By Amb. (Prof.) Emmy Kipsoi

The Future of Jobs 2025 Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), released in January 2025, provides comprehensive analyses of the evolving global labour market, driven by five major trends, namely technological advancements, demographic shifts, changing economic dynamics, climate change mitigation, geo-economic fragmentation, and geopolitical tension. (Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum) For human resources (HR) practitioners in Kenya, this report offers critical insights into the challenges and opportunities for our industries and workforce and the need to manage the change. HR professionals must provide leadership and guidance for their organisation to remain resilient and ensure the work for competitiveness in navigating the terrain ahead. 

One of the key findings of the Future of Jobs 2025 Report is that the rapid pace of technological change is leading to both the creation and destruction of jobs due to structural labour market transformation. The report mentions that 60% of the organisations under the sample indicated that they expected their business to change with the transformation in technology such as AI, robotics and automation. The report shows that between 2025 and 2030, there will be a net growth of 7% of total employment, a displacement of 8% of current jobs, and a creation of 14% of today’s employment or 179 million jobs. ( Future of Job Report 2025, World Economic Forum) Therefore, it is urgent to note the report, contextualise it for our organisations, and  Plan and manage the change that will arise in our contexts to assist the employees and prepare for the implication projected by retooling, reskilling, upskilling or even transitioning in cases where jobs become obsolete, as noted that there is a fast decline in demand for specific jobs, such as cashiers, postal service clerks, and clerical and secretarial workers. 

In Kenya, where unemployment is a public concern, it is essential to be candid in our discussions as HR professionals to inform on the future of jobs as driven by macro trends; the future of jobs must be discussed and approached from a multisectoral approach, considering that the trends are in favour of automation and digitalisation as a business senses, and, the value of AI in easy and efficient service delivery is attractive. The report highlights the growing demand for skills in data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), digital literacy, and emotional intelligence. HR professionals will need to guide the workers on this future of the job; the voice of the HR professional should also be heard and felt at the national level by driving the dialogue on the national level of the skill set required, thus informing Country training policy and decisions, for productive national human resource development.

For instance, when adopting AI and automation in Kenya’s HR, practitioners must ensure that employees have the right skills and attitude to support the change in the organisation. The definition of the workplace has changed. It no longer refers to brick-and-mortar buildings, where employers report at prescribed hours. Today, the place of work is abstract and opaque.  The COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya introduced a new trend., which is entrenched and has become the new norm of business, namely remote work and gig economies, otherwise defined in Kenya as hustle and flexible working arrangements. Therefore, as HR professionals, it has become imperative that the traditional employment models are dismantled to pave the way to the new normal that matches the temperament of the latest generation of workers (Gen Z and Beyond) joining organisations today in response to the demographic shifts witnessed in the labour market; this means that the organisational structures and policies will need to be responsive to create a sustainable and nurturing a sense of belonging of all team players in the organisation. If anyone needs further convincing that drastic changes in HR practices are on, pick a copy of No Rules Rules, Netflix and the Culture of Invention by Reed Hastings and Eric Mayer to guide your conversion.

HR practitioners in Kenya are responsible for guiding the country in navigating the rapidly changing labour market and mapping and prioritizing skills development that drive the global labour market development. By doing so, they can ensure that Kenya’s workforce remains competitive, productive and resilient in the face of international trends.

The writer is the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to the Republic of Korea.