Korn Ferry: Talent functions to merge as skills needs shift

“The work people are being asked to do is evolving faster than many organisations are prepared for,” said Jeanne MacDonald, chief executive officer of recruitment process outsourcing at Korn Ferry.

New roles for skills and human-AI work

Meanwhile, the combined HR team is also expected to bring new leadership positions. 

Nearly half (47%) of respondents agreed that specialist leadership roles will become more common, with Korn Ferry pointing to positions such as head of skills, head of work design and head of human-AI.

The firm cautioned that such appointments will carry little weight without real decision-making power, warning that a senior role lacking authority amounts to a title rather than a job.

“If you’re planning to add a new senior role, such as Head of Skills, but you don’t give them authority to make decisions, then it’ll just be a title, not a job. Back it with real responsibility,” the report read.