78% leaders fear AI progress may outpace employee training: Report

Over 81% of business leaders understand that artificial intelligence (AI) progress will require new skills and work methods. But, despite this awareness, 78% are worried about training employees quickly enough to keep up with tech changes in the next three years. 

This insight comes from a recent study by the World Employment Confederation (WEC), which includes ManpowerGroup. The study, titled "The Work We Want," focuses on how AI advancements will reshape workforces, emphasising the need for employees to develop new soft and technical skills to make the most of this technology.

Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO of ManpowerGroup, remarked on the implications, stating, "It is evident that advancements in AI hold the potential to rapidly reshape the workplace, yet the widening gap in technical and soft skills poses a critical challenge for businesses." 

He emphasised the enduring significance of human-centric attributes such as collaboration, communication, creative problem-solving, and empathy in the face of AI-driven transformations. 

Prising stressed the imperative for organisations to nurture these intrinsic human traits and prioritise upskilling initiatives to thrive in the emerging digital landscape. Key insights from the research include the observation that 80% of respondents find it increasingly challenging to strategise for future talent needs. 

Additionally, 92% of senior executives foresee a heightened demand for workforce flexibility within the next two years. To address this demand, organisations plan to adopt various strategies, including establishing sectoral talent pools, embracing skills-based recruitment practices, leveraging online talent platforms, augmenting the use of contingent workers, offering internal flexibility through inter-departmental rotations, and recruiting talent from overseas. 

Furthermore, the study indicates a growing inclination towards employing contingent workers as a means to access specialized digital skills and attract high-caliber candidates. Approximately 79% of senior executives view hiring workers proficient in new technologies as an effective strategy to disseminate understanding among permanent employees.