ManpowerGroup's #WEF23 Recap from Davos

ChatGPT, polycrisis, resiliency... these were just some of the trending topics at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland. ManpowerGroup’s delegation joined business leaders and policymakers to share our latest workforce insights, data, and practical solutions under the theme “Cooperation in a Fractured World.” Here are some of the week's highlights:

1. Preparing 1 Billion People for Tomorrow's Economy

“Seven years ago, here at the World Economic Forum, the main concern was hundreds of millions of people are going to be impacted by AI and automation. And we will have way more people than jobs and we don't know what to do with these people. Fast forward seven years and the impact of technology has certainly been very swift, hard, and the complete opposite. We are faced with a significant skills shortage.”

Will ChatGPT and other AI take our jobs? This hot topic was at the forefront of the conversation on Tuesday morning. This is a watershed moment. Technology is changing the way we get work done. If history is a predictor – the deciding factor is going be how people interact with technology – how we embrace it, how we adopt it, and more.

In this live panel discussion, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO Jonas Prising joined C. Vijayakumar, CEO of HCLTech; Belén Garijo, CEO of Merck; Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education for the United Arab Emirates; and moderator Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor in Chief of The Economist for a conversation focused on the Reskilling Revolution.

2. Women in the Post-Pandemic World of Work

ManpowerGroup Chief Commercial Officer and President, North America Becky Frankiewicz brought together an all-women, all-star lineup of leaders to share how we can ensure the future of work works for women. From autonomy and flexibility to opportunities for learning and mentorship, the passionate panel shared personal stories and practical guidance to accelerate gender parity.

Featuring: ManpowerGroup’s Frankiewicz; Francine Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco; Silvana Koch-Mehrin, Founder & President, Women Political Leaders (WPL) and former VP of the European Parliament; and moderator Nadira Tudor.

3. To What Degree Should Recruiters Care About University Degrees?

Degree requirements have long been used to filter candidates, and the rise of resume-parsing technology only accelerated that trend. But there’s a downside — many candidates without college degrees are prevented from accessing better jobs, despite having the skills and experience that make them eminently qualified.

4. ManpowerGroup in the News 

When companies have experienced a ‘polycrisis’ of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, supply chain disruption, and economic downturn, you might expect hiring to plummet. Not so. In conversations with the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Fox Business, ManpowerGroup leaders explain why companies are holding onto the talent they have, how labor markets are resilient and what employers can do to attract and keep skilled people in a worker's market.