Job Market Shifts

Recent data from LinkedIn reveals that 50% of job applicants are inclined not to work in the office full time, and 40% of current employees would consider quitting if forced to return full-time. Despite this, the number of job listings offering remote work has decreased significantly, leading to an ongoing tension between companies and employees regarding remote work and returning to the office.     In his recent FastCompany article, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky delves into strategies for navigating this evolving landscape. Gleb opposes a one-size-fits-all approach and recommends adopting a team-led model. In this model, management collaborates with teams to customize office arrangements based on their unique requirements. He emphasizes the importance of open dialogues with employees about the purpose of the office and aligning on its role. This kind of flexibility and openness is at the root of the approach we’re taking within my own team.    To cultivate workspaces that foster both productivity and individual growth, we must prioritize things like collaboration, social interaction, mentorship, and team cohesion within the office. By actively listening to employees and adopting a thoughtful approach, we can find the most successful #HybridWork solution. 

For anyone who says young college graduates aren't facing an unusually weak labor market — show them this chart. This chart tracks unemployment rate percentiles by education for workers aged 16–34, using 24-month moving averages from the Current Population Survey (2003–2026). Why percentiles? Normal unemployment rates vary dramatically across education groups. Percentiles let us compare every group on the same scale: how unusual is your current situation relative to your own history? For most of the past two decades, these lines moved together. Through the Great Recession, the recovery, the pre-COVID tightening, and the pandemic spike, education groups rose and fell roughly in sync. Starting around 2022, they diverge dramatically — and they haven't converged back. Young workers without a bachelor's degree have dropped into the low 20s or teens — historically tight conditions. Young workers with a bachelor's sit at the 63rd percentile. Advanced degree holders are at 67. That spread is very unusual. The lines used to move together. They don't anymore. What's driving this? AI is part of it — technology is compressing headcount for junior positions in knowledge-work sectors that disproportionately employ college graduates. But I think it's more than AI. The share of young people with a bachelor's degree has been growing rapidly. At some point, supply outpaces what the market needs. We may have crossed that point. Same with master’s degrees. There is a large group of thought leaders, the angels of wishful thinking, who tell us not to worry. Nothing unusual is happening right now. They are wrong. If you're a young worker with a bachelor's or graduate degree, you're facing conditions that are, by your own group's standards, soft. According to everything I hear about the class graduating next month, they will only get softer. Avoiding this hard reality is not going to help anyone. Source: Current Population Survey #labormarkets #highered #AI #futureofwork #careers #recruitment

🌟 2025-2028: An era of transformation for #CISOs Based on discussions with numerous cyber professionals in the #US 🇺🇸 and #Europe 🇪🇺, I believe the next three years will be defining for my #CISO friends and clients. The role of Chief Information Security Officers will undergo profound changes. Let's delve into four pivotal shifts: 1️⃣ Skyrocketing salaries 💵: The ongoing talent shortage and the still-less-than-glamorous appeal of the #cybersecurity sector will drive salaries through the roof. The job's immense pressure and the need to prepare for personal cyber-liability insurance coverage (when not covered by D&O insurance policies) will further fuel this trend. Additionally, expect increased scrutiny by regulators around CISO equity and bonuses💰 to ensure CISOs remain motivated to report incidents transparently. 2️⃣ Splitting the #CISO Role 👥: The system of lines of defense is gaining popularity across all sectors, not just finance. Many CISOs are shifting to a second-line role focused on strategy, risk management, and assurance/testing 🔎. Consequently, we're seeing the emergence of technology-focused CISOs under the #CIO, responsible for execution. For years, we've debated whether the CISO should report to the risk officer or the CIO. Now, it's both... with two distinct individuals 📈 3️⃣ #CISO Stratification 🧭: Companies are increasingly choosing their CISOs based on their current cybersecurity posture. Post-incident? They call in crisis CISOs to manage the fallout🔥 Facing regulatory pressure? They hire remediation CISOs to build large-scale cybersecurity plans. In stable times, BaU CISOs keep things running smoothly. This shift is creating clear tiers within the profession, with distinct profiles emerging 👥 - and driving faster turnover as organizations switch leaders to fit the moment. It’s especially true in U.S. banks, where the average CISO tenure is now just 30 months! 4️⃣ Evolution to #CSO: Cybersecurity functions are increasingly overlapping with other security domains like product security, e-fraud, IT risk, and operational resilience 🌐. Businesses are demanding more coherence in security practices, and some areas like #InsiderThreat are managed inconsistently. In the next three years, we'll likely see key services extending beyond cybersecurity, such as Fusion Centers (an evolution of SOCs🔎) and Business Intelligence (an extension of #ThreatIntelligence). The good news is that the CSO is now perfectly positioned to integrate #IAM, which has been neglected for years in the organization ;-) These predictions are not just about salary or minor changes but signal a paradigm shift in how we perceive and value the role of cybersecurity leaders 📈. #CISOs are not just tech guardians; they are strategic business enablers and risk managers! Let's watch these predictions unfold in the next three years and prepare to support our CISO community! 🎯 #GetReady #Transformation

