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As the AI era accelerates, some leaders have predicted a wipeout for entry-level white-collar jobs. I understand these concerns as unemployment rates rise for U.S. college graduates. But cutting early-in-career (EIC) talent isnt a transformation strategy. Its the start of a slow-motion collapse. AI is fundamentally changing how we work. People will increasingly oversee more AI agents, changing the way we think about teams. Business leaders must shape whats nextnot shrink from it. From job elimination to job evolution EIC employees are AI natives who are already leading the transformation. They intuitively engage with tech, bring creative agility, and have the curiosity needed to thrive in fast-changing environments. According to the World Economic Forum, job loss between 2025 and 2030 will be more than offset by new roles, leading to a net gain of 78 million jobs. As some roles and tasks phase out, new ones emerge that require skills like AI and data fluency, creative thinking, resilience, and curiosity. If we dont protect and modernize the EIC pipeline, we risk widening the skill gaps and stalling the impact and ROI of AI solutions. EIC talent will be tomorrows leaders, so we need to build pathways for them today. The demographic and leadership imperatives The talent pipeline is narrowing just as the pace of transformation is accelerating. U.S. birth rates are declining. Fewer 18-year-olds are entering the workforce. Higher education costs are skyrocketing, and many high school graduates are choosing two-year and technical degrees or trade jobs. That makes every EIC hire even more valuable. HR leaders help define the structure of the workforce and manage payrollthe largest line on the profit and loss statementso where we invest matters. EIC roles are often the smartest entry point for workforce planning. We need to build AI-first cultures rooted in continuous learning, with roles that fuel business and personal growth. That means doubling down on equipping early-career talent with the skills, creativity, and adaptability to lead AI-powered organizations. And our succession pipelines must prioritize leadership capabilities like AI fluency, orchestration, and human-centered change management. That means focusing on these key steps: Reimagine strategic workforce planning As leaders, we must identify the skills AI wont replace and the skills that matter most to our businessesfrom programming and UX design to collaboration, creative problem solving, and empathy. Then we should map those skills to evolving roles. For example, if AI handles research, an entry-level role could evolve into a prompt engineer or curator. Other future roles could include AI safety and ethics coordinators and AI agent trainers for front line workers. Design new rotations and exposure Companies that invest in internships build future-ready talent pipelines. Internships today are table stakes. To stand out, we need to build rotational programs, apprenticeships, and real-world experiences that give EIC hires exposure across the business. Reverse mentoring, for example, could give EIC talent a chance to connect directly with senior leaders, while giving those leaders a window into AI-native thinking. The goal is to retain top talent by creating a culture of growth, mobility, and connection. With clear goals, meaningful work, strong managers, and real learning experiences, EIC talent has the chance to thrive and drive innovation. At ServiceNow, 95.6% of our interns accepted our full-time offers in 2024, proof of meaningful investment. Embrace AI-first learning for growth and retention Retaining top talent, especially early-in-career talent, starts with listening followed by meaningful action. Sixty-five percent of EIC workers say theyd stay at least four years at a company if it offered robust development opportunities. We need to show EIC talent how they can grow, and design learning that matches their curiosity. EIC employees expect learning to be personalized, bite-sized, and built into the workflow. Thats why we launched ServiceNow Universityto train our employees and the broader technology ecosystem. Its working: EIC hires at ServiceNow have a 7% lower attrition rate in their first two years than their peers. The long game: Invest in young talent and AI Leaders dont need to decide between cutting costs and investing in the future. They can do both when they focus on transforming the workforce. Organizations that lead with intentionthose that rethink roles, invest in AI enablement, and reimagine EIC talentwill attract the best minds and shape the next era of innovation. We all have a lot to learn in this new world, and we should evolve our strategies as we go. But EIC employees are essential. Their fluency with technology, drive to learn, and creative edge are exactly what we need to build the future. We cant afford to sideline them. Committing to EIC talent will require a lot of hard work and vision, but with the right strategy, it is possible. Jacqui Canney is chief people and AI enablement officer at ServiceNow.
