Dive Brief:
- As soon as 2028, artificial intelligence may begin creating more jobs than it eliminates, according to recent research from advisory firm Gartner.
- As companies continue to harness the capabilities of AI in the workplace, it will become increasingly important for HR leaders to move away from experience-based advancement toward a more skill-centric approach, Gartner said. Otherwise, organizations risk derailing the careers of their existing employees.
- “AI is ultimately going to result in more job gains than losses, but in the process it’s going to break down millions of careers,” Kaelyn Lowmaster, director analyst in Gartner’s HR practice, said in a statement. “As AI changes how work gets done, organizations must rethink how employees gain expertise and experience, or they will find themselves without ready talent for the jobs AI helps create.”
Dive Insight:
Gartner’s survey of 110 HR leaders found that 40% of companies have already gotten rid of obsolete jobs, and almost half of businesses have streamlined their organizational structures to become more collaborative.
Employees are seeing fewer roadmaps for advancement and a smaller number of development opportunities, per the research. In addition, junior employees don’t have as many chances to learn the necessary judgment and foundational skills to grow in their jobs, Gartner said.
The report said that CHROs need to determine which skills are relevant and which skills are no longer applicable to current workplace needs. Then, companies need to develop training modules that prioritize future organizational success.
“Performance at one level is no longer a proxy for readiness for more senior roles,” Lowmaster said. “With AI support, employees can meet or exceed their current goals without developing the depth of expertise required for more complex roles.”
HR leaders also need to focus on skills rather than job titles when it comes to advancement, the report said. The introduction of AI means that businesses will need to be more flexible in terms of what qualifications best prepare employees for promotions into higher level roles.
“Organizations that invest now in rebuilding career advancement pathways based on skills and adaptability will be best positioned to meet future talent demand, whereas those that don’t risk creating deep capability gaps just as AI-driven growth accelerates,” Lowmaster said.
Meanwhile, hiring strategies have changed, according to recent research from learning platform D2L in partnership with Morning Consult. Almost half of U.S.-based HR leaders surveyed said AI has raised the bar for entry-level employees in terms of productivity, even though actual staffing levels haven’t changed, according to the report. Almost a third of HR professionals surveyed said companies are hiring fewer junior staffers and more mid-level workers, with AI expected to finish tasks that used to be given to early career workers.
Likewise, Gartner found that AI automation has led to fewer available entry-level roles.