The other day, the Company Zoom dropped their latest global survey, shedding light on how work evolves. The survey cements how hybrid work is becoming the preferred choice worldwide, with western europe with highest adoption rate (75%). 🤯 Zoom does make an eye-opening debunking of the long-held belief that full-time, in-office work is best for fostering strong organizational connections: * Hybrid work has emerged as the dominant model, with 83% of employees reporting higher productivity in hybrid or remote environments than in-office settings. 👀The real eye-opener: * 82% of hybrid workers feel more connected to their teams and managers. For real estate executives, these shifts raise critical questions. With the majority of leaders focusing on boosting productivity, and 83% of employees claiming they get more done in a hybrid setup, the demand for traditional office space may continue to decline. Additionally, 75% of employees believe that current remote work tools need improvement, and 72% call for new technologies, highlighting the importance of adaptable, tech-enabled work environments. Generative AI is also playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of work. Already in use by 94% of leaders, AI is seen as a significant driver of productivity and job efficiency. A previous analysis made by McKinsey & Company revealed that some industries will be more impacted by AI than others, with for example Law Firms topping the list. Still, most companies work synchronously. I predict that the next big frontier is focus on learning to work more asynchronously. This shift will help eliminate the inefficiency of back-to-back hybrid meetings, allowing employees to reclaim valuable time and focus on meaningful work. Making Hybrid work… work.

New! We analyzed a billion job postings globally, and the results may surprise you: job numbers and wages are rising. Let’s dive in. For the second year running, the 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer from PwC shows that productivity and wages are not just rising, they’re accelerating, even in roles that are most amenable to automation. Our research spans six continents and includes data from 24 countries and territories. 💭 100% of industries are expanding their usage of AI (even industries less obviously exposed to AI such as mining and construction) 📊 Since 2022 when awareness of AI's power surged, productivity growth in industries best positioned to adopt AI has nearly quadrupled (while falling slightly in industries least exposed to AI) 3️⃣ Industries most able to use AI have 3x higher growth in revenue generated by each employee  🪙 Workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium (up from 25% last year) ⚒️ Skills sought by employers are changing 66% faster in occupations most exposed to AI (like financial analyst) versus least exposed (like physical therapist) – up from 25% last year . AI continues to act as an amplifier of human expertise — not a replacement for it, despite what the headlines might suggest. The prime example being that job growth is occurring even in roles where "automation" is playing the biggest role (like customer service and software engineering). Job cuts and doomerism make headlines, but job creation takes longer to materialize and to be recognized. It’s the difference between weather and climate, and why we call this report a "barometer". As the shifting sands of the past two years begin to settle into clearer patterns, there’s never been a better time to dive in, get hands-on, and lead your teams through this transformation. Link to the full report below.

