CFOs shift to tech, outsourcing in workforce overhaul — Grant Thornton
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES — A new survey reveals that corporate financial leaders are prioritizing technology investments that are set to reshape the workforce fundamentally, accelerating automation, shifting spending from payroll to outsourcing, and intensifying competition for specialized talent.
According to Grant Thornton’s CFO survey of over 230 finance leaders, this strategic shift comes despite only muted economic optimism, indicating a durable recalibration of how work is organized.
“CFOs have become accustomed to swings in the market, and they’ve developed enough resilience where they’re not afraid to invest in growth at this time,” said Paul Melville, National Managing Partner of Accounts and Growth for Advisory Services at Grant Thornton Advisors.
CFO tech spending reshapes jobs and outsourcing plans
Sixty-seven percent of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) expect IT and digital transformation to rise, fueling workforce restructuring.
As businesses spend heavily on technology to increase efficiency, they are also assessing workforce costs, with 43% of finance department leaders considering reducing human capital costs, including headcount and compensation.
This trend is not only about reducing but also about redistributing resources. Budgets for training and development are maintaining their levels, with 39% of CFOs predicting an upward trend, as employees are pressured to cope with emerging technologies.
The growing traction of outsourcing models further evidences this restructuring. A survey from Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) and Auxis revealed that 52% of shared services executives are considering increasing business process outsourcing (BPO), with the majority (78%) of their reasons being cost advantages and talent availability (62%).
Forty-four percent consider outsourcing as a means to fund future expansion and enable internal teams to engage in more valuable work.
This implies a strategic shift in technology that allows redefining which roles are retained and which are outsourced, radically changing not only professional paths but also employment prospects.
As David Sites, National Managing Partner of the Washington National Tax Office and International Tax Solutions at Grant Thornton Advisors, notes, “For maximum effect, technology investments need to be aligned carefully with business objectives.”
“Don’t buy the bright, shiny new toy if it doesn’t help you accomplish your strategy. Invest in technology that helps improve the performance of your organization.”
Fewer layoffs, but rising pressure to reskill workers
The poll shows a paradoxical friction in the labor market: the near-term tendency to reduce the number of laid-off workers has decreased, but the fear of managing the workforce is increasing significantly.
Workforce management surged into a top-three focus for 45% of CFOs, up from 35% last quarter, even as the portion anticipating layoffs fell to 32% from 45%.
This paradox underscores a transitional period in which automation changes the nature of jobs rather than just the number of them. Companies are preparing for a different mix of skills, leading to instability for some roles while creating demand for others.
This shift creates a distinct pressure point in attracting and retaining the right talent, a challenge reported by 55% of respondents. While some human capital expenses may be cut, recruiting expenses are expected to rise by 34% of CFOs.
The data suggests a coming divide in the workforce: a push to automate certain functions coexists with a competitive scramble and increased spending to secure employees who can develop, manage, and leverage these new technologies.
“The difficulty of attracting and retaining the right talent isn’t going away,” said Melville. “In fact, the emergence of AI only makes that more important,” he added.
New tax law funds automation, outsourcing and compliance
An emerging source of funding for this technological and operational overhaul is anticipated tax savings, which are more likely to finance automation and outsourcing than bolster direct employment.
Nearly half (44%) of CFOs expect to benefit from the new tax legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which will provide capital for strategic initiatives.
However, these savings are intended to modernize operations, not necessarily expand the traditional workforce. In fact, 18% of firms say they will need to outsource all compliance work to a third party to maximize the benefits of the new law.
This indicates that policies designed to aid corporate finances may indirectly accelerate workforce transformation. The capital unlocked is being deployed for technology and strategic initiatives that redefine job functions.
“Everybody understands the hand they’ve been dealt,” said Mike Desmond, Audit and Assurance Growth Leader for Grant Thornton LLP.
“They’re surrounded by instability and uncertainty, but they’re putting mechanisms in place to deal with that.”
For workers, the benefits of corporate tax savings are likely to be realized through organizational restructuring and investment in digital infrastructure, which will necessitate adaptation and reskilling rather than offering broad-based job growth security.
The definitive move by CFOs to reallocate capital from traditional payroll toward automation, outsourcing, and fierce competition for specialized talent is forging a new, stratified ecosystem of work defined by technological integration and strategic partnership.
