2024 Debrief: Boldly Shaping Work and Leading Responsibly Into 2025

Welcome back, leaders! After some well-deserved time to pause and recharge, it feels like the perfect moment to reflect on everything we’ve seen, learned, and achieved over the past year.

2024 was a whirlwind. From the rise of generative AI to nuanced conversations around workforce transformation, the pace of innovation was relentless. And while the world grappled with big questions about the future of work, we at Reejig doubled down on one core belief: there’s no such thing as wasted potential—only untapped opportunities.

Let’s dive into the milestones, trends, and insights that shaped our journey—and the industry—this past year.

2024 in the HR, Technology, and AI Industry

The past year saw major developments that reshaped the landscape of workforce technology:

• The Rise of Task-Based Workforce Strategies: Organizations started breaking roles into tasks, enabling them to align work more closely with specific skills and automation opportunities. As a result, everyone began to follow our lead, leading to the wide-scale adoption of our Work Ontology (Reejig).
• Generative AI Took Center Stage: Generative AI transformed talent strategies, from hiring to upskilling, but it also raised critical questions about bias and ethical use. (Deloitte)
• The Push for AI Governance: As the EU’s AI Act gained momentum, companies began adopting independent audits to ensure transparency and accountability in their AI systems. (Deloitte)
• A Global Reskilling Imperative: With rapid advancements in automation, global companies invested heavily in reskilling their workforce to prepare for AI-driven transformations. (The Hans India)
• Independent Ethical AI Audits Became the Norm: Businesses began demanding clear proof of fairness, inclusivity, and ethical practices in their AI solutions, setting a new industry standard. (Deloitte)

These shifts underscored one undeniable truth: AI is no longer just a tool—it’s a driving force for how work gets done.

Reejig in 2024: Pioneering Workforce Intelligence

At Reejig, we made significant strides toward transforming workforce strategies and empowering leaders to navigate the complexities of AI. Here’s what we accomplished:

• Workforce Reinvention Blueprints: Drawing on 41 million unique data points, we released blueprints for 23 industries, giving leaders the framework to anticipate workforce shifts, understand task-level impacts, and implement bold yet sustainable reskilling strategies.
• People Leader Summit with Forbes: Together with Forbes, we convened leading HR executives to explore the balance between innovation and ethical responsibility in the AI era.
• Announced Key Senior Appointments to Accelerate U.S. Expansion: Reejig hired Lynne Oldham , Amy Wilson , and Nuno Gonçalves to drive workforce transformation, accelerate U.S. expansion, and advance our mission of Zero Wasted Potential through bold and responsible workforce strategies.
• Launched our Advanced Intelligence Powered by our Work Ontology™ and Independently Audited Ethical AI: Our workforce intelligence equips organizations to navigate this new landscape, helping them embrace AI while ensuring everyone has access to meaningful work.
• The Beyond Skills Event: In partnership with The Learning Forum and Brian Hackett, we brought together leaders from Microsoft, Estée Lauder, Mastercard, Cisco, Colgate-Palmolive, and more to have conversations about redefining skills vs. tasks and exploring AI’s true role in workforce strategy in NYC.
• Skills Masterclass Series: Alongside Mike Reed , we unbundled work across 7 industries—tech, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, finance, education, and hospitality—breaking down roles into tasks and skills to deliver actionable roadmaps for workforce optimization, AI implementation, and reskilling pathways.
• Skills Connect Podcast: The Skills Connect Podcast brought together bold and responsible change-makers like Jacinta Newman, Sally Elson , Lynne Oldham, Kay Smart, Nuno Gonçalves, Dr. Shujia Zhang, and Gordon Ritchie to explore reinventing work, integrating AI, boosting productivity, tackling the reskilling crisis, and fostering a transformative mindset for the future of work.
• Conferences We Saw You At: We attended the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference in Orlando, where I spoke on the distinction between tasks and skills in workforce design for the AI era and was a guest on the Capital H Podcast with Kyle Forrest from Deloitte. We also attended the Unleash Conference in Las Vegas, hosting fireside chats at Camp Reejig and connecting with global leaders.

2025 Predictions: What Lies Ahead

Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a defining year. The pace of change in AI, workforce intelligence, and business strategy will demand bold leadership, deep adaptability, and a commitment to ethics and equity. Here’s where the industry is heading:

• Autonomous Agents Will Lead the Way: 2025 will mark the rise of true autonomous agents—not just AI workflows mislabeled as agents—driving seamless user experiences and transforming employee engagement. As front-end engagement declines, agents will handle entire workflows.
• The Evolution of Workforce DNA: Organizations will integrate fixed employees, flex workers, and digital workers into a unified workforce model. Tasks, not roles, will emerge as the most valuable data point, driving decisions on automation and efficiency.
• Reskilling as a Social Imperative: The rapid pace of AI-driven transformation will demand widespread reskilling initiatives. Governments and organizations alike will face mounting pressure to address skill gaps and prepare workers for emerging industries.
• Ethical AI Takes Center Stage: Companies will come under scrutiny for the fairness, bias, and inclusivity of their AI systems. Boards and CEOs will face public accountability for the societal impacts of their AI implementations.
• Education Systems Will Transform: The limitations of traditional education models will become more evident, leading to a global push for learning systems that prioritize task-level skills and prepare students for AI-driven economies.
• Billion-Dollar Companies with Lean Workforces: AI-driven efficiency will enable organizations to achieve extraordinary financial success with fewer than 100 employees, reshaping traditional notions of corporate size and scale.
• The Rise of Digital Factories: Sectors such as manufacturing, consumer goods, and automotive will embrace digital factories, driving productivity and sustainability in unprecedented ways.
• A Chaotic Adoption Landscape: 2025 will bring stark contrasts in performance as companies either embrace AI, experiment cautiously, or resist adoption altogether. The gap between leaders and laggards will widen significantly.
• The AI Bubble and Workforce Tensions: As AI hype peaks, companies will face backlash from workers left behind in the reskilling race, creating resentment and societal challenges. Meanwhile, AI-savvy employees will see their value skyrocket, demanding better pay and balance.
• Sustainability and ESG in Focus: Sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities will become non-negotiable as organizations align AI initiatives with broader social and environmental goals.
• Governments and Universal Minimum Wage: Policymakers will seriously consider universal minimum wages to address economic shifts spurred by AI adoption, further highlighting the societal impact of this transformation.
• Demand for New Roles: Agent managers, AI operators, and trainers will emerge as critical roles within organizations as businesses learn to operate and optimize their new AI ecosystems.

These trends are not just challenges; they are opportunities for leaders to differentiate themselves. The bold will seize the moment to lead responsibly, adapt quickly, and create a future defined by equity, innovation, and meaningful work.