ABOUT THIS FEATURE

Workforce strategy has long trailed behind corporate strategy in financial services, treated as an afterthought to whatever goals leadership has already set. In this piece for Global Banking & Finance Review, Stephen Bacon makes the case that AI and automation are forcing that order to reverse. He lays out three shifts financial firms need to make, from how they redeploy junior talent to how they define success to who they hire in the first place, to build a workforce that’s genuinely aligned with where the business is headed.

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WHAT THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES

Why automation should free people up for strategic thinking, not just eliminate roles
How firms can redirect talent freed by AI toward work that actually shapes the business, rather than simply shrinking headcount.

Why engagement has to be earned, not assumed
The difference between alignment, movement, and engagement, and why only one of the three can’t be taught.

Why the next generation of financial talent needs to be hired differently
What cross-functional, systems-level thinking looks like in a rising workforce, and why it may matter more than traditional technical credentials.