Technology is reshaping hospitality, from operations, to recruitment, and guest engagement. But in a sector defined by service and powered by teams, tech needs to be guided by people and not the other way around. That was the main message from our CPO & HR Advisory Board last month. 

Advisory Boards sit at the heart of HT360’s content programme: bringing together respected people leaders whose collective insights helped sharpen our focus on what truly matters for hospitality teams in 2026 and beyond. Our recent CPO & HR Advisory Board brought together a standout group of voices, including Gemma Eley, People Director at Hawksmoor; Tom Vivace, Founder of Viva People; and Oli Cavaliero, Head of People and Engagement at Pizza Pilgrims. 

Here are 5 ways they suggested for putting people at the heart of tech: 

1. From fragmentation to flow: The call for connected systems

Operators are tired of tech silos and systems that don’t speak to each other. Promises of “all-in-one” solutions often deliver more friction than function. What the industry truly craves is seamless integration. 

Leaders called for more unified tech stack, with solutions like Sona and Harri standing out for their collaborative, API-first design. When systems actually work together, tech stops being a blocker and starts becoming an enabler. 

2. What AI could do (if pointed in the right direction)

AI is clearly poised to lift the load when it comes to admin. From rota planning to HR inbox triage, the repetitive stuff is ripe for automation. But the question isn’t if, it’s how that time gets reinvested. 

Operators are asking for more than just automation for automation’s sake. They want smarter decisions, sharper workforce planning, and real insight into their teams and guests. AI could be a game-changer, but only if it’s applied with purpose, measured outcomes, and a human-first mindset. 

3. Tech can’t be a shortcut for leadership 

Even with all the energy around innovation, resource remains a challenge. That’s exactly why technology can’t just be another cost centre. It has to give leaders back the time and headspace to focus where it matters. 

But this shift only works when it starts at the top. Strategy needs to be driven by leadership, not left to bubble up from the floor. When senior teams take ownership of the tech roadmap, adoption is faster and accountability sharper. 

4. Training, change, and the human factor 

HR leaders recommend bringing teams into the tech journey early, fostering open dialogue, and delivering training in-house. It’s a simple truth: the best tech transformations aren’t rolled out, they’re co-created. 

And then there’s onboarding. Smaller operators feel every system switch more deeply. Larger groups risk sliding into autopilot. In both cases, there’s an opportunity to reimagine onboarding as something more human, even as it scales. 

5. What’s next? The rise of tech-savvy teams 

Looking ahead, the people function in hospitality is set for change. Admin-heavy roles are giving way to strategic, insight-driven positions. Expect tech-savvy HR teams, AI-enhanced recruitment, and new ways of designing the employee experience. 

Change won’t come easy, but it’s already in motion. And those who start investing now won’t just keep up, they’ll lead.  

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Ready to join the movement? 

HT360 is here to cut through the noise. To bring operators and innovators into the same room, because that’s where the real change happens.  

Join us at HT360 to explore the future of workforce tech, hear from the people making it work, and get hands-on with tools that empower, not just digitise.