The human-centred workplace: Shaping the future of work

Why Employee Experience is the key as we shape the future of work...
Emma Bridger

Minutes
28th February 2025
Employee Experience
AI
Lee and I recently had the privilege of delivering a keynote at the Employee Experience EXPO, where we explored a critical shift happening in the world of work. The way we approach employee engagement simply isn’t working. Despite over two decades of effort, engagement levels have remained stagnant—or, according to some studies, have even declined.

Why is this happening?

Because engagement isn’t something you can directly control—it’s an outcome. Instead of chasing engagement itself, we need to focus on intentionally designing experiences that drive engagement as a natural result.

The Evolution from HR to EX

The world of work is undergoing a major transformation. Employees today expect a workplace experience that matches the consumer-grade experiences they receive in their everyday lives. The shift from process-driven HR to experience-driven EX is at the heart of this evolution. Organisations that embrace this change will be the ones that thrive in the new era of work—the era of employee experience.

AI and the Changing Role of People Professionals

At the same time, AI is disrupting traditional ways of working. For years, professionals have built careers on being the go-to expert in their field. But now, AI can analyse data, automate processes, and even generate content faster and more accurately than humans. However, AI will never be truly human-centred—it lacks curiosity, empathy, and the ability to design meaningful experiences.

The future isn’t about competing with AI; it’s about designing better human experiences at work. The organisations that succeed will be the ones that prioritise human-centred design, making workplaces places where employees want to stay, grow, and contribute.

The Future Skills for EX Professionals

As we look ahead, the most in-demand skills are shifting from technical expertise to human-centred capabilities:

✅ Creativity & innovation
✅ Complex problem-solving
✅ Emotional intelligence
✅ Resilience & flexibility
✅ Curiosity

These aren’t just "soft skills"—they are the defining capabilities of the next generation of people professionals. The leaders who embrace these skills will be the ones shaping the future of work.

Designing EX with Intention

A great employee experience doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a strategic, intentional approach, supported by the right tools and methodologies. In our keynote, we shared an example of EX Design Tools—practical frameworks that help organisations design experiences that truly engage, inspire, and retain top talent.

The biggest takeaway

AI won’t replace people professionals—but those who fail to embrace human-centred design and collaborate with AI risk becoming obsolete.

The future of work isn’t something that will just happen to us; it’s something we have the power to shape.

So, are you ready to lead the transformation? Work with us and the rest of The EX Space community as we continue this conversation, develop the skills needed for the future, and build workplaces where people thrive.

Let’s create the future together. 

Download the slides from Emma and Lee's session at The EX EXPO here...