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- ai job disruption: what hr needs to know now
ai job disruption: what hr needs to know now
because that "you'll lose your job to someone who knows AI" quote is no joke
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Howdy HR friends!👋
Hope you’re all having a great start to the week!
We’re ringing the AI alarm bell again in today’s edition. It’s Summer and some industries are slowing down but this is a perfect time for planning.
And what better way to end the year strong than with a solid plan for getting your whole team upskilled and ready to integrate AI before it sneaks up on them over the next few years?
No time to hang around, so let’s dive in shall we…
🚦Coming up
In today’s edition
🤖 The Great Job Reshuffling: AI Edition | Which roles are most at risk and how HR can prepare for the coming transformation?
🛋️ The Break Room: How is your organization preparing for AI's impact on your workforce? Cast your vote!
📚 Human Readsources: AT&T's controversial return-to-office mandate, how AI is changing technical interviews, and what HR needs to know about the FMLA 50/75 rule
💭Opening thoughts
Don’t let them “tekker jebs”
Well at the very least it’s going to seriously augment them!
92 million jobs could be displaced by AI by 2030, with experts warning that 30% of US positions face automation within the decade. Those are some serious numbers.
And this is a transformation that's already underway, not a distant future concern.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, higher education credentials offer little protection, as analytical and knowledge-based roles may actually face greater disruption than many manual labor positions.
However you chop it up or forecast the pace of AI adoption: there’s no denying it’s going to fundamentally reshape our workforce planning assumptions.
HR departments must urgently shift from traditional talent management to strategic workforce transformation.
The sooner the better.
Our teams need us to develop skills forecasting capabilities and redesign many of our roles to complement rather than compete with AI technologies.
By embracing a big change now, you can get ahead.
Forward-thinking organizations are already adapting their talent strategies to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace.
For easy reading
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🧠Let’s unpick
🚨 The Great Job Reshuffling: AI Edition
All this change puts HR in the hotseat.
We're caught between executives eager to implement cost-saving AI solutions and employees terrified about their futures. Better get a fresh pot of coffee on the go…
And who’s forecasted to be the most vulnerable? Knowledge workers (analysts, content creators, programmers) and administrative roles.
Not just entry-level positions which seem to get mentioned in every article you read.
The old "get a degree for job security" advice is officially outdated and the timeline is accelerating faster than most realize.
Recent Microsoft research (which made a big splash last week) identified 40 roles most threatened by AI, with knowledge workers facing 70-80% task automation potential.
Your mission now (if you choose to accept it): launch skills assessments to identify gaps, develop training programs focused on AI-complementary skills (critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving) and create transition pathways for at-risk employees.
Easy right?!
As with all change. The uncertainty should spark some excitement at a completely fresh way to approach “work” in the modern sense.
The AI revolution is here; HR needs to shape it, not just react to it.💪
You can read more at...
👀Too long didn’t read
TLDR
AI is reshuffling the job market faster than expected. As HR we need to identify skill gaps, develop AI-complementary training, and ensure diverse perspectives shape your company's AI implementation.
Today’s edition is also presented by
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🎬Lights, camera, action!
Takeaway and try
🔍 Conduct an "AI vulnerability audit" across departments to identify roles at highest risk of disruption, then immediately develop specific transition plans for affected employees rather than vague reassurances. If you want to be really meta you can use Chat GPT or Claude to help you create the audit template!
🧠 Invest in upskilling programs that focus on uniquely human capabilities like emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving, and critical thinking. Skills that complement rather than compete with AI.
🌈 Ensure diverse representation on all AI implementation teams to prevent algorithmic bias and create more equitable outcomes.
📊 Create skills assessments that map current employee capabilities against future-focused competencies, then use the results to design personalized development pathways.
👥 Challenge executives to identify which aspects of their own roles could be automated, creating personal investment in developing human-centered AI transition strategies throughout the organization.
☕The break room
What’s your take?
📚Additional reading
Human Readsources
🏢 AT&T CEO: Return to Office or Leave (HR Grapevine) - AT&T CEO demands full office return or employee resignation.
🤖 Meta Tests AI-Assisted Technical Interviews for Engineers (HR Grapevine) - Meta tests AI-assisted technical interviews for software engineering candidates.
👶 FMLA's 50/75 Rule: Overlooked Eligibility Requirement (HR Dive) - Many employers waive FMLA's 50/75 rule for equity reasons.
That’s it for today.
Thanks for reading to the end and we hope today’s edition sparked some new ideas for your workplace! 🧠
We know you’re super busy and really appreciate you saving some room for us in your inbox 😀
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