As agentic AI adoption is set to soar by 327% within two years, human resource leaders worldwide are preparing for a major reshuffle of their workforce, according to a new Salesforce survey of 200 global HR executives.
Nearly 25% of employees are expected to be redeployed to new roles as AI agents become central to daily business functions. This shift promises to boost productivity by 30% and reduce labor costs by 19%, translating into an average annual saving of $11,064 per employee based on OECD wage data.
The survey reveals that 80% of HR leaders believe that within five years, most workforces will feature humans and AI agents working side by side. Integration of digital labor is seen as critical, with 86% of Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) acknowledging this as a key part of their role.
“Digital labor is reshaping organizations at an unprecedented pace,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. “Every employee will need to develop new human, agent, and business skills to thrive in this digital labor revolution.”
Most CHROs (77%) anticipate that AI will fundamentally transform their organizational structures. While 61% expect many employees to keep their current roles alongside AI agents, 23% are projected to be reassigned to new teams or functions. Nearly 9 in 10 CHROs (89%) believe redeployment is a more cost-effective strategy than external hiring, and 81% are either already reskilling or planning to reskill employees for future opportunities.
Greg Shewmaker, CEO of r.Potential, highlighted the urgency: “The current generation of leaders will be the last to manage human-only workforces. We are at a pivotal moment that demands embracing AI adoption with effective human-AI collaboration frameworks.”
In preparation for this shift, CHROs expect growth in IT, research and development, and sales teams. They also stress AI literacy as the top skill workers need to succeed in the agentic economy.
Soft skills are gaining importance, with 75% of HR leaders noting an increased demand for collaboration, adaptability, and relationship-building as AI takes on routine tasks. However, despite these trends, only 15% of organizations have fully implemented agentic AI, and 73% of employees remain unaware of how AI will impact their work.