Entry-level jobs now demand 3 years of experience! Internships are unpaid! And salaries? They won’t even cover your rent in a metro city. For years, we’ve been told, "Get a degree, and you’ll land a good job.” But the reality? It’s nothing like we imagined. 📌 41% of freshers earn less than ₹8L/year 📌 3% of freshers earn more than ₹30L annually 📌 Many freshers work 60-70 hours per week, far beyond legal limits A decade ago, companies hired freshers and trained them from scratch. They invested in their learning, skill-building, and career growth. But today? They expect freshers to be job-ready from day one. No training, no handholding; just work. Why is this happening? 1. Over-Supply of Talent: Millions of graduates enter the job market every year, but there aren’t enough jobs to absorb them all. Companies take advantage of this by offering low pay and demanding free work. 2. Skill Gaps: What colleges teach ≠ what companies need. Freshers are often underprepared for real-world work, forcing them to take unpaid internships just to gain basic experience. 3. Cost-Cutting by Companies: Hiring freshers, training them, and paying them fairly costs money. Instead, many companies look for ready-made talent, often at the lowest possible salary. 4. Changing Job Market: AI, automation, and tech shifts have made companies prioritise experienced professionals over training fresh grads. So, what can you do? 🚀Build skills beyond your degree: Certifications, side projects, and internships can make you stand out. 🚀Work on your online presence: A solid LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or even content can help you attract better opportunities. 🚀Network strategically: The hidden job market is real. Many good jobs are never even posted online. 🚀Don’t settle too fast: Negotiate your salary. Research market trends. Your first job sets the foundation for your career. No one is coming to train you from scratch anymore. If you want better opportunities, you have to create them. Thoughts?💡

When you look at the data, AI is clearly not diminishing human labor, but redefining and enhancing it across the board. PwC's new 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer draws on nearly a billion job ads and thousands of financial reports to show that AI is boosting productivity, increasing wages, and evolving roles, even those most susceptible to automation. The report is well worth a look. Here are some of the standout findings: 📈 AI-exposed industries see 3x faster productivity growth. Industries most able to use AI achieved a 27% growth in revenue per employee between 2018–2024, compared to just 8.5% in the least exposed sectors. 💰 AI boosts wages—especially for those with skills. Workers with AI skills earn, on average, 56% more than their peers in the same roles without such skills. This wage premium has grown from 25% just a year ago, signaling rising demand and perceived value for AI capabilities. 📊 Wage growth outpaces in AI-heavy sectors. Wages grew 2x faster in industries most exposed to AI (16.7%) compared to the least exposed (7.9%) from 2018–2024. Contrary to fears, even highly automatable jobs are seeing wage gains, suggesting AI is augmenting rather than replacing human value. 🚺 Women dominate AI-exposed roles—creating both promise and risk. In every country studied, women hold a greater share of AI-exposed jobs than men, with superior scope for augmentation as well as automation. 🧠 AI accelerates a “skills earthquake.” The skills required in AI-exposed jobs are changing 66% faster than in less exposed roles—more than 2.5x the pace of change last year. This is especially dramatic in automatable jobs, suggesting roles are evolving toward higher complexity and value. 🎓 Degrees matter less in an AI-driven job market. Degree requirements have declined more steeply for AI-exposed jobs, as companies prioritize up-to-date skills over formal credentials. This may reflect the “democratization of expertise,” where AI helps workers acquire and apply expert knowledge rapidly. 🧑💻 Automatable jobs are being upskilled, not eliminated. Despite being most vulnerable to automation, automatable roles are experiencing faster wage growth and greater skills disruption than augmentable ones. These jobs are being reshaped toward more complex, judgment-based tasks that demand higher capabilities. 🏭 AI job demand surges across all sectors—even traditional ones. The share of job postings requiring AI skills is growing in every industry, including low-tech sectors like agriculture and construction. 🧑🤝🧑 CEOs see AI as a people-powered value engine. 70% of global CEOs expect AI to transform value creation in their companies, and 82% say it hasn’t reduced headcount. Workers agree: 70% of GenAI users report more creativity, learning, and quality in their work, showing AI is enhancing—not eroding—human potential.

