It’s said repeatedly that artificial intelligence is remaking the workplace and workforce. But what does that mean, exactly?
The authors of Manpower Group’s latest Global Workforce Trends Report sought to tackle this question, suggesting that the era of simply dropping AI into a workplace or process without considering the human element is ending. “Short-term, blunt-force automation strategies are backfiring, with companies rehiring after realizing tech can’t fully replace human judgment.”
In addition, Manpower relates, “the employment gap between degree and non-degree holders is the narrowest in 30 years, signaling a shift toward skills-based hiring and alternative career paths.”
Manpower’s insights, based on recent surveys of more than 12,000 workers and 40,000 employers across 41 countries, foresee work organized around teams consisting of a mix of human, machine, and gig talent.
Here’s how things are changing in today’s and tomorrow’s workplaces:
- Targeting tasks over wider and indiscriminate AI use: While predictions of a job apocalypse are far-fetched, AI will be causing greater scrutiny and consideration of automating the tasks that make up jobs. Expect to see more “breaking down traditional jobs into value-added parts, assigning those parts to human and AI partners, and creating aligned job categories and roles.” Some jobs may be rendered obsolete by emerging technologies, But expect many more to “be reconfigured to incorporate the unique strengths of human workers and AI-based components,” the Manpower team states. “We will see many organizations move from informal use of AI in existing jobs to targeted, workflow-specific use in redesigned human roles.”
- AI augmentation over AI autonomy: Many tasks will be assumed by AI agents, but human oversight will always be essential. “Knowledgeable humans must remain in the loop to prevent unexpected AI bottlenecks and mistakes, as well as diluted expertise.” The co-authors predict humans may even develop a rapport with their agent partners within the next few years.
- Long-term thinking over blunt-force automation: There have been attempts to fill in talent gaps with AI, but such a strategy is being reconsidered. “While workforce reductions have become more common, some leaders are beginning to rehire employees after realizing that current automation solutions may not be fully capable of operating independently.” Blunt force automation “reflects short-term thinking and a misplaced belief that automation and AI-based technologies can categorically replace human workers. Without effective job redesign and human oversight, businesses run mostly by smart machine labor will quickly falter.”
- Gig work over 9-to-5 constraints: Work is being performed by mixtures of employees, contractors, freelancers, and AI agents. The mix depends on the business problem and the resources on hand. At least 27% of Gen Z workers currently supplement their primary income with part-time or gig work, the study states – and by 2027, up to half the workforce in the developed world may be gig workers. The challenge will be acquainting full-time workers with the ins and outs of contract careers.
- Rapid relearning over early-career degrees: “Workers will continually be called upon to develop new skills in keeping with ongoing AI integration,” the co-authors predict. “The AI literacy skill will be a great democratizer, because learning it doesn’t require an advanced degree, and everyone has access to free online training.” Expect to see more demand for skills involving “prompt engineering for existing systems, critical analysis of AI input, and ethical deployment of new AI-based workflows.” However, fewer than half of workers (44%) report they received skills training in the past six months.
- Soft skills over hardcore technical skills: Getting ahead will mean more than simply knowing coding or data science tools. “Today’s workforce training tends to overemphasize hard skills that are job-specific and have a short half-life,” the report’s co-authors state. Employers seek “soft skills such as problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, self-reflection, creativity, empathy, intuition, and interpersonal communication,” which are seven of the top ten fastest-growing skills workers will need by the end of the decade.
- Redesigned reward systems over productivity pushes; “Human workers are collapsing under the weight of leaders’ unrealistic expectations about AI’s impact on productivity,” the report’s co-authors assert. Redesign performance and rewards systems to measure concrete contributions to and lasting impact on the organization, not on outdated performance metrics. “Hopefully, by the early 2030s, we will see recognition and incentives offered in real time for the specific work that matters, and an increase in impact productivity.”
- Broad skill mastery over fragmented training strategies: By the next decade, “many human workers will be broadly upskilled, capable of managing a variety of roles within an organization,” the report states. It’s all about learning agility, “people at all life stages will seek innovative and immersive solutions for quick but comprehensive skill mastery, which are likely to include metaverse training environments and industry guilds.” Today’s and tomorrow’s workforces need to “have the advantage of intelligent learning management systems to advise on and provide access to upskilling activities.”
