Workforce Readiness is the Advantage in an AI Future

Workforce Readiness is the Advantage in an AI Future
July 14, 2026 17 mins

Workforce Readiness is the Advantage in an AI Future

On Aon Podcast Hero Image

Gaining a competitive advantage in an AI-powered future will depend as much on workforce readiness as it does on technology.

Key Takeaways
  1. Organizations that invest in skills, leadership and culture alongside AI adoption will be better-positioned to capture long-term value.
  2. Leaders who build capabilities and help employees adapt to new ways of working will be better-equipped to stay ahead as business needs evolve.
  3. Trust, transparency and wellbeing play a critical role in sustaining transformation.

John McLaughlin:
You want people to be high on both critical thinking and AI capability. You want them to be able to spot and manage risks while taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

Intro:
Hello and welcome to this episode of On Aon, where this week we focus on a Human Capital issue affecting business leaders around the world.

Byron Beebe is joined by Lisa Patel and John McLaughlin to explore why people and skills are integral to decisions about AI. Using examples from history, from IKEA instructions to Al Capone’s milk-cartons and Thomas Jefferson’s sidewalks, they unpack how skills, culture, wellbeing and trust can help organisations build the future of work.

Byron Beebe:
Welcome to On Aon. I'm Byron Beebe, CEO of Human Capital at Aon. And in this mini-series, we're taking a deeper dive into the findings of our 2026 Human Capital Trends Study, exploring what's shaping the future of work and what it means for leaders navigating today's evolving workforce. In this episode, we explore the idea that investing in people is the ultimate advantage in the age of AI.

I'm joined by two leaders from our health and talent business in EMEA, Lisa Patel, who leads that business, and John McLaughlin, who's the chief commercial officer.

And they're gonna help me unpack what this really means in practice. Together we'll look at how organizations can build the skills, culture, and conditions needed to unlock the full value of AI and why areas like pay equity, opportunity equity, and wellbeing are becoming central to performance.

John and Lisa, thanks for joining me today.

John McLaughlin:
Great to be here. Thank you, Byron.

Lisa Patel:
Thanks for inviting us.

John McLaughlin:
I think we end up spending so much time with clients at the moment helping them understand the inherent risk in AI adoption alongside the very obvious opportunity that comes with that.

Skills, culture, and investing in our biggest asset, our people, play an obvious part. But maybe equally important is the type of leaders we need to introduce and navigate our tomorrow. In particular, we need leaders today that come with that dual capability of AI knowledge and skills as well as critical thinking.

Imagine a four box grid with AI capability on the y-axis and critical thinking on the X axis. Bottom right is where you want your leaders to be, arguably your workforce as a whole, but I would say it starts with leaders.

You want people to be high on both critical thinking and AI capability. You want them to be able to spot and manage risks while taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

Byron Beebe:
Yeah, I appreciate the comment you're making here on leadership. We are rolling this out at Aon.

We're using AI in different ways. And while our leaders may not be always the most prolific users of AI, may not have time even to dig into that. What we do want is them to give people the bandwidth to be able to explore things and then provide that overall ability to freely create. But then also provide the guardrails to make sure that we're doing that in the best interest of our clients and of Aon.

So that I think that's a really important thing. Maybe Lisa, I would pose the same question to you that John just answered. What are you seeing in this area?

Lisa Patel:
Thanks, Byron. So we talk about all our clients operating in this high volatility world where planning cycles becoming shorter and shorter. So, with the ability to plan ahead, probably down to something like a 12 to 18-month cycle, change and transformation has become the order of the day.

And with more and more transformations, the right culture is increasingly seen as the superpower in organizations today. We do a lot of work in the world of people assessment and there is a growing recognition that culture is the thing that makes transformation stick.

So, we need to build that culture muscle across our leaders. So being able to articulate our culture, identify areas for improvement, and understand how to enact and drive a positive evolution of that culture.

There's a recent stat about leaders who've routinized change. It's a strange word, isn't it? Make change routine. Who are three times more likely effective at sustaining transformation. So that is culture and leadership in one. Leaders make change part of your daily routine embedded deep into the organizational culture itself. And there's any type of change, be that AI driven or anything else, suddenly becomes a lot less daunting.

Byron Beebe:
Yeah, I agree. I think that is the key.

Again, you just set the framework and allow everybody sort of the freedom to explore this in a really good way. I think is one of the best things I think a leader can do. I'm gonna move a little bit more to why this matters.

So our Human Capital Trends Study makes the case that investing in people is the real competitive advantage in the age of AI, not just investing in technology, but also in the people. What's at stake if organizations focus too heavily on technology and they don't invest in the skills, culture, well being, and fair access to opportunity? Lisa, I'll start with you this time.