Graduates are having a hard time finding jobs. And of course, AI is to blame. Or is it? What if the issue isn’t just technology replacing entry-level roles? What if we have more graduates than the labor market actually needs? 📊 According to UNESCO, the number of college graduates has more than doubled in the past 20 years. 🎓 But the number of degree-requiring jobs? Not even close. In the past decade, we’ve seen diploma inflation—as more people earned degrees, employers raised entry-level requirements. And now we’re flipping the script: We're shifting toward skills-based hiring. New grads are entering a workforce where: – Fewer roles require a degree – Skills, more than credentials, are the new job currency – An uncertain economic outlook slows hiring demand – And yes, AI is automating parts of the jobs they trained for So, is AI really the disruptor? Or are we seeing a deeper mismatch between education, skills, and work? Let me be clear: I’m a strong believer in education. Degrees open doors, expand minds, and create long-term opportunity. Young people should absolutely continue to pursue higher learning. But we also need to be honest about what a job really requires: – A degree alone is no longer a ticket to stable employment – Sometimes, experience and skills matter more For graduates, it’s devastating when they've done everything “right”, they've earned a degree and still can’t land a job. The world of work is shifting. Our hiring practices are evolving. Now it's time to close the gap between what we teach and what work truly demands. As employers, educators, and HR leaders, we have a role to play: - Let’s be clearer about what jobs require. - Let’s build better bridges between learning and earning. What’s your take? Are we preparing graduates for the reality of today’s job market? And what can we do—together—to help them get started and get ahead? #futureofwork #HR #ai

The rapid evolution of technology and the growing influence of AI in the workplace have intensified competition for top talent. Organizations are under increasing pressure to rethink their hiring strategies, and skills-based hiring is gaining significant momentum. Yet many companies remain anchored to outdated degree requirements when sourcing candidates — a practice that not only limits their talent pool but actively undermines their ability to compete. A recent study by the Burning Glass Institute highlights the scale of this missed opportunity: workers with non-degree credentials represent 58% of the workforce, yet they are routinely overlooked and systematically screened out during the hiring process. The same study points to a growing number of forward-thinking firms that are doing things differently. Companies like LinkedIn, Nordic Global, and Procore Technologies consistently incorporate credentials into their job postings and hiring decisions — linking specific certifications to business-critical skills. HubSpot, for instance, prioritizes Inbound Marketing certification, while Infosys values AWS Architect credentials. This approach allows them to hire with greater precision and access talent their competitors miss. The benefits extend well beyond organizational performance. Credential-based hiring creates meaningful economic opportunity, particularly for historically underrepresented groups. Research shows that women gain an average of $1,600 in annual wages through credentialing, while men see gains of $916 — making it a powerful tool for companies committed to advancing equity in hiring. The bottom line is straightforward: in an era where technical skills can become obsolete in months, companies need smarter, more dynamic ways to assess capability. Organizations that develop “credential fluency” — the ability to identify, validate, and hire based on quality credentials — will consistently access talent that others overlook.

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀. Across industries, roles are being redesigned, not eliminated. The question is no longer “𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵?” but “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴?” When AI automates routine tasks, what’s left isn’t less work... it’s different work. • It demands new skills. • It challenges old identities. • It forces organisations to re-draw the boundaries between human and machine. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 See clearly what’s human, what’s machine, what’s shared. 𝟮. 𝗥𝗲-𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 Design partnerships, not replacements. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 Help employees find meaning in new versions of their work. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 Ensure AI enhances trust, not erode it. 𝟱. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁 Because productivity without meaning won’t sustain. The future of work isn’t about defending old jobs. It’s about re-imagining new ones. #DrJaclynLee #FutureOfWork #AIinHR #RoleRedesign #StrategicHR #PeopleStrategy