Why career reinvention can’t be left to chance

AI is not just transforming organisations; it is reshaping people’s working lives. For employees, the experience of disruption is often subtle and deeply personal. While headlines focus on transformation, the human stories behind the scenes highlight a need for meaningful reinvention at an individual level.

Our latest research report, The Reinvention Imperative, explores this emerging reality. Our data shows a gap between how organisations describe workforce change and how their people experience it. Nearly half of business leaders say AI has already influenced headcount decisions, but just 12% of laid-off candidates identify AI as the cause of their role loss. This perception gap delays readiness, deepens uncertainty, and slows recovery.

The emotional impact is tangible. Employees displaced by AI-related change are more likely to face extended transition periods, with their reemployment timelines sometimes twice as long as those whose layoffs had different causes. Most find themselves rethinking not just their next move, but their entire professional identity.

This context provides an interesting perspective on Gallup’s recent State of the Global Workplace 2025 report. According to Gallup, global employee engagement has declined sharply, contributing to a drop in productivity and an increase in negative day-to-day work experiences, including stress, sadness, and disconnection. Managers are feeling the strain especially strongly as they are expected to lead through change while adapting to it themselves. Gallup identified “digital transformation and AI tools” among the factors driving these negative emotions.

This fall in engagement has a steep economic cost, which Gallup’s report estimates a US$438 billion in lost productivity.

Skills development for reinvention and resilience

Together, these insights offer a sobering but necessary view: reinvention is no longer an exception. It is a shared reality. While many individuals are embracing this change—more than 70% of LHH’s career transition candidates are actively developing AI-related skills—most are doing so independently. Just one in 10 career transition candidates reports receiving AI training from their employer.

This is the moment for organisations to step forward with intent and clarity.

When people are equipped to navigate change—with personalised guidance, skills-building support, and thoughtful coaching—the outcomes are stronger for everyone. Reinvention becomes less reactive and more strategic. Individuals move forward with confidence, not confusion. Organisations can also find ways to retain knowledge, energy, and capability that might otherwise be lost.

In this context, it is worrying that Gallup found that only 44% of people managers globally have received management training. Career transition candidates need frank assessments and advice from people they trust, and their manager will often be their first port of call. That means managers must be trained not only to deliver potentially bad news with frankness and tact, but also to help their people move forward with purpose.

In practice, this means that managers must be able to speak candidly with their team members about the impact of AI on their career transitions. People need to know if AI was a factor in their layoff so they can make informed decisions about their future; they also need guidance on how to use AI effectively in their transformation. Gallup’s research suggests that many managers are not currently equipped to have those conversations.

The Reinvention Imperative shares new data and practical insights to help organisations take the next steps in closing the AI skills gap, designing people-first pathways through change, and preparing their workforce—including managers—for what comes next.

This article is brought to you by LHH.

About LHH

LHH helps individuals, teams, and organisations find and prepare for what’s next in the world of work. We support clients’ needs throughout the talent journey, from recruitment to career transitions and leadership development. We empower organisations to expand their capabilities and employees to build brighter futures.