53% of CPOs Are Redesigning Work — But Few Are Ready for the Human Side of AI Disruption

Companies are moving fast to redesign work. But people move more slowly when it comes to understanding change. And the gap in between? That’s where anxiety lives.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Chief People Officers Outlook 2025, 53% of CPOs say their top priority this year is reviewing organizational structure and job design, and nearly half (47%) are deploying AI across their workforce.

But here’s the catch: while companies are redesigning the work, many leaders are still learning how to help people succeed through the disruption.

The World Economic Forum calls out what’s really at stake. The biggest risks in this transformation aren’t technical failures, they’re human ones:

“Successful workforce AI integration will depend not only on effective technical deployment, but also on a deliberate redesign of work and a firm commitment to human-centred implementation.” – WEF Chief People Officers Outlook 2025

We’re redesigning half the jobs in the world. That means real people struggling to find clarity, confidence, and connection as the ground shifts beneath them. To make that work, we need leaders and managers who can help people through what comes next.

The 90% Gap: Ambition Without Infrastructure

The scale of this challenge is staggering. According to Adecco’s 2025 Business Leaders research, surveying 2,000 executives globally, only 10% of organizations are ready for an AI-powered future.

The remaining 90%? They’re not missing the technology. They’re not missing the budget. They’re missing robust plans to support their workforce through this transformation.

As Adecco Group CEO Denis Machuel puts it: “There’s no shortage of ambition for AI, it’s the next step of turning that ambition into real business impact” that’s causing challenges. “The data shows many leaders are still learning how they can best support employees so they can succeed through the company’s rapid adoption of AI.”

The WEF report makes the connection even clearer. The top three priorities for CPOs aren’t separate initiatives—they’re deeply intertwined:

1. Review organizational structure and job design (53% rank this in their top three)
2. Focus on culture (over half list this in their top three)
3. Support workforce deployment of AI and automation (47% rank this in their top three)

These priorities are deeply connected: AI deployment forces structural redesign, which disrupts culture and belonging. Companies are transforming at scale—and 90% lack plans to support their people through it.

Redesigning work means redesigning how we support people

When you change organizational structures, you don’t just redraw boxes on a chart. You change how people understand their value, their identity at work, and their path forward.

That shows up as:

• A team member who suddenly reports to someone new and doesn’t know if their priorities still matter
• A manager asked to lead through ambiguity they don’t fully understand themselves
• A high performer wondering if their expertise is still relevant, or if they need to start over

These aren’t edge cases. They’re the predictable human consequences of structural change. And most leaders aren’t equipped to navigate them—not because they don’t care, but because they’ve never been taught how.

This is where coaching becomes essential

Coaching helps leaders do three things that matter most during redesign:

1. Build clarity in the absence of certainty
   Leaderscan’t always tell people exactly what’s next. But they can help people find footing in ambiguity—by naming what is clear, acknowledging what isn’t, and creating space for questions without defensiveness.
2. Maintainconnection when structures fracture
   When reporting lines shift and teams reorganize, the invisible threads of trust and belonging can snap. Coaching helps leaders rebuild those threads intentionally—through consistent communication, connection, and follow-through on commitments.
3. Hold space for the emotional reality of change
   Redesignisn’t just a strategic exercise. It’s disorienting, sometimes scary, and often exhausting for the people living through it. Leaders who can acknowledge that reality—without minimizing it or rushing past it—create the psychological safety teams need to stay engaged.

These aren’t soft skills. They’re the structural supports that determine whether transformation succeeds or stalls.

What the 10% Do Differently

The Adecco Group research reveals what separates AI-ready organizations from everyone else: a human-centric approach to transformation. Beyond the tactical investments in skills and systems, these organizations focus on two critical leadership practices:

• Communicating how AI can improve work for everyone
• Bringing employees along on the journey of work redesign

The pattern is clear: they’re not just deploying technology—they’re building the human infrastructure to support it. They’re developing leaders who can guide people through ambiguity, maintain trust during disruption, and help teams find meaning in the midst of change.

In other words, they’re leading the transformation, not just implementing it. And that’s exactly what coaching enables leaders to do.

The Real Competitive Advantage? Leaders Who Can Lead Through Disruption

The 10% of organizations thriving through transformation aren’t succeeding because they have better technology. They’re succeeding because they’ve invested in the human side of change—developing leaders who can guide people through ambiguity, maintain connection during disruption, and help teams stay grounded when everything shifts.

At Talking Talent, that’s exactly what we do. As a global firm, we partner with organizations to build leadership capacity at scale—equipping managers and executives with the skills they need to lead transformation, not just survive it.

Whether you’re redesigning structures, deploying AI, or navigating cultural shifts, we help you develop leaders who can bring people along on the journey.

Ready to close the gap? Let’s explore how coaching can support your transformation. Contact us.