What happened
A global survey on AI at work has found that the technology is broadening the work people do rather than shrinking it, as reported by HRD Canada. The headline finding is that AI is expanding workloads while also making work more collaborative.
That runs against the common assumption that AI tools mainly cut hours or headcount. According to the report's summary, the effect so far looks more like added scope: people take on more tasks, and they do more of them alongside others.
The report does not say here which industries or job levels see the biggest shift, how large the survey was, or how much extra work is involved. Those details are not yet clear from what has been published, so treat the finding as a direction, not a measurement.
Why it matters if you are hiring
If AI widens a role instead of removing it, your job descriptions are probably out of date. The analyst who once built reports may now also be checking AI output, cleaning data inputs and explaining results to other teams. The title stays the same. The work does not.
That changes what you screen for. Tool familiarity matters, but so does judgment: can this person review what a system produces, catch what is wrong and decide what to do next? The finding on collaboration points the same way. Candidates who work well across functions will carry more value than those who only work well alone.
It also changes how you plan headcount. If you are holding back a requisition because you expect AI to absorb the work, test that assumption first. Many Canadian employers will find the work is growing, not disappearing, and that existing teams are stretched by the added scope rather than relieved by it.
For contract and project roles, this is a practical option. Added scope that is real but uncertain is a good fit for a time-limited hire while you see what the workload settles into.
One thing to do this week
Pick one role on your team that uses AI tools today. Ask the person in it to list what they now do that they did not do 12 months ago. Compare that list with the posted job description and rewrite the description to match before your next hire or review.
Traverse has placed operations, finance, data and sales people with Canadian and US employers since 1997, and we help hiring managers define what a role now needs and find candidates who can do it.