HRM and skills development – September 2026
Automation expands workforce capacity
Research from IFS and Futurum highlights a capacity problem in industrial organisations. Industrial workers spend 41% of their time on manual, repetitive tasks, while 77% of decision-makers say insufficient workforce capacity has caused them to delay or avoid strategic initiatives. The research examines agentic digital workers as a way of taking on operational activities autonomously, freeing employees for work requiring expertise, judgement and problem-solving. This shifts automation from supporting individual tasks towards adding autonomous digital capacity to the workforce. You can download the report after filling in your details.
A study (7.52 MB) commissioned by Intel finds a gap between robotics ambitions and organisational readiness. Six in ten senior leaders expect their organisations to operate robot fleets within five years, yet only four in ten currently have a formal human-robot workforce strategy. The research identifies skills, safety and infrastructure as areas requiring further preparation.
Human skills gain importance
The Cognition Index Research Report (3.50 MB) published by PMI examines human cognition as AI becomes embedded in workplace processes. The report, based on a survey of more than 2,500 professionals, identifies moral judgement and ethics, empathy and trust building as important human capabilities. Only 25% strongly agree that their organisation has an effective process for verifying AI-generated outputs, underlining the importance of critical assessment and human oversight.
A report (14.01 MB) from Talogy identifies a widening gap between technological development and workforce readiness. Although 95% of surveyed organisations report at least moderate automation through AI, 78% experience difficulties assessing AI-related skills. Only 38% feel very prepared to adapt job descriptions and career paths.
AI transforms tasks and skills
A report (5.97 MB) by ILO finds that AI adoption is changing demand for cognitive, socioemotional, digital and technical skills. It identifies AI literacy as an increasingly foundational capability, while adaptability, resilience and human agency remain important as occupations evolve. The report also emphasises continuous learning and access to skills development, with technological change altering the combination of capabilities workers need rather than simply replacing occupations.
Findings (6.96 MB) published by Trinity College Dublin indicate that AI is currently reshaping tasks and workflows more than eliminating jobs. The Irish research finds that 47.4% of workers use AI tools daily, 64.7% report confidence in using them and 69% feel prepared to adapt their skills to working alongside AI.
Work design shapes productivity
The Workforce 2026 Global Insights Report from Korn Ferry finds considerable pressure on workforce capacity. Among more than 16,000 professionals surveyed globally, 62% report significantly heavier workloads than two years ago. AI does not automatically reduce this pressure: 52% of AI-weary workers say using AI has increased their workload. The findings indicate that productivity gains depend on redesigning jobs and determining how tasks are divided between people and AI. Click here to read the report online.
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