Are You Preparing for the Future of Work by Developing Skills That Won't Be Automated?
- Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
- Jan 31
- 6 min read
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Abstract: This article examines how individuals and organizations can proactively develop skills that research indicates will remain difficult to automate as artificial intelligence and new technologies continue to transform the future of work. Through a review of comprehensive skills studies by McKinsey Global Institute, World Economic Forum, and OECD, core human capabilities like complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management and emotional intelligence are identified as least vulnerable to automation. The article then provides recommendations for how people can strengthen these skills personally through lifelong learning and hands-on experiences. It also outlines best practices organizations are utilizing, such as skills assessments, individualized development planning, strategic upskilling partnerships, and fostering a culture of continuous learning, to help equip their workforce for emerging capabilities. The goal is to help prepare both people and companies to not just withstand but thrive amid ongoing workplace disruptions.
As AI, automation, and technology continue to rapidly evolve and transform the nature of work, many jobs that exist today won't exist in the same form in the near future. As a professional consultant and researcher, I've found it's more important than ever for individuals and organizations to take a proactive role in developing the types of skills that will help them not just survive but thrive as the world of work undergoes this massive transition.
Today we will explore the research around which skills are most likely - and unlikely - to be automated in the coming years and provide practical recommendations for how to develop those hard-to-automate skills both personally and professionally.
Core Skills Poised to Withstand Automation
A wealth of research has sought to better understand which job functions and skill sets face the highest risk of automation or computerization in the coming decades. Several comprehensive studies have consistently found that skills involving complex problem-solving requiring human judgement, creativity, social-emotional intelligence, and cultural adaptability are the least likely to be replaced by AI or robots (McKinsey Global Institute, 2017; World Economic Forum, 2018; OECD, 2019). Some of the core skills and capabilities that research indicates will remain difficult to automate include:
Complex Problem-Solving: The ability to solve problems for which there are no established solutions or frameworks, through skills like strategic thinking, intuitive understanding, and creative reasoning.
Critical Thinking: Being able to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information to reach valid, well-reasoned conclusions. Determining what to believe based on evidence and reasoning rather than intuition or anecdotal information.
Creativity: Coming up with original ideas, solutions, or designs. Finding new ways to approach problems and make connections between seemingly unrelated issues or solutions.
People Management: Leading, developing, and directing others to help organizations accomplish goals. Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Emotional Intelligence: Being aware of and skilled at managing one's own emotions and interactions with other people. Reading social and emotional cues, understanding nonverbal communication, regulating emotions, and solving interpersonal problems.
Judgement and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. Making timely decisions even when facing uncertainty, ambiguity, or risk.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people by anticipating, recognizing, and meeting needs. Being helpful, respectful, considerate, and patient with both customers and coworkers.
This list provides a solid framework for those looking to focus their skill development in the areas that research indicates AI will have the most difficult time automating or replacing well into the future. While technology will certainly enhance many jobs, these core human skills ensure that individuals can both adapt to changes as well as create new types of roles.
Developing Hard-to-Automate Skills Personally
So if these are the in-demand skills for the future, how can individuals proactively work to strengthen their capabilities in these areas? Based on my experience researching workforce development best practices, here are some recommendations:
Seek out learning opportunities across diverse fields and perspectives. Taking classes, attending conferences, or pursuing cross-training in subjects outside one's main occupation exposes people to new ways of thinking and problem-solving. Broader life experiences also enhance cultural awareness and emotional intelligence.
Pursue project-based and hands-on learning. Complex problem-solving and creative skills improve most when applying knowledge to open-ended challenges mimicking real-world situations. Organizing a community fundraiser or taking on a do-it-yourself home project are two examples.
Critically evaluate information from diverse sources. Regularly challenging one's own assumptions by considering alternate viewpoints strengthens critical thinking habits. Following experts on different sides of issues and determining which evidence is most valid does this well.
Develop mentor/mentee relationships. Both providing guidance to others as well as learning from more experienced individuals enhances people skills while cultivating a growth mindset. Informational interviews with those in diverse roles can also spark new ideas.
Deliberately practice emotional self-awareness and social skills. Tools like daily reflection journals, seeking frequent feedback, and joining civic organizations are some methods for continuously improving in this area.
Making time for ongoing self-development in these personalized ways helps future-proof one's career in a time of rapid change. The keys are continuous learning, hands-on problem-solving, and developing stronger human connections.
Organizational Approaches to Building Hard Skills
While individuals must take initiative for their own skill-building, companies also play a crucial role in setting their people - and the organization as a whole - up for success amid industry disruption. Based on case studies and interviews from my client work, some leading practices organizations use include:
Assessing Current and Future Skill Needs: Conducting detailed skills inventories and forecasting analyses helps identify existing capability strengths as well as urgent retraining priorities. This provides a roadmap to guide learning investments. For example, a manufacturing client of mine used this approach to recognize major technical upskilling was needed for 80% of their production staff within 5 years.
Individualized Skills Planning: Pairing skills assessments with one-on-one career coaching allows workers to take ownership of their own development. Employees get clarity on which new skills align with their passions and career goals. One financial services firm implemented this and saw a 20% jump in internal promotions and a 50% decrease in voluntary turnover.
Strategic Upskilling Partnerships: Collaborating with education providers, community colleges, and job training programs ensures employees have access to relevant and flexible learning opportunities. An automotive supplier partnered with a local technical college to offer on-site project management certificate programs for their production supervisors.
Culture of Continuous Learning: Fostering an environment where experimentation and risk-taking for skills development is the norm, not the exception, better enables adaptation. Signaling senior leadership commitment and providing resources like tuition reimbursement and skill credentials builds this culture. One tech startup instituted a formal "skill sabbatical" program that saw a 4X spike in patents filed.
Weaving skill-building practices deeply into how organizations function allows them as well as their people to nimbly respond to market shifts. Leaders that facilitate this approach will be well equipped to not merely withstand disruption but emerge stronger.
Conclusion
As the world of work rapidly changes due to accelerating technology, taking proactive steps to develop skills that are inherently difficult for artificial intelligence and automation to replace will help both individuals and organizations thrive in this new era. Through a combination of personalized learning, project-based problem-solving experiences, relationship-building, and self-reflection, people can strengthen their capabilities in areas like complex problem-solving, creative thinking, emotional intelligence and social skills. Meanwhile, companies that assess current and future talent needs, support employee skills planning, forge strategic learning partnerships, and cultivate a culture where continuous learning is the norm position themselves to adapt their workforce and operations as market disruptions emerge. Continuous skill-building focused on enhancing human capacities creates opportunities for individuals as well as organizations to flourish even as the nature of work itself transforms dramatically in the years ahead.
References
McKinsey Global Institute. (2017, November). Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation.
World Economic Forum. (2018, January). The future of jobs report 2018.
OECD. (2019). Future of work: OECD employment outlook 2019.
McKinsey Global Institute. (2017). Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation.
World Economic Forum. (2018). The future of jobs report 2018.
OECD. (2019). Future of work: OECD employment outlook 2019.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Associate Dean and Director of HR Programs (WGU); Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD/HR/Leadership Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2025). Are You Preparing for the Future of Work by Developing Skills That Won't Be Automated?. Human Capital Leadership Review, 29(1). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.29.1.5