Lisa Patel:
Okay, so we always talk about people being our biggest asset. And for us at most firms, it's often the most expensive asset as well. It's therefore too easy to assume we can simply adopt AI and drive down costs and that simply giving people access to AI tools will somehow magically make them X times more productive.

It's surely the height of naivety to think that we can come up with an AI adoption plan in isolation of the business and that somehow everything will be rosy afterwards. Whatever adoption strategy we choose, we need to get the workforce angle right.

An AI-enabled future of work can feel like a drastic, in some case, pretty scary change. As some of you will probably know, John is a man for analogies, and he is one that's on a call with me the other day, which I'm going to repeat, which is around building IKEA furniture.

Now, bear with me on this one. So he described building IKEA furniture without a set of instructions as a fairly scary proposition for most people. Yet — when you give them instructions, suddenly building a shelf or a cupboard becomes quite easy. And according to him, at least 95 % of the world population is then able to do it. And that's the point. We should be really clear in terms of how we expect AI to be used in every job across our organization and for what purpose.

So this set of instructions or whatever we want to call it is in an AI-enabled future of work. We need to get it embedded in our new cultural norms.

We need new skill sets, which needs to be embedded in new job architectures and skill descriptions and our employee experience strategies also need to evolve.

So John's IKEA View, which I'm going to call and which I like enormously, is that with the right set of instructions, the future becomes, if not exactly simple, then definitely less uncertain or ambiguous.

And we all know uncertainty and ambiguity is the real enemy of change.

Byron Beebe:
You're stealing analogies from John. I love it. And John is the master at those for sure. I can double down on that. Let me move to maybe a question around practical realities here. What does investing in people actually look like in practice today?

Where do companies fall short? Whether that's building the right skill sets or creating the right culture, how do they link things like wellbeing and paid transparency and opportunity, some of the things I mentioned earlier back to performance. How do organizations do that? John, maybe I'll go to you on this.

John McLaughlin:
Yeah, Byron, I promise I will answer a question without a story eventually, but not this one. Byron, do you know who is the man behind us having expiry dates on milk cartons today?

Byron Beebe:
Milk cartons. No, I don't. I would have said it was probably a food and drug administration or some government agency. That'd be my guess.

John McLaughlin:
Fair guess. I'll give you a clue. He's a pretty famous American gangster.

Byron Beebe:
Gangster. I don't keep track of gangsters very often. I used to live in Chicago, so I will guess Al Capone.

John McLaughlin:
And it is Al Capone. Well done. That's a very good guess. And you know why? His niece once got violently ill after drinking gone-off milk, and he used his, let's call it, significant political power to introduce expiry dates. And since that day, we have expiry dates on milk cartons.

Byron Beebe:
Okay. We're talking about AI in the workforce, John. So, like help me with the milk story. Where where are we going?

John McLaughlin:
AI, in some ways, is doing the same to skills today. It is putting an expiry date on all skills. That expiry date can look different by skill, but organizations that are smart understand that skills expire in reality and are building that into their workforce strategy and workforce planning approaches.

It creates the needs for us to reskill and upskill at scale and maybe more importantly to do this continuously. AI will only get better and more able as time progresses, and what task will get done by AI will continuously evolve, therefore.

The world of work will be defined by its continuous evolution, underpinned by the expanding capability set of AI models.

Lisa Patel:
Yeah, and I mentioned ambiguity and uncertainty earlier being the enemy of change. So, imagine as an employee that you are being told that your skills that you have today will only last for 24 months. The first question you can ask yourself is whether or not you'll have a job in 24 months. That's entirely natural. So that uncertainty will only drive negative outcomes. And we need to address that head-on. We need to normalize, first of all, that skills will have a shelf life. But equally, we need to put the right learning strategies and frameworks around this and make continuous learning a foundational pillar of our culture frameworks.

So some fallout regardless is going to be expected. And people from a wellbeing perspective will require a different type of care versus what they receive today. So I would say that alongside the L&D strategy, our wellbeing strategy also needs to evolve to make this work at scale and maybe more importantly, to be sustainable.

John McLaughlin:
Interesting take on this, Lisa. I would typically describe what you outlined now just as building maturity in our people practices. Mature people practices are aligned to our business strategy, well-defined, openly communicated and fully transparent. There is nothing to hide.

There's so many lessons from our work on pay transparency that we can take into our AI journey, as the idea of making that journey something that is aligned to our business strategy, defining it well, communicating and openly making it transparent just has a certain ring to it.

Byron Beebe:
So I'll jump in here and tell a quick story of my own.