Category:
E-Commerce
There is a very real anxiety around automation, especially in Americawhere once-thriving communities have been gutted by waves of displacement, offshoring, and the unchecked application of technology. The narrative around manufacturing automation has long been framed as a zero-sum game: Either humans do the work, or machines do. But that binary thinking is outdated and dangerous. Not only does it threaten millions of livelihoods, but it jeopardizes innovation and efficiency. It overlooks a more powerful and sustainable vision for manufacturings future, one where AI empowers people instead of replacing them. AI is key to a more resilient workforce and more competitive industries. And when people leverage manufacturing intelligence platforms, they can outperform full automation. Manufacturing at the crossroads Americas manufacturing sector is at a crossroad. On one hand, we face a growing shortage of skilled labor amid major sector growth. Companies are announcing new factories in the United States every month, but the National Association of Manufacturers projects that by 2030, more than two million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled due to a lack of qualified workers. On the other hand, were in the middle of an extraordinary wave of technological advancementAI, augmented reality, robotics, and more. By using AI to make expertise more accessible, repeatable, and scalable, we can build a more efficient and safer workforceand actually fill our empty jobs. Today’s factory jobs are more art than science, where years of built-up knowledge are critical to getting things done the right way. They rely on software, sensors, and split-second subjective decisions. But the tools on the factory floor havent evolved past a checklist and a hope. Were asking workers to operate with 20th-century instructions in a 21st-century environment. Manufacturing intelligence platforms aid operators Empowerment in a 21st-century environment starts with manufacturing intelligence platforms. It involves equipping operators with the context and support they need to thrive on the factory floor. A new hire should be able to perform a task with the confidence of a 10-year veteran. Seasoned workers should be free to focus on high-value tasks where their expertise has the greatest impact. And those on the frontline of work should have the tools and agency to shape the future of AIimagining potent use cases no boardroom could conceive. This vision is not just better for operators. Its better for business. The most forward-thinking companies arent chasing full automation. Theyre investing in tools that help their people work smarter, faster, and with more precision. They recognize that machines cant replicate everything humans do. The real opportunity lies in upskilling and empowering people, not replacing them. And this vision is better for national competitiveness. As stress on global supply chains intensifies, the United States faces a defining challenge: to rebuild and reimagine industrial strength. The future of American manufacturing depends on revolutionary efficiency and innovation for the people actually doing the work. Human adaptability is a competitive advantage, not a liability, and human intelligence enhances artificial intelligence just as much as the reverse. To deliver that efficiency where it matters most and truly expand domestic capacity, we need to harness the power of AI to accelerate human potential. Make progress Theres a broader economic and cultural truth here, too. Manufacturing isnt just about making things. Its about making progress. And progress requires us to unlock the full capabilities of our people. Americas strength in the 20th century didnt come from labor automation. It came from the transformation of it. From the GI Bill to labor protections to the rise of technical education, we invested in our people. And now, as we enter a new industrial era, we have a chance to do it again. This time with smarter tools, more connected systems, and a deeper understanding of what humans are best at: problem solving, adaptability, and creativity. The new industrial revolution is about expanding human potential. Lets empower and accelerate. Devin Bhushan is founder and CEO of Squint.
Category:
E-Commerce
When people envision the future of work, they picture cleaner dashboards, sleeker interfaces, and smarter notifications. But here’s what teams actually need: software that doesn’t just help them manage work, it executes the work. Over the past two decades, we’ve built robust systems to track, assign, and visualize tasks, and they’ve transformed how teams operate. But even the most organized teams still face the same fundamental challenge: They’re managing work, not eliminating it. That’s precisely where AI opens up entirely new possibilities. There’s a category of invisible work that quietly drains teams: formatting data, logging updates, preparing follow-ups, and building workflow skeletons before real work begins. These repetitive, nonstrategic tasks don’t show up in retros or roadmaps, but they consume hours each week and hinder team productivity. AI’s breakthrough isn’t in flashy productivity features. It’s in solving the invisible work problem and giving teams their time back. From work management to work execution We’re witnessing the next evolution in how software integrates into work. The systems that have successfully managed tasks are now ready to execute them. This advancement, from work management to work execution, is powered by AI that’s embedded, context-aware, and proactive. Not assistants waiting for commands, but agents that anticipate needs and act autonomously. At monday.com, we know how work really happens across nearly every industry. We’ve seen what drives teams forward and what slows them down. This evolution isn’t about replacing what works; it’s about taking it further. Let teams focus on strategy, creativity, and high-impact thinking while AI handles the operational work that currently requires manual effort. The most transformative AI won’t live in standalone chatbots. It’ll be woven into the platforms teams already use, quietly listening for intent and acting before people know what to ask for. Getting this right requires rethinking some fundamentals: AI should be outcome-first, not feature-first. Teams want results, not more buttons to click. It must be accessible to nontechnical users. With most of our customers identifying as nontechnical, complexity is the enemy of adoption. It should reduce friction, not create more. Every interaction should move work forward, not sideways. That’s what separates useful AI from merely impressive AI. When customers can describe their needs in plain language and instantly get complete, functional solutions, that’s the next frontier of software creation. We’re advancing toward a world where software adapts even more precisely to the customer, building on the foundation of what already works. The new standard Across industries and company sizes, teams want more than AI features. They want AI that understands intent and delivers complete, tailored solutions from a single prompt. They expect software that doesn’t just support work, but actively drives it forward. This transformation is already underway, and the direction is unmistakable: Software is no longer just a system of record; it’s becoming a system of action. The winners won’t be the companies that add the most AI features. They’ll be the ones that build intelligence so deeply into the fabric of work that it becomes invisiblepersonalized, intuitive, and genuinely helpful. We’re just beginning to understand what work looks like when intelligent systems become true collaborators, not just sophisticated calculators. But one thing is sure: The future belongs to platforms that don’t just manage work, they take it to the next level by executing it. Daniel Lereya is chief product and technology officer at monday.com.
Category:
E-Commerce
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