David Creelman

Every few years, the conversation about worktime settles on a new ideal. Lately, the four-day workweek has become an appealing concept. The pitch is that people get the same amount done in fewer hours, employees are happier, and productivity rises. At the opposite end of the spectrum sits China’s infamous 996 schedule—9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week—roughly the equivalent of squeezing nine normal workdays into one week.

The hype about AI agents is both confusing and misleading. It helps to step back and ask a simple question: What do AI agents actually do? The answer: they automate tasks. AI—agents included—makes automation easier and cheaper. If something becomes easier and cheaper, we should expect (and want) more of it. That means HR professionals need to become skilled at automation. Hence the title: automation is the next big skill.

Organisational resilience is a popular idea that everyone can get behind. It can also be a complete waste of time. Wise HR pros understand why such an appealing concept can be so useless—and how to wield it in a way that actually solves problems.