How will logistics change the logistics sector? This was the question answered in a recent report, Where Talent and Technology Collide: How AI is Shaping the Future of Logistics, from Adecco Group. 

While logistics is rapidly changing to embrace the benefits of AI, the technology is affecting the workforce – particularly on the warehouse floor. The need for manual labor is decreasing, and demand for new roles and skill sets is emerging.

"To capitalize on the benefits of AI and retain a competitive advantage, logistics companies must rethink their talent strategies from the ground up," the report notes. "Success will increasingly depend on organizations building workforce trust, strengthening digital fluency and enabling employees to adapt alongside technology. Only then, will employers be ready for the next era of global logistics."

What is challenging to the sector is coming up with a clear strategy to adapt to new ways of working.

• Only 2% of logistics companies can be considered ‘future-ready’ – companies that foster adaptability, invest in skills & enable career mobility.
• 23% don’t have an AI policy
• 51% say their leadership team is not well-prepared to leverage AI tools in decision-making
• 42% of organizations do not deliver formal training to reskill or upskill employees in AI

How companies are rolling this out to the workforce presents its own set of challenges: 

77% of employees say they would be comfortable collaborating with an AI agent as part of their job.

Over three quarters (81%) of them believe that AI is creating more jobs.

However, only a quarter of employees in the sector (27%) have been actively involved by their employer in how their work is being reshaped by AI.

The report offers five steps that companies can take to adapt to AI’s capabilities,

Build Trust with Employees

Employees who feel their concerns are being taken seriously and who are genuinely involved in how AI is shaping their work are more likely to play an active role in helping their employers unlock AI’s full potential.

• Explain why AI is being introduced, how it affects roles and what safeguards are in place
• Involve employees directly in job redesign discussions and clearly communicate the roles that both humans and AI agents are expected to play and how this will bring value for both the individual and the company
• Take employee concerns seriously and educate the workforce about the frameworks and guardrails in place to protect personal data and uphold ethical standards

Build Digital Fluence from the Top Down

Top-down mandates alone won’t work; leaders must model AI literacy and future-ready skills before expecting them from their teams.

• Invest in leadership development
• Equip leaders with AI capabilities
• Measure upskilling efforts and tie them to leadership incentive programs
• With only 30% of logistics organizations confident their leadership team has sufficient AI skills and knowledge, credible leadership on AI has to come first.

Support Talent to Upskill and Adapt

Organizations that encourage experimentation - and back it up with comprehensive upskilling - cultivate employees who are willing to embrace change and are equipped with the tools to make it happen.

• Guide employees to develop new, value-adding capabilities through targeted upskilling and career development
• Promote the idea that upskilling and career mobility go hand in hand
• Provide transparent guidance on the skills necessary for next career steps and promote non-linear career paths
• While 77% of employees are comfortable collaborating with AI agents at work, only 51% of logistics organizations are providing formal upskilling and development opportunities.

Strengthen Data Foundation

AI can help organizations unlock the full value of existing talent data by making recruitment more targeted, personalizing training and making mobility strategies more effective.

•  Establish strong data foundations to make sure AI outputs are reliable, trusted and connected to business outcomes
•  Use AI tools to create tailored experiences for employees, identifying career paths, training and opportunities
• Balance your talent strategy’s use of AI for agility with a commitment to human centricity for sustainability and inclusion
• Currently, only 51% of logistics organizations have implemented technical solutions and data insights for workforce planning, while just 30% are using AI in candidate sourcing.

Measure Progress

The only way to understand how AI is impacting employee wellbeing and business performance is through robust, consistent measurement frameworks.

• Establish clear metrics to track AI adoption, employee engagement and skill development across the organization
• Regularly assess the impact of AI initiatives on both business outcomes and employee wellbeing
• Use data-driven insights to refine your AI strategy and ensure alignment with workforce needs
• The urgency is clear: logistics workers are already saving 2 hours a day through AI, yet only a third can confidently measure the impact of their work.

“Future-ready companies think differently,” said  Christophe Catoir, President of Adecco, in the report. “They don’t just respond to AI – they lead with it, using AI to change how their business runs, how their people grow and how decisions get made. Because they invest in developing their leaders, they have the skills and strategy needed to use technology to stay ahead of the curve.” The journey to become a future-ready organization starts with closing the gap between leaders’ AI ambitions and employees’ ability to act on them.”