Steering through ambiguity
It’s not just the scale of the disruption that makes it so challenging, but also the uncertainties, ambiguities and risks.
Artificial intelligence (AI), and generative AI (GenAI) in particular, exemplify this. GenAI is proving to be a particular focus for reinvention with 60% of Channel Islands CEOs who took part in PwC's Channel Islands CEO Survey 2025 believing that it will boost returns. However, this does not come without concerns as CEOs are integrating AI at a cautious pace, recognising the need to deploy the technology in a safe and methodical way.
The combination of challenges and opportunities is also evident in the impact of AI on how people work. Far from the scare stories about robots taking our jobs, PwC’s latest AI Jobs Barometer shows that AI will actually increase the numbers employed. Nonetheless, what people do and how will be very different as new jobs emerge and others evolve. Your employees will be looking at how you manage the change, with workforce transformation feeding into wider questions over diversity, inclusion and purpose.
Super skills
Are the Channel Islands ready for the transformation ahead? PwC’s Hopes and Fears survey reveals that local workers have an encouragingly high level of the ‘super skills’ needed to prosper in this new world.
These include problem-solving and a readiness to learn. More than 80% of local respondents agreed that when problems arise, they proactively try to solve them. This demonstrates a willingness to take ownership and step forward in situations of crisis or uncertainty. When coupled with the 61% of Channel Islands employees who feel that they actively seek opportunities to learn and develop new skills, the readiness to take on problems presents a unique opportunity for Channel Islands leaders. Leaders can upskill their people for the future and engage them in transformative problem-solving, aided by technologies such as AI.
The caveat is that a large proportion of the local workforce is unaware of the impact that technology will have on their jobs and the wider economy.
Leading into future
So how can Channel Islands leaders build workforce awareness and readiness for change? Five priorities stand out:
1. Define change
The starting point is defining the particular skills your business needs to meet its strategic ambitions, and then communicating this to employees.
The required capabilities won’t only vary by industry and individual business, but also keep evolving, which calls for a flexible and adaptable approach.
It’s not just digital but also human skills that will be in high demand, as the capabilities that can’t be replicated by machines such as empathy, creativity and leadership become ever more valuable.
2. Embrace change
This new world of work is as much a cultural as technological leap. A key priority for you as leader is therefore encouraging your people to embrace change in areas such as data-driven decision-making.
Some employees may be wary of automation and AI for fear it will take away their jobs. So it’s important to emphasise the benefits. These include eliminating a lot of the needless drudgery in people’s work and allowing them to make better use of their capabilities.
3. Build from within
Keeping pace is likely to require some selected hires in areas such as robotics and cyber security.
But far from a few tech specialists, digital transformation demands upskilling throughout the workforce. And even if the necessary talent were to be available through recruitment, upskilling is the more financially feasible option, creating cost savings of up to £49,100 per employee compared to recruiting or making a role redundant.
The emergence of GenAI will raise the bar for upskilling as so much of the potential centres on increasing workforce capability and productivity. But it could also create incentives by allowing people to reimagine their roles and what they can accomplish within them.
4. Champion change
Your employees will take their cue from you as a leader. So it’s important to embrace change in your own ways of working.
As part of our transformation journey, we’ve also assigned ‘digital accelerators’ to champion change within their team and work with both colleagues and leaders to help them make the most of the possibilities.
5. Build trust
Cutting across all these priorities is trust – confidence in the technology and how it’s being used. As the concerns over bias and reputational risk revealed in our CEO Survey highlight, GenAI creates new challenges. So an important part of workforce upskilling is helping to build awareness of the risks and sharing guidance on ethical and responsible use.
How we can help
Here at PwC, we’re helping individual leaders and leadership teams develop transformative leadership strategies, along with robust people development and upskilling plans. To find out more, please feel free to get in touch.
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