More than 90% of organizations have deployed AI in talent acquisition, yet fewer than 5% report transformational outcomes, according to a report commissioned by ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions and developed by Everest Group. The research highlights a significant gap between widespread AI adoption and its realized business value, with fragmented workflows and governance gaps blocking transformation. The findings were featured at VivaTech 2026 in Paris.

The report, titled "The New Talent Equation: Building Better Talent Decisions," draws on a survey of 80 C-suite, CHRO, and senior talent acquisition leaders across the United States and the United Kingdom. It examines why AI adoption in hiring has scaled rapidly while its impact on talent decision-making continues to lag. The study spans healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, and technology sectors.

Caroline Pfeiffer Marinho, Global Senior Vice President at ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions, noted that AI is exposing talent operations rather than transforming them evenly. She emphasized that the constraint is no longer access to AI tools but how talent operations are designed around them. Sailesh Hota, Vice President at Everest Group, added that adapting workforce models and operating structures is proving as important as technology adoption.

The research documents that while 39% of organizations report significant impact on operational efficiency, improvements in decision quality and workforce agility remain limited. Most organizations are layering AI onto workflows built for a pre-AI environment, relying on isolated tools and siloed data. This prevents AI from generating cumulative value across the full hiring lifecycle.

Key Barriers to AI Impact

Organizations cite several top barriers to scaling AI in hiring:

Nearly 54% of organizations report that AI-assisted candidate behavior, such as AI-generated resumes and interview preparation, is making it harder to accurately assess true candidate capability. Additionally, 72% of organizations report achieving expected AI outcomes within two years, with 26% realizing value in under a year. However, the research suggests this speed comes at the cost of prioritizing near-term gains over deeper workflow redesign.

The report outlines a four-stage roadmap from rationalization through adoption, enablement, and transformation. It identifies foundational investments in data integration, governance, and operating model alignment as necessary to move organizations toward lasting impact.

ManpowerGroup Chair and Chief Executive Officer Jonas Prising will co-chair the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China, from June 23 to 25. The meeting, known as Summer Davos, convenes leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society to discuss entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth under the theme "Innovating at Scale." This year's focus is on translating technological breakthroughs into broad-based economic benefit.

Prising stated that leading in the AI era requires translating technological progress into human progress, necessitating clarity, skills investment, and leadership. He emphasized that this challenge will be central to the discussions in Dalian. The ManpowerGroup delegation will bring workforce expertise and labor market insights to the forum.

Key Participation and Panel Discussion

Prising is scheduled to participate in a panel titled "AI Everywhere, Not at Once" on June 23. The session will examine the gap between AI deployment and measurable business impact, covering topics such as scaling AI, redesigning work, and building workforce readiness. The discussion will be moderated by Stephen Engle, Chief North Asia Correspondent for Bloomberg Television.

Other panel participants include:

ManpowerGroup Delegation

In addition to Prising, ManpowerGroup is represented in Dalian by senior leaders from the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions:

• François Lançon, Regional President, Asia Pacific and Middle East
• Filip Rideau, Regional Head of Growth & Franchise, Asia Pacific and Middle East
• Sam Haggag, Head of Manpower & Director of Sales, Asia Pacific and Middle East
• Lancy Chui, Senior Vice President, ManpowerGroup China
• Okjin (OJ) Kim, CEO, Manpower Korea

Supporting Research and Insights

ManpowerGroup will present research relevant to the meeting's themes, including the Experis CIO Outlook 2026 and the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for Q3 2026. The CIO Outlook, based on responses from 1,930 technology leaders, finds that business-IT alignment has overtaken cybersecurity as the top priority. The Employment Outlook Survey, which interviewed over 40,500 employers in 42 countries, reports a global Net Employment Outlook of 26%, with China posting a 33% outlook.