A newly released foresight report by the Government Empowerment Department – Abu Dhabi forecasts that artificial intelligence (AI) will soon transform recruitment processes, employee well-being programmes, and task allocation across the public sector by 2040.
Titled “Emerging Trends in Talent Management 2024–2040”, the report identifies 16 emerging trends set to redefine the future of work. These range from fully automated hiring processes and immersive, extended-reality training experiences to AI-driven tools that predict employee turnover.
The findings are based on an extensive foresight survey combining desk research with analysis from the Futures Platform, which tracks over 1,000 trends across various sectors. By integrating these external insights with in-house analysis, the Government Empowerment Department aims to support policymakers, HR leaders, and employers in rethinking recruitment strategies, talent engagement, and retention practices to align with future workforce demands.
Her Excellency Ruba Youssef Al Hassan, Director General of Strategic Affairs and Foresight at the Government Empowerment Department – Abu Dhabi, emphasised that in the face of unprecedented and rapid developments, governments cannot afford to merely react; they must lead. “Identifying trends is the easy part,” she noted. “The real challenge lies in building systems that equip our society to meet the future.”
Al Hassan highlighted the Department’s view of talent as the foundation of every institution, explaining that the report serves as an invitation to advance efforts to equip the workforce with the skills, ideas, and tools needed to thrive—while keeping people at the heart of government service transformation.
The report goes beyond traditional trend studies by providing actionable guidance for policymakers and HR professionals, offering practical recommendations to navigate upcoming changes. It also aligns with the Department’s current initiatives, from AI-supported talent identification and succession planning tools to predictive analytics for employee retention and reskilling programmes.
For instance, the Department’s AI-powered goal-setting tool helps unify objectives across Abu Dhabi government entities, reducing administrative workload and enhancing clarity.
The report is structured around three core themes: AI and technology, workplace culture, and organisational transformation—each designed to help decision-makers anticipate innovation and prepare accordingly.
Among the key AI and technology trends, the report highlights AI-powered recruitment, immersive training through extended reality, and the gamification of workplace processes. AI is expected to make recruitment more data-driven, while mixed-reality technologies will transform training and team interaction. Gamification, meanwhile, is seen as a way to sustain engagement, learning, and productivity.
Within workplace culture, trends include the rise of self-managed teams and AI-supported employee well-being initiatives, allowing teams to oversee operations more independently while leveraging AI to personalise support.
In organisational transformation, the report anticipates increased demand for data scientists, a shift towards valuing expertise over formal education, and the emergence of “young retirees.” As reliance on AI and data insights grows, the demand for data specialists will rise, while traditional degrees may become less critical, prompting a reevaluation of recruitment practices to prioritise skills and achievements.
At the same time, many professionals in their 30s and 40s are predicted to exit traditional career paths in favour of early retirement, seeking greater freedom and personal fulfilment.
The report also introduces innovative ideas such as collective intelligence and mental co-design, encouraging leaders to test the resilience of strategies against low-probability, high-impact developments.
To help entities assess and prioritise their response, the report concludes with an interactive tool enabling readers to evaluate the potential impact and uncertainty of each trend.
Looking ahead, the Government Empowerment Department plans to integrate these findings into its broader mission, using them to shape educational initiatives, workforce planning, and the adoption of AI across government services. The aim is to build a more agile and resilient public sector driven by talent—attracting, developing, and retaining the best people to serve the future needs of society.
