For enterprise organizations with more than 5,000 employees, cost has emerged as the number one barrier to AI implementation, jumping from 22% citing it as their primary concern to 44% this year.
As AI reshapes how work gets done, HR leaders have a rare opportunity to be a strategic org architect—if they embrace work design as a core discipline.
Employees across the spectrum, from hourly staff to executives, have financial obligations and money stress, said Jason Rahlan from Dayforce. "Employees aren't asking for a handout. They want access to the money they already earned."
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.
In a recent webinar, Société Générale's Mukta Arya urges HR leaders to drive greater impact amid budget constraints through strategy, data, and empathy.
"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."
