Workforce transformation is in a state of flux.
We’re caught up in buzzwords like ‘employee experience,’ while the way work gets done is rapidly evolving. Organizations are focused on skills, but the pressure for results has never been higher.
Meanwhile, AI is shifting the landscape of who does the work—and how.
In this episode of Skills Connect, Reejig CEO Siobhan Savage speaks with Jason Averbook, Senior Partner at Mercerand a leader in HR tech innovation. With decades of experience, Jason reveals why businesses are still stumbling over outdated HR strategies, and what they must do to integrate AI, redesign workflows, and build a future-ready workforce.
Too often, change is treated as something to manage, delay, or delegate. But in a world that’s shifting systemically—across work, government, education, and humanity—standing still is the real risk.
Organizations need to get off the barge and onto the jet ski. That means mindset shifts first—toolsets second.
Takeaway: Stop fearing change. Start building for it.
Job codes, FTEs, and salary bands still dominate workforce planning—but they don’t reflect how work actually happens.
The real opportunity lies in understanding the building blocks of work—so we can redesign roles, reassign work, and reimagine what people + AI can do together.
Takeaway: Map your work at the task level. That’s where transformation starts.
Without the right data, workforce decisions are guesswork. And most orgs are still operating in the dark.
It’s not about headcount. It’s about capability. And without a clear view of what work is being done and who’s doing it, strategy breaks.
Takeaway: Make people decisions based on evidence—not legacy org charts.
Generative AI isn’t magic. It runs on data—and most companies don’t have the foundations in place.
Whether it’s Microsoft Copilot or internal AI models, outcomes are only as good as the data they’re built on. Garbage in, garbage out.
Takeaway: Good AI starts with clean, contextual, and connected data.
Digital transformation has nothing to do with software—it’s about shifting the way people think, work, and design for the future.
The organizations that win won’t just implement AI. They’ll embody it—shaping how humans and machines team up, not just coexist.
Takeaway: Don’t adopt AI. Live it. And start with purpose, not platform.
The CHRO of the future won’t be a compliance manager or policy gatekeeper. They’ll be a Chief Work Designer—breaking down silos, rethinking roles, and orchestrating human + AI capability at scale.
Whether you’re a bold early adopter or still getting your data house in order, the message is clear: This isn’t about five-year plans. It’s about five-day momentum. The world is changing. And now’s the time to choose how you lead.