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.
"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."
To truly address what keeps boards of directors up at night, CHROs must pivot from reporting on the past to projecting the future—showing direction, identifying risks and demonstrating control over the levers that matter most.
The U.S. labor market is slowing, but attention to AI talent is surging, even as other areas contract, creating both challenges and opportunities for HR leaders.
"The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and it's not even really AI-driven, not right now at least," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in an earnings call. "It's culture."
"Before we can answer questions about the workforce, we need to answer questions about the work, because work is changing," according to Gartner's Harsh Kundulli.
