UKG announces new AI tools to address staffing gaps and payroll problems

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – UKG has announced new artificial intelligence capabilities designed to help employers address staffing shortages, simplify employee support and identify payroll problems before payday. The company, which provides human resources, payroll and workforce management technology, plans to demonstrate the innovations at HR Tech 2026.

The announcement focuses on businesses with large frontline workforces, where unfilled positions, complicated administrative requests and pay errors can disrupt daily operations. UKG says its new capabilities are intended to help chief human resources officers use workforce information to take action, while giving managers more time to support their teams.

“Every hour spent chasing staffing gaps, navigating processes, or fixing pay errors is time taken away from serving customers and supporting employees,” said Gretchen Alarcon, SVP and General Manager of HCM and Pay at UKG. “We’re giving businesses that time back, helping CHROs turn workforce intelligence into action so the frontline performs at its best.”

One area of focus is staffing. UKG says its workforce intelligence tools are designed to identify gaps earlier and help employers evaluate how to respond. Those options include hiring additional workers, moving existing employees into different roles or helping staff develop new skills.

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The company is also introducing capabilities intended to make it easier for frontline employees to get information and personalized support. The goal is to reduce the time workers spend navigating HR processes, allowing them to concentrate on their responsibilities and wellbeing.

Payroll is another priority. The new AI capabilities are designed to flag unusual pay results, explain potential problems and prepare corrections for payroll professionals to review. That review remains part of the process described by UKG, with the technology helping payroll teams identify and address possible errors before employees receive their pay.

Together, the features target three recurring operational concerns: having enough people available, helping employees resolve questions and getting pay right. UKG presents them as ways to move beyond tracking workforce activity toward helping employers respond to the issues their data reveals.

The company is also working to make these capabilities available within AI tools that employees and managers already use. Through its extensible AI approach, UKG says it aims to offer more choice in how people complete tasks while allowing businesses to retain control over important workforce decisions.

“UKG empowers us with real time insight into what’s happening across our workforce, so we can make smarter, faster decisions,” said Martin Schmuckler, CHRO at Enhance Therapies. “We’re constantly looking at trends and using that data to figure out where we can improve. At the same time, employees can easily find what they need, and our teams can focus on supporting them and running the business effectively. Having a partner that responds and works with us makes a real difference.”

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The announcement also highlighted the importance of connecting AI investment to practical changes in daily work. For frontline operations, the company’s stated focus is on reducing administrative obstacles and helping managers respond to staffing and employee needs.

“The biggest risk in enterprise AI isn’t moving too slowly. It’s investing in technology that never changes how work gets done,” said Stacia Garr, co-founder and principal analyst at RedThread Research. “Organizations no longer have to settle for technology that simply helps them understand their workforce. With the right partner, they can start solving workforce challenges today — especially on the frontline, where better decisions can make an immediate difference.”

According to UKG, more than 80,000 organizations and 65 million employees across 150 countries use its solutions. The company also said it was named a Leader in both the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for HCM Suites and the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Workforce Management.

UKG says its combination of human capital management, workforce management and frontline experience underpins the new offerings. Its HR Tech 2026 presentation will show how those capabilities are intended to support staffing decisions, employee assistance and payroll review within everyday workforce operations.