A lot of people know I'm a pension actuary by background, right? And I remember way back thirty years ago, I became an expert, believe it or not, this will definitely date me in Lotus123. This was before Microsoft Excel, but I could really make those Lotus123 spreadsheets dance. And I laughed at people who were thirty years more advanced than me who couldn't use that technology at all. And over time that did two things, right? I became more valuable to the firm because I could do more things faster. But also the people more senior than me, they eventually learned how to use those spreadsheets, but they also were able to take on more higher leverage work while they delegated more things down to me so I could get things done more efficiently. We all still had jobs. Those jobs looked a little bit different over a five-year period, but there was a place in this for everyone.

And I think that's really how AI will probably advance as well. I do think the more senior leaders need to embrace AI, but I also think we'll have more junior colleagues who really drive a lot of the development in in all organizations going forward.

So maybe let's do this. If we look out two to three years, what do we think's gonna differentiate organizations that get this right? How are the leading companies going to be able to connect skills and culture and wellbeing in a more integrated way? So John, I'll turn that to you.

John McLaughlin:
Byron, you were the one telling me this anecdote maybe two or three weeks back in London, and I've been using it left, right, and centre since. It's the Thomas Jefferson one and him initially designing and ultimately overseeing the construction of the University of Virginia.

I thought it was so interesting the way you talked about he oversaw the construction at the end of the construction phase. Like the builders came up to him and they said, you forgot the sidewalks. Where should we build the sidewalks? We have all the buildings, but no sidewalks.

And the answer from Thomas Jefferson was we're gonna wait a year and we're gonna see where the people start walking and where the paths start to emerge. And that's where we'll build the sidewalks. I think it's such a brilliant analogy for a variety of reasons.

But what's interesting within that, like I think all the AI companies at the moment, like any of the big ones, would tell you that story and say that let the people experiment with AI and the right paths will emerge. I would argue in a lot of ways, we don't actually have the luxury of time that Thomas Jefferson did.

So this idea of waiting for a full year is a hard one, I think, for us to stomach. We're gonna burn bridges, we're gonna miss opportunities, and I would argue we're also gonna very much risk falling behind.

In a lot of ways, we're on the precipice of reinventing work and we need to grab that opportunity with both hands today. If we're not already moving towards being a skill-based organization, we should be. Skills I see as the so like the sidewalks in the University of Virginia. They highlight how work gets done today and how it should be done tomorrow. This ultimately I would say becomes a basic infrastructure question.

Lisa Patel:
And can I add to that, John? So I'd like to highlight the role of data in all of this as well. So many of our clients are going through consolidation of their tech stacks and all with a clear goal of making the data sidewalks, I feel like I say paths in British, but we'll go with sidewalks, easier. So, fewer platforms and solutions typically mean that we can then focus on integrating our data in a meaningful way and use it to provide important joined up insights.

So, in a future defined by continuous change, we will forever be presented with situations where decisions have to be made with incomplete information. And if we've got the best possible database line, hopefully we will make the best possible decisions at that point in time. So data in so many ways is paramount and should form a core pillar of our people strategy going forward, probably even more so than it has been to date.

Byron Beebe:
Yeah, thank you both.

And in full disclosure, I totally stole that story from an AI partner of ours. So that Thomas Jefferson story isn't a Byron Beebe original there, but it was something I heard. But I really thought it was the best way to describe how we will likely use technology. Rather than me tell people how to use it, give them the technology and have them figure out how to use it best in their daily job, and then we'll deploy it that way.

So I it's a great story, I think, that helps me see how we think it would apply inside of our organization.

Okay, so we should probably start to wrap up here. Maybe I just ask both of you if there's one message you want people to take away from today's conversation, what would it be around unlocking the full value of AI through people? Lisa, I'll start with you.

Lisa Patel
So we've talked quite a lot about the importance of leadership and how we need to combine critical thinking and AI capabilities. We've highlighted the role of culture and accelerating and sustaining our change journey. I've talked about the importance of an updated wellbeing strategy, reflecting the continuous change reality.

One thing I'd say about all of this is that we can't look at any of these modules in isolation. So if we truly want to unlock the full potential of AI, we need a holistic approach to the whole thing.

John McLaughlin
Yeah, and from my side, I'd say it's an exciting opportunity for us to define the next era of work. We're in this unique position to design and define the jobs of tomorrow, the jobs our children or grandchildren may walk into. And if you ask me why, surely that is why we do what we do. Maybe do we do what we do in parts for ourselves, but the bigger goal is that we want to create for the next generation and lead the world a little better than how we found it. This does very much feel like it's an opportunity to do just that.

