Miša Lukić, Founder and CEO of Brand Sapiens
The Future of Work: Analysis of the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Report
I recently had the opportunity to read the Future of Jobs Report 2025 published by the World Economic Forum. At first glance, the report seems predictable… artificial intelligence is on the rise, tech literacy is a given, creativity is becoming currency, and everything is moving towards a digital, flexible, and global labor market.
But when you delve deeper, cracks in the underlying thinking begin to emerge. Not in the data itself, but in the paradigm from which that data arises. Because this report doesn’t just talk about what skills will be in demand-it reflects how business today, and more importantly tomorrow, sees the human being. And that may be the most important, yet most dangerous, dimension of the document. This is not just a report on work. It is a diagnosis of the business world’s consciousness.
That’s why I want to share my insights-not as an economic analyst, but as someone involved in designing the future of business, leadership, and humanity in the era of artificial intelligence.
Here’s what I discovered when analyzing this report through the four key skill segments it categorizes:
Quadrant 1: “Core Skills in 2030” – Skills that are growing and already dominant
What’s clearly true:
This quadrant contains what we ourselves would recognize as critical:
- AI & Big Data
- Technological literacy
- Creative thinking
- Analytical thinking
- Resilience, flexibility, agility
- Leadership influence and motivation
- Talent management
- Curiosity and lifelong learning
- Self-awareness
- Systems thinking
- Empathy and active listening
These skills are the foundation of a new awareness about work – and they rightfully sit at the top.
Here, I fully agree with employers. But the question remains – how much are we truly developing these skills, versus simply naming them as “important”? Because most organizations still measure only KPIs like EBITDA (without insight into sustainability), cost efficiency (cost cutting at all costs), and short-term ROI as the dominant value (instead of long-term development). Activities are still being measured, not essence; speed is tracked, not direction; quantity is evaluated, not the quality of human contribution… which encourages operational obedience rather than creative thinking and innovation.
On the other hand, this same quadrant includes some of the most important future skills – like empathy, systems thinking, motivation, and self-awareness. But their position within the quadrant reveals how undervalued they still are when it comes to future relevance.
Empathy, for example, is at the very bottom of the vertical axis – indicating that employers don’t expect its importance to grow significantly by 2030. And if empathy is not recognized as a key resource in a world that is becoming more alienated, accelerated, and fragmented, then we are not looking at the future – we’re extending the logic of the past. Empathy is not a decorative aspect of team dynamics. It is the spiritual nerve of every healthy organization. It is not a “soft” skill. It is the power to remain human in systems increasingly turning us into functions.
So the issue is not whether empathy is included in the quadrant – the issue is why it isn’t higher on the vertical scale?
Quadrant 2: “Emerging Skills” – Skills that are undervalued today, but on the rise
This is an interesting zone, as it shows what the business world is just beginning to understand as important:
- Environmental responsibility
- Cybersecurity
- UX design and design thinking
There’s a positive shift here that should be encouraged. But these skills won’t grow on their own. They must be systematically integrated into the company culture—not treated as trends. Especially the ecological and ethical dimensions, which are still seen by many as ESG checkboxes rather than the new foundation of business responsibility.
Quadrant 3: “Stable Skills” – Important today, but not expected to grow
This quadrant shows the skills employers still consider important but don’t expect to increase in relevance by 2030.
It includes only two:
- Service orientation and customer support
- Resource and operations management
And that speaks volumes – not about the skills, but about our attitude toward the human aspect of business.
- Service orientation and customer support
On the surface, this makes sense – automation, chatbots, and AI agents are taking over basic customer support tasks. But if we reduce this skill to “resolving requests,” we miss its essence. In the age of automation, human touch becomes a luxury. And therefore – valuable.
True service orientation today is not operational – it’s emotional and strategic. It doesn’t mean “execution,” but creating experience, understanding needs, and building relationships. If we push this skill aside, we won’t lose productivity – we’ll lose connection.
- Resource and operations management
This skill might appear dry and “administrative.” But beneath the surface lies something deeper – responsibility, sustainability, and balance.
Managing resources doesn’t just mean “efficient allocation of people and budgets.” It means making decisions that consider long-term effects, human capacity, and systemic integrity.
In a time when we’re discussing regenerative models, circular economy, and ESG standards, this skill should evolve ž not stagnate. So it’s worrying that it’s placed among those not expected to grow. Not because it’s unimportant, but because it’s misunderstood.
“Stable” doesn’t mean irrelevant – but it does mean undervalued.
If these skills remain “at the same level,” it won’t jeopardize processes. But it could threaten humanity, sustainability, and the emotional intelligence of business. These are the domains where humans can and must surpass machines – not in speed, but in depth, care, and accountability.
Quadrant 4: “Out of Focus Skills” – Employers see them as redundant. But maybe some are the most important of all.
This is the most dangerous part of the graph – because it reveals what the collective business mind is losing sight of.
Some of these we can agree on:
- Manual dexterity and precision
- Repetitive operational tasks
- Basic programming
- Traditional customer support
- Memorizing information
These functions are indeed being taken over by algorithms, robots, automated systems, and AI assistants. That’s a healthy sign.
But what about these skills, which are also here?
- Reading, writing, and mathematics
- Mentoring and teaching
- Global citizenship
- Multilingualism
- Marketing and media
To me, these are not “outdated” skills.
If we see reading, writing, and math as mere school basics, then we fail to understand that they are the foundation of every ability to think clearly, express ourselves precisely, and make logical decisions.
If we see mentoring only as an HR function, we easily replace it with an AI tutor. But mentoring is about passing on wisdom, character, and identity. It builds continuity no platform can program.
If we see multilingualism only as translation, we forget that language is a gateway to the worlds of others – their cultures and feelings. It fosters empathy, intercultural flexibility, and the ability to truly listen, not just understand.
If we see marketing only as advertising, of course it seems less important. But marketing today integrates strategy, design, psychology, technology, and consciousness – with the purpose of shaping not only perception but reality. It is not just a communication tool, but a systemic influence – shaping how products are created, brands are positioned, organizations behave, and values are lived.
If we dismiss global citizenship as idealism, we forget we live in a world that shares crises, ecosystems, and responsibilities. Without this perspective, there is no leadership – only local efficiency without global awareness.
Final Question: Is this really a report on the future of work and the skills we’ll need – or is it something deeper?
This is why this is not a report about the future of work. It’s a mirror reflecting the state of collective business consciousness. It should not be read as an infallible truth, but as a call for reevaluation.
Not so we can adapt to what is, but so we can design what could be.
The future will not be shaped by tech skills alone. It will be shaped by our ability to remain deeply human in a world that’s becoming increasingly digital.
If we don’t nurture what makes us authentically human, AI won’t replace us because it’s better – we will replace ourselves because we forgot how to be human and whole beings, not just functions.
