Upwork's new report shows businesses are turning to freelance talent in droves. Seventy-eight percent of companies plan to hire independent workers in the next three months, outpacing demand for full-time knowledge roles.
HR leaders are already walking a fine line between cost control and benefit competitiveness. "The loss of subsidies doesn't just affect individuals; it reverberates through the employer system," according to Ben Light from benefits tech platform Zorro.
"Entry-level employees are cheaper, more adaptable and better at adopting new technology," the Korn Ferry report authors note. "They might be exactly what you need in an AI-driven world."
HR must help CEOs by guiding workforce strategy, clarifying talent costs, building AI literacy across leadership and evolving culture alongside technology. "You need to become much more of an enterprise leader, a true strategic navigator," said Peter Aykens, chief of research at Gartner.