Byron Beebe
Yeah, I like that a lot. It's the change is not about us, but it's about designing and shaping the workforce for the next generation. And you know, I have three children and I hope this is a better place for them when they find their way in this more complicated society we live in here.

So, thank you both for your time. I really appreciate that. Thank you all for listening in and to this second part of our mini-series on our human capital trend study. Have a great day.

Outro:
Thanks for tuning into the latest episode of On Aon. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to visit Aon.com to learn more about Aon.

We’ll be back next week with another episode — our Industry Insight — when we’ll be talking about the thorny issue of building the right Global Benefits system for the retail sector.

General Disclaimer

The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and are not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information and use sources we consider reliable, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

Terms of Use

The contents herein may not be reproduced, reused, reprinted or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Aon, unless otherwise authorized by Aon. To use information contained herein, please write to our team.

Aon's Better Being Podcast

Our Better Being podcast series, hosted by Aon Chief Wellbeing Officer Rachel Fellowes, explores wellbeing strategies and resilience. This season we cover human sustainability, kindness in the workplace, how to measure wellbeing, managing grief and more.

Aon Insights Series Asia

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series Pacific

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series UK

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Client Trends 2025

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Construction and Infrastructure

The construction industry is under pressure from interconnected risks and notable macroeconomic developments. Learn how your organization can benefit from construction insurance and risk management.

Cyber Resilience

Our Cyber Resilience collection gives you access to Aon’s latest insights on the evolving landscape of cyber threats and risk mitigation measures. Reach out to our experts to discuss how to make the right decisions to strengthen your organization’s cyber resilience.

Employee Wellbeing

Our Employee Wellbeing collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. You can also reach out to the team at any time for assistance with your employee wellbeing needs.

Environmental, Social and Governance Insights

Explore Aon's latest environmental social and governance (ESG) insights.

Q4 2023 Global Insurance Market Insights

Our Global Insurance Market Insights highlight insurance market trends across pricing, capacity, underwriting, limits, deductibles and coverages.

Global Risk Management Survey

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Regional Results

How do the top risks on business leaders’ minds differ by region and how can these risks be mitigated? Explore the regional results to learn more.

Impact Report 2025

Explore Aon's corporate sustainability impact and strategy.

Top 10 Global Risks

Trade, technology, weather and workforce stability are the central forces in today’s risk landscape.

Industry Insights

These industry-specific articles explore the top risks, their underlying drivers and the actions leaders are taking to build resilience.

Human Capital Analytics

Our Human Capital Analytics collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. Contact us to learn how Aon’s analytics capabilities helps organizations make better workforce decisions.

Human Capital Quarterly Insights Briefs

Read our collection of human capital articles that explore in depth hot topics for HR and risk professionals, including using data and analytics to measure total rewards programs, how HR and finance can better partner and the impact AI will have on the workforce.

Insights for HR

Explore our hand-picked insights for human resources professionals.

Workforce

Our Workforce Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon’s Human Capital team on topics ranging from health and benefits, retirement and talent practices. You can reach out to our team at any time to learn how we can help address emerging workforce challenges.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders to help dealmakers make better decisions. Explore our latest insights and reach out to the team at any time for assistance with transaction challenges and opportunities.

Natural Resources and Energy Transition

The challenges in adopting renewable energy are changing with technological advancements, increasing market competition and numerous financial support mechanisms. Learn how your organization can benefit from our renewables solutions. 

Navigating Volatility

How do businesses navigate their way through new forms of volatility and make decisions that protect and grow their organizations?

Parametric Insurance

Our Parametric Insurance Collection provides ways your organization can benefit from this simple, straightforward and fast-paying risk transfer solution. Reach out to learn how we can help you make better decisions to manage your catastrophe exposures and near-term volatility.

Pay Transparency and Equity

Our Pay Transparency and Equity collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team on topics ranging from pay equity to diversity, equity and inclusion. Contact us to learn how we can help your organization address these issues.

Property Risk Management

Forecasters are predicting an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Take measures to build resilience to mitigate risk for hurricane-prone properties.

Technology

Our Technology Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities of technology. Reach out to the team to learn how we can help you use technology to make better decisions for the future.

Trade

Our Trade Collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities for international business. Reach out to our team to understand how to make better decisions around macro trends and why they matter to businesses.

Transaction Solutions Global Claims Study

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Weather

With a changing climate, organizations in all sectors will need to protect their people and physical assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and invest in new solutions to thrive. Our Weather Collection provides you with critical insights to be prepared.

Workforce Resilience

Our Workforce Resilience collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's Human Capital team. You can reach out to the team at any time for questions about how we can assess gaps and help build a more resilience workforce.

More Like This

View All
View All
Subscribe CTA Banner