Not just AI: Ernst & Young to distribute bonuses to employees who demonstrate "human skills"
Ernst & Young is investing $100 million in rewards for employees who demonstrate adaptability, innovation, and critical thinking. The program aims to balance AI integration by fostering essential human traits.
In recent years, companies have begun distributing bonuses as an incentive to encourage employees to use AI more, but now at least one major company is rewarding employees who demonstrate human skills instead. The Guardian reported that the consulting and accounting firm Ernst & Young (EY) announced that it will invest $100 million in the US in rewards for employees who demonstrate skills such as adaptability, innovation, and critical thinking.
As part of the program, employees will be able to earn bonuses of up to $500 each, and the company will also distribute grants of up to $25,000 to teams and individuals who are defined as "making a significant impact." According to the company's announcement, the goal is to reward the skills and behaviors that are most important to the future of the firm and its clients, and that the move is part of a broader initiative to change training and promotion processes at all levels, from interns to senior management.
The allocation of $100 million for bonuses is for the current fiscal year, and employees will be able to nominate candidates for grants at all levels. Furthermore, there is no limit to the amount of bonuses an individual employee can receive. The move is not a step against technology, but is intended to help deal with the flood of AI products and services.
"This is not an issue that can be solved through a training course or a single program. It requires a fundamental and radical change," said Ginnie Carlier, EY's Americas talent leader.
Other consulting firms are also dealing with this issue. At KPMG, they changed the training program for interns this summer to focus more on learning critical thinking and judgment, while at PwC they are focusing training on both developing AI skills and strengthening human traits such as empathy and creativity.
The entry of AI into the field is also changing the way clients are billed, and many companies are stopping hourly billing in favor of outcome-based pricing, as AI reduces work time. Nevertheless, the consulting firms noted that the adoption of AI has helped generate more business. At EY, they claimed that for 2025, revenues related to AI increased by more than 30% compared to the previous year.
