Chief People Officers Outlook September 2025

5Chief People Officers Outlook Executive summary Based on a mid-2025 survey and consultations with the World Economic Forum’s community of more than 130 chief people officers, this Chief People Officers Outlook highlights the increasingly strategic role played by the people function in shaping organizational resilience and business transformation and growth. Chief people officers perceive short-term labour market caution amid long-term opportunities for workforce transformation. Top workforce strategy priorities for the year ahead include revising organizational structures, fostering culture and purpose, and advancing workforce artificial intelligence (AI) deployment. Opportunities related to AI specifically include job augmentation and redesign, career development, workflow enhancement and upskilling. However, risks such as skill atrophy persist. Human-centred workforce AI deployment is essential. Success in navigating disruption and driving inclusive, adaptive and tech-enabled work environments will increasingly depend on core competencies such as business acumen, digital fluency and stakeholder influence within the people function. This will position people leadership as central to future business success.