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Building the Future Workforce In the Era of AI

Authors

Carie Crane, FLMI, ACS, AIRC, ARA
Vice President, Professional Development
LIMRA and LOMA

Kimberly Terranella
Vice President, Head of Industry Solutions Division
LIMRA and LOMA
kterranella@limra.com

June 2026

Organizations across financial services continue facing a persistent and evolving talent challenge. Competition for skilled professionals is intense, employee tenure is shrinking, and early‑career talent is more mobile than ever. According to ManpowerGroup, 72% of employers are struggling to find the skilled talent they need. Artificial intelligence (AI) adds another layer of complexity, especially when thinking about early-career professionals. The implications are clear: To maintain continuity and sustain performance as the financial services industry embraces AI, organizations must strategically hire those with the necessary learning and decision-making styles, onboard more efficiently, and invest earlier in developing talent across the employee lifecycle.

Talent Strategies Must Evolve

As organizations consider their talent strategies, the growing influence of AI on daily work cannot be ignored. Historically, early-career professionals built foundational knowledge through high-volume, repetitive tasks. Today, many of those tasks are increasingly automated with AI, causing leaders to reassess how roles may change. Insurance Business Mag indicates that while AI will not immediately displace large segments of the workforce, it will accelerate productivity faster than overall employment growth. This shift places a greater emphasis on problem-solving and learning agility earlier in a career — capabilities that now require development plans given the decrease in learning opportunities through process repetition.

Fifty-eight percent of employees believe their roles will change significantly in the next five years due to AI, demonstrating that employers and employees alike recognize the changes in the talent landscape. Not only must organizations hire future talent — recognizing that talent needs are shifting — they must also focus on development strategies that retain and grow key talent to help the organization reach its goals during a transformational time.

A New Entry Point

As automation removes many entry-level tasks that once served as informal training grounds, organizations face an early-career paradox: New employees are expected to contribute faster, while having fewer traditional pathways to build mastery. Organizations with winning strategies must hire talent with the skills to learn the business quickly and adapt as roles continue to evolve. According to Harvard Business Review, active listening skills, communication skills, and creative problem-solving are some of the human skills that will become increasingly important for organizations. Firms that hire talent with these skills will have a competitive advantage as the talent landscape continues to be shaped by AI.

Assessment tools play a critical role in solving this challenge. By identifying candidates with the necessary skills, leadership qualities, and mindset to succeed in the industry, organizations can hire talent that is better equipped to succeed — even without prior industry experience — and reduce the time required for the employee to contribute. Structured onboarding and targeted development then ensure that foundational knowledge is built deliberately.

Robust Onboarding Accelerates Proficiency

Once hired, targeted early learning opportunities help employees connect day‑to‑day tasks to broader business outcomes quickly, while also building confidence in their abilities. In fact, 51% of employees say training gave them confidence in their ability to do their job, accelerating effectiveness and understanding in their role. Learning opportunities help employees understand how their work creates value — especially in an AI‑enabled environment where roles are changing quickly. For professionals new to financial services, clear development pathways also signal that the organization is invested in their success and adapting intentionally to the future of work.

Creating Long-Term Impact

For organizations navigating today’s workforce constraints, professional development must work together with assessment and training as part of a deliberate talent strategy that promotes retention. Organizations with a strong learning culture are 30% to 50% more likely to retain employees long term, resulting in employees who are 52% more productive and 17% more profitable.  

By embedding ongoing employee development into the organization’s talent strategy, leaders not only reduce unwanted turnover, but also build stronger internal pipelines and long‑term resilience in the age of AI. Employees who receive development aligned to their role, career stage and business priorities reach proficiency faster and are better prepared to evolve as technology changes. In an industry already facing talent shortages, this approach drives both performance and retention. In an AI-enabled environment, a structured approach to assessing and developing talent is not only a key driver of performance but also a critical lever for retention and sustainable growth.

Talent Challenges to Strategic Opportunity

Organizations’ talent strategies must embrace hiring and development that will help ensure that the firm is bringing the right workforce into the organization and developing them for long-term success in contributing to the organization’s mission.

In a workforce defined by mobility, organizations that prioritize assessing talent and professional

development will stand out. By equipping tomorrow’s talent with the skills, confidence and industry knowledge they need to succeed, financial services leaders can turn today’s talent shortage into a strategic advantage — one built on engagement, continuity and growth in the age of AI.

 

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