News Spotlight

Iceland has successfully adopted the four-day workweek. Between 2020 and 2022, 51% of workers in the country accepted the offer of shorter working hours, including a four-day week, which resulted in faster economic growth than most European countries (CNN).

Eldercare contributes to employee turnover. Caregivers who work full-time while providing for older family members have to turn down promotions (Wall Street Journal).

Companies are overlooking ethics when adopting AI. The race to deploy Gen AI technology has made firms ignore the risks associated with implementation (Business Insider).

These news stories are directly connected to our new 2025 Forecast report.

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Our Annual Top 10 Workplace Trends List is Available to Download Today!

Our new 2025 Workplace Intelligence Forecast report is designed to help organizations stay competitive in a rapidly changing work environment. This comprehensive guide covers key trends that will shape the future workplace, including the impact of AI, automation, employee wellness, and hybrid work models. It provides expert analysis and actionable strategies to help companies navigate these shifts and improve employee experience, productivity, and retention.

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• Expert insights into emerging workplace trends
• Strategies for overcoming future challenges
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• Predictions on how AI and technology will transform the workplace

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Stat of the Week

A new study finds that 47% of employees who use AI say their organization has not offered them any training on how to use AI in their jobs.

Companies can offer effective training on using AI by implementing a comprehensive program that combines hands-on learning, real-world applications, and continuous support. They can start with foundational workshops that introduce employees to AI concepts, tools, and ethical considerations, helping demystify the technology. Then, through targeted sessions, employees can learn how AI applies directly to their specific roles, such as automating repetitive tasks, analyzing data, or enhancing customer service. Offering interactive modules, case studies, and AI-driven simulations can help employees gain practical experience, while ongoing access to resources like tutorials, mentoring, and online support ensures they remain up to date as AI technologies evolve.

Deep Dive Article

The Leaders Championing the AI Workplace Movement - Part 4

For part four of The Leaders Championing the AI Workplace Movement series, we look at how AI is changing job roles and skillset requirements. AI is likely to reshape job roles by automating routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on more strategic and creative work. This shift will reduce the need for repetitive data processing and administrative roles, as AI-driven tools can handle these with speed and accuracy. As a result, job roles will evolve to prioritize higher-order skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and emotional intelligence, which AI cannot easily replicate. Cross-functional skills will become more valuable, as employees will need to work alongside AI systems, understanding how to interpret AI-generated insights and apply them effectively.

In terms of skillset requirements, proficiency in data literacy, AI technology, and digital tools will become essential across all functions, not just for technical roles. Employees will need to be comfortable using AI platforms, analyzing data, and making data-informed decisions. Furthermore, adaptability and a willingness to continuously learn new technologies will be crucial, as the pace of AI advancement may require frequent upskilling. Overall, AI will demand a blend of technical and soft skills, enabling workers to leverage AI as a tool to enhance their roles rather than replace them.

For this series, I spoke to Fortune 500 CHROs including Donna Morris (Chief People Officer, Walmart), Michael Fraccaro (Chief People Officer, Mastercard), Cornelius Boone (Chief People Officer, eBay), Kirsten Marriner (Chief People & Corporate Affairs Officer, The Clorox Company), Maria Zangardi (SVP, HR, and Corporate Officer, Universal Health Services), and Karen Dunning (Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Motorola Solutions).

Below is the fourth of five questions I ask these leaders — subscribe to my FREE Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter and you’ll immediately receive the full article.

In what ways do you foresee AI changing job roles and skillset requirements across your organization in the next 3 to 5 years?

Donna Morris (Walmart): Over time, we believe the make-up of our workforce will evolve with technology - we'll have a different combination of roles, but we'll ultimately have a larger business overall and employ a large number of associates, as we do today. As technology advances, we will also see new jobs. For example: We expanded our pickup and delivery services before and during the pandemic. Between 2018 and 2020, we added over 130,000 technology-powered positions in our U.S. stores. We believe the power of GenAI is fully realized when we combine the strengths of people and tech. Our associates are necessary for judgment, critical thinking, and a strategic thought process. GenAI can help remove friction and make jobs easier.

Michael Fraccaro (Mastercard): We are always looking at how to help our employees grow their skills for future needs. And this includes a future that will incorporate AI. It starts by determining the right type of work and processes that are well-suited for AI. In parallel, we’re looking at the importance of complementary skills for AI technology, for example: critical thinking and creativity, which will rise as critical capabilities. Some roles and skills that are top of mind, include: AI Governance, to align with organization principles and values; Chatbot managers, to ensure bots are producing meaningful results and managed operationally; process/workflow redesign, to redesign how work is done from a user standpoint; and skills like, AI modeling, AI ethics, bias assessment; and domain-specific skills within AI, for example, candidate selection, fraud detection, etc. And we’re evolving our training to meet people where they are. We’re doing this through our internal talent marketplace – Unlocked – which uses AI itself to match employees to project opportunities, mentorships, career paths, and more, based on their areas of interest and past roles. In this platform, employees can seek out projects to build their skills and capabilities – including in AI and other emerging technologies.

Cornelius Boone (eBay): AI is going to continue to grow in importance in tech. It’s obvious to say that we will need developers, but we also need human engagement, creativity, and judgment. Human-centered decision-making will still be a key element of how we operate. It’s knowing how to ask the right questions or prompts of AI, and assessing whether the model is working the way it should or if it’s interpreting the data correctly. The skills that knowledge workers have may need to be up-leveled, but in many ways, employees will be doing the same things they always have about analysis, creating, developing, reporting, and fine-tuning. But with the adoption of AI automation and augmentation, we can remove repetitive tasks from our employees allowing them to spend time where it counts. The integration of AI into eBay will support our people with enhanced technical skills, soft skills, and a learning mindset. We will improve our data analysis to reinforce our business decisions. We’ll improve our teams with better learning and training opportunities and help us expand skills across the internal businesses. We’ll probably see an increase in our jobs related to development, deployment, and AI systems training, including roles for AI trainers, supervisors, and explainers who can interpret AI decisions.

Kirsten Marriner (The Clorox Company): It’s too early to predict role evolution, especially in HR given its people-centric nature. I’d say key skills will include curiosity, creativity, and data literacy. To foster these, we’re creating a culture where everyone is passionate about our consumers and teammates, asks questions, and learns quickly.

Maria Zangardi (Universal Health Services): Healthcare is a personal business that requires direct and personal care, so it would be premature to say that AI will change job roles and skillset requirements. However, AI has the opportunity to alleviate administrative burdens on our healthcare professionals so they can be freed up to do what they do best, which is providing superior quality patient care. That would be a win throughout the healthcare industry if AI provided solutions to our healthcare professionals that allow them to focus their time and energy directly on patient care.

Karen Dunning (Motorola Solutions): As a global leader in safety and security with over 100,000 customers in more than 100 countries, there is no question that AI has, and will continue to be prominent in the work we do. We design technology that prioritizes people and helps save lives, and the employee skill requirements that help advance this mission will continue to evolve as AI becomes more ubiquitous. More broadly, we encourage employees to embrace new technologies, have a data-driven mindset, adapt to change and challenge the status quo. This philosophy has guided our company for nearly a century and led to a remarkable track record of innovation and positive outcomes for our customers.

Thanks for reading — be sure to join the conversation on LinkedIn and let me know your thoughts on this topic!

This is the fourth of five newsletters in the leaders championing the AI workplace series. Stay tuned for the next one which will focus on balancing the potential for AI with a human-centered workplace.

Quote of the Week

“Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
​A.A. Milne