More than eight out of 10 (81%) employers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East are already using AI in hiring, onboarding, or training, yet just 10% say it fully meets expectations. Those two numbers, from our Q2 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, explain most of what I heard in Dalian during the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 (AMNC 2026).
In short: We are buying the technology but we haven't redesigned the work, and worse, we are not preparing the people.
Asia Pacific and the Middle East are adopting AI in workforce processes faster than most of the world, which means we are confronting these questions first. What our region works out now, everyone else will need soon.
Organizations are investing heavily in AI, yet many are still struggling to translate that investment into tangible results.
At the same time, an issue is emerging for the next generation entering the workforce. AI is transforming the tasks that once defined entry-level roles, raising new questions about how careers begin and how skills are built. For Gen Z, the first rung of the career ladder is being reshaped, and in some instances being removed altogether, creating uncertainty and anxiety around how to gain experience and progress into future roles.
This brings us to a third, closely linked pressure point, which is sustaining the talent pipeline. As the career ladder evolves, organizations need to rethink how they train and prepare people, so the next generation is ready to step into roles that are also changing.
Redesigning Workflows to Put People at the Center of AI
Throughout history, each wave of technological change has reshaped not only industries, but the way work itself is organized. From the industrial revolution to the rise of the internet, the real impact was never just about the technology; It was about how organizations adapted, evolved, and redefined roles to unlock value for their organization and for their people.
Today, we are at a similar inflection point with artificial intelligence. The transformation is well underway, with adoption moving faster than impact. But we are seeing a growing gap between AI investment and the results it is delivering.
Technology is often introduced on top of existing processes and structures that were not designed for it, which limits impact and, at times, increases complexity and stress on workers. While certain tasks may become faster and more efficient, this does not yet translate into meaningful improvements in overall business performance.
Results start to emerge when the approach shifts. The organizations seeing results start with the work itself—what can be automated, what can be “agentified,” and how workflows and decision-making need to evolve. From there, the emphasis moves to people, building understanding and giving teams the confidence to apply AI effectively in their day-to-day work.
If the work is not redesigned, results will not follow, because technology only delivers value when it is designed around people.
Creating Career Pathways for Gen Z in the Age of AI
At the same time, a different challenge is emerging for the next generation entering the workforce.
This came through clearly in conversations I had with Gen Z participants from the Global Shapers Community at AMNC 2026. There is a strong awareness that AI is already transforming jobs, particularly at the entry level. They pointed to how repetitive and process-driven tasks, long seen as the foundation of early careers, are now being automated at speed.
The concern is not about job loss in the traditional sense. It is about how careers will start. Entry-level roles have historically been where people build skills, develop judgment, and learn how work gets done. As those tasks evolve, the question becomes how that same foundation will be built in a different way. This brings into sharper focus the direction in which career pathways are evolving. Progression is no longer defined primarily by vertical movement, but is becoming more horizontal, where value is determined by the number of skills you have. In this context, acquiring new skills and developing capabilities is just as, if not more, important than simply moving up the ladder.
What stood out is the pressure they feel around time and readiness. There is recognition that upskilling is essential, but less clarity on how quickly skills need to evolve and how to navigate that transition. At the same time, there is a clear understanding that as routine tasks are automated, the value of human capabilities increases. Judgment, communication, and critical thinking are no longer complementary, they are at the center of how work is done.
For organizations, this means providing younger workers with clarity. As entry-level tasks evolve, organizations need to be far more deliberate in how they manage and develop younger employees, ensuring they still build the context, judgment, and experience those roles once provided. This requires structured training, active coaching, and more time spent guiding how work is done in practice. Building that foundation is critical to remove the fear of the unknown, build confidence, and prepare younger workers to contribute effectively from the start and become change agents in the transition.
Managing early talent in this way keeps people at the center, while ensuring younger workers still build the judgment, experience, and confidence needed to contribute effectively as technology continues to advance.
Preparing People to Lead in an AI-Driven World
What we are seeing across organizations, and the next generation of workers, highlights what it takes to sustain the talent pipeline as work continues to evolve.
Sustaining that pipeline now depends on how work itself is structured and how opportunity is distributed across the workforce. As entry-level roles change, organizations can no longer rely on traditional career ladders to build capability. They need to deliberately design entry points that create meaningful early-career experience, while supporting continuous movement across roles as they emerge.
This calls for a move beyond isolated training efforts toward system-level workforce design. Skills development, role design, and deployment of talent need to operate together. Learning must be tied to real work, and progression cannot be treated as a by-product of tenure. It needs to be built into day-to-day operations.
For leaders, this reframes the problem. Success depends on building a system where capability is continuously developed and redeployed as needs change. Organizations that do this effectively will not just keep pace with AI, but strengthen their ability to adapt over time.
Ultimately, the organizations that will succeed will be those that are able to sustain the talent pipeline, ensuring that people can enter, adapt, and move forward as work changes. This requires designing work and workforce systems that enable readiness, embedding learning into how work happens and equipping people to take on what comes next. It also means moving beyond deploying technology to preparing people, giving them the clarity, capability, and confidence to evolve alongside it.
The technology is the enabler. The people are the advantage. In simple terms, the approach is Human First, Digital Always.
This article was written by François Lançon, Regional President of Asia Pacific and Middle East (APME) at ManpowerGroup.
Note:
This article was first published on Manpower Singapore and is shared here for a Singaporean audience.
