Manpower President: The future of work question that even CEOs can’t answer

Over the past few months, I’ve sat down with many CEOs across Europe and many more business leaders around the world in my role as Chief Strategy Officer for ManpowerGroup. 

Almost every conversation has ended with the same question.

How Do We Prepare for What’s Next?

Leaders know AI is reshaping work. They’re investing in technology, experimenting with new tools, and moving quickly to create incremental value. What they’re trying to understand is what comes after adoption. How will their business change for the long term? Which skills will matter most? How do you prepare your people for a future that is still unfolding? 

The honest answer is that none of us has a complete playbook, and we must become comfortable with that. That’s not a sign of failure. It’s the reality of leading through one of the biggest shifts in how work gets done that any of us have experienced. Company strategy and human skills need to move at an even faster pace so we remain the architects of our futures and in many ways the architects of humanity.

The question isn’t whether AI will reshape work. It already is. The real question is how organizations, and the people inside them, navigate what comes next. More importantly, how do we give people confidence when the future is still taking shape?

One thing I believe strongly is this: AI isn’t coming for our jobs. It’s coming to our jobs. And while technology will undoubtedly reshape work, people will ultimately determine what that future looks like. It is up to us as leaders to chart this journey. 

Workers Are More Ready Than We Think

One of the biggest surprises in our latest research wasn’t about AI at all. It was about confidence.

When we ask people directly, nearly nine in ten tell us........

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