuable recommendations of practice-oriented learning, including real-life case studies, interactive exercises, workflow simulations, and scenario-based activities.

Overall, the Needs Verification phase confirmed that HR professionals are willing to engage with AI, but require practical guidance and targeted training to adopt AI in a safe, ethical, and human-centred way.