Challenges in the Future of Work

🚨 Your role just landed on the “easiest to automate” list? That isn’t a pink slip - it’s an early-warning system. First, zoom out. Tasks go away, not talents. Make an inventory of the underlying abilities your job demands: pattern recognition, client empathy, regulatory knowledge, cross-team coordination. Those are transferable, and transfer is where reinvention starts. Next, learn the tech aimed at replacing you. When you understand how the model works, you can spot its blind spots. That turns you from potential redundancy into the resident “AI whisperer” who accelerates adoption and keeps errors in check. Then, double down on the human edge. Negotiation, creative synthesis, trust-building, storytelling-skills too unstructured or emotional for algorithms-gain premium value as everything else gets cheaper. Prioritize projects that showcase them and document measurable wins. Don’t wait for HR to reskill you. Block two hours a week for structured learning: a micro-credential in data literacy, prompt-engineering side experiments, a community hackathon. Momentum is currency when markets shift. Network laterally, not just upward. Peers in adjacent functions-product, compliance, customer success-see opportunities your current title hides. Collaborate on cross-functional pilots and you’ll surface for roles that didn’t exist a quarter ago. Finally, treat uncertainty as venture capital in yourself. Whether you spin up a consultancy, prototype a tool that augments your old workflow, or pivot into an AI-governance niche, the same risk that threatens your job funds your next chapter. Your job may be automatable. Your career is optionality in motion. #CareerGrowth #FutureOfWork

1 in 3 middle managers would take a pay cut for flexibility, values alignment, or a lighter load. According to LinkedIn’s recent data, middle managers are more willing than directors or individual contributors to trade compensation for sustainability. One of the reasons that deserves a discussion is that they are now caught in what I’d call the “AI squeeze”. 1. AI is automating the operational aspects of management (reporting, task delegation, workflows) 2. The expectations to deliver performance, engagement, and culture haven’t dropped. 3. Worst of all, no one is telling them where this leads. I speak in front of thousands of professionals each year about AI and the future of work. Every time, I ask my audience this same question: “How many of you have heard directly from your manager about how AI is going to change your job or reshape your career path?” Only one or two hands go up. And it’s always the CHRO. Or someone in Transformation. Everyone else is in the dark, even as their roles are already shifting. Middle managers aren’t opting out because they lack ambition. They’re opting out because they lack CLARITY. - Clarity on what AI means for their job - Clarity on how their skills need to evolve - Clarity on what advancement even looks like If you’re a leader or in HR, this is your call to action. To truly future-proof your workforce, you have to: 1. Explain how AI will augment instead of erasing the manager role 2. Rebuild mid-level career paths with transparency 2. Give managers autonomy, not just accountability Because when your managers start walking away, they’re not just leaving their jobs… they’re taking your company’s future with them. Data With Serena™️

America has 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs right now, and 65% of manufacturers say talent acquisition is their #1 business challenge. The talent gap could grow to 2.1 million workers by 2030, threatening $1 trillion in economic output. Today at People Atom, we analyzed why a sector that both political parties are desperate to revitalize can't find workers—and what it means for the future of work. The manufacturing workforce challenge goes deeper than just numbers: → Skills mismatch: Only 0.3% of American workers have apprenticeship training compared to 3.6% in Switzerland—12x higher → Role evolution: Only 40% of manufacturing jobs involve directly making products. The other 60% require technical expertise in robotics, electrical systems, and digital controls → Education paradox: Half of open manufacturing positions now require a bachelor's degree, yet many employers simultaneously struggle to fill roles that don't need degrees → Perception problem: Despite modern manufacturing facilities being clean, bright and technology-driven, outdated perceptions of dirty, dangerous work persist The FAME apprenticeship program shows what's possible: participants earn nearly $98,000 five years after completion—$45,000 more annually than non-participants. But these solutions haven't scaled nationally. Future-Ready Workforce Strategies ↳ Rethink degree requirements: Screen for competence and character over credentials. Does that job posting really need "bachelor's required"? ↳ Create regional talent ecosystems: Build partnerships between employers, community colleges, and workforce agencies to create shared talent pipelines ↳ Invest in pre-employment skill-building: Design programs that help candidates transition from service roles to technical operations with targeted training ↳ Reimagine employer branding: Today's manufacturing jobs need to be marketed to emphasize technology, growth potential, and stability This scenario isn't unique to manufacturing. Every sector undergoing rapid technological transformation faces similar challenges—from healthcare to retail to logistics. Love the future of work, Joe PS:  For deeper insights and implementation support, Get Your Invitation to PeopleAtom. The private network for CEOs, CHROs, CIOs, CTOs, and People Leaders shaping the future of work through bold strategy, systems thinking, and intelligent tech. Not everyone gets in, just the ones building what's next.

The job you'll have in 2030 probably doesn't have a name yet. Here's how to get ready. Microsoft recently announced it's reducing its workforce by more than 6,000 employees to free up resources for AI investment. It's a pattern we're seeing across tech—companies reshaping their workforce for different priorities. If you're worried about AI and your career, I get it. The world is changing fast, and it can feel overwhelming. But here's what I'm seeing from our data at Lensa: the companies thriving right now aren't replacing humans with AI. They're looking for people who can work with both. Three ways you can start preparing today: 🎯 Pick one repetitive task in your job. Learn how AI could handle it, then figure out what higher-level work that frees you up for. 🤖 Choose one AI tool relevant to your field. Spend 30 minutes daily for a week learning it. LinkedIn Learning has free courses. 🧠 Identify one complex problem at work that requires human judgment. Document how you solve it—that's your unique value. Jobs like AI trainers, algorithmic auditors, and human-machine collaboration specialists barely existed two years ago. Now companies can't fill them fast enough. Your career doesn't have to be at the mercy of these changes. You can shape how this plays out. Pro tip: Lensa can help with this. What's one skill you're building that didn't exist in your job description five years ago? #FutureOfWork #JobSearch #CareerDevelopment #AI

The pace of workplace disruption has fundamentally shifted. What historically required decades to transform entire industries is now happening within years, driven by rapid advances in AI and automation technology.   This acceleration creates a critical challenge for professionals: traditional career strategies built around deep specialization in single domains are becoming increasingly risky.   The emerging pattern I'm observing across industries: • Roles requiring repetitive, single-function tasks are being automated faster than anticipated • Organizations are prioritizing candidates who can navigate multiple functional areas • Job descriptions increasingly require hybrid skill sets that didn't exist five years ago • Career security is shifting from expertise depth to adaptability breadth   Skill stacking - the deliberate cultivation of complementary capabilities across different domains - has evolved from a career enhancement strategy to a survival necessity.   Professionals who build unique combinations of technical proficiency, analytical thinking, and human-centered skills create value propositions that are difficult to replicate through automation.   The question isn't whether your industry will be affected by this transformation, but how quickly you can position yourself ahead of these changes.   What skill combinations are you developing to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #skillstacking #futureofwork #automation #careerstrategist

The recent World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights the trends reshaping the global labor market. WEF estimates a net increase of 78 million jobs with employers expecting 40% of the skills required to shift over the next 5 years. The report notes “helping workers achieve the right mix of technical and human skills will be vital as the future of work continues to evolve.” These trends and forecasts align with a recent podcast conversation I had with John Nixon. It doesn’t get more energetic than a workforce development convo with John who leads Siemens Digital Industries Software's Energy & Chemicals Industry. John: “What excites me is workforce development is so incredibly important to us in Energy & Chemicals.” He emphasized the industry’s skill challenges along with labor shortages - noting 10% of engineer demand will be from data centers by 2035. We doubled down on intersections. We discussed the industry skills intersection as digital twins go into the field. We looked at the timely intersection of supply and demand changes in engineering education. John emphasized the “tremendous skills gap” that requires a new level of skills development due to digital transformation, as well as talent turnover in academia and industry. The challenges are global. That’s why you see whole regions like the European Union recommending microcredentials to promote a culture of lifelong learning. The United Arab Emirates adopted a policy to leverage microcredentials to strengthen opportunities for learning and employability. It’s clear a new level of digital fluency is required to meet the transformation in the energy industry. Credentials play a key role in providing recognition for knowledge and skills and connecting talent with employers. They address the need for more flexible and accessible learning pathways. Now more than ever, academia and industry must collaborate on creative, cost-effective digital solutions. sie.ag/76vR91 #workforcedevelopment