What happens when companies say they can’t find talent while millions of highly skilled people remain underutilized? Why are qualified doctors, engineers, and technologists still overlooked in a labor market desperate for talent?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Gregory Haile, CEO of Upwardly Global, Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, to explore the growing mismatch between labor shortages and hidden talent.

As demographic decline shrinks the traditional workforce pipeline, Gregory argues that the real problem is not simply a lack of talent, but outdated systems for recognizing it. The conversation explores how employers still rely on familiar credentials, networks, career paths, and signals of credibility that increasingly fail to reflect real capability. From internationally trained doctors driving taxis to highly skilled immigrants blocked by hiring systems they don’t understand, the episode uncovers how labor markets continue to overlook talent already available and ready to work.

Together, they discuss why AI could either widen or narrow access to opportunity, how skills-based hiring still struggles against old assumptions, and why continuous learning, critical thinking, and adaptability are becoming essential in a world where skills change faster than ever before.

If you’re trying to understand why companies struggle to find talent while capable people remain unseen — and how AI, demographics, and workforce redesign are reshaping who gets hired and who gets left behind — this episode explores the future of talent recognition itself.

https://youtu.be/1IPTF7sb5JE 

Guest Information:

Gregory Haile is a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of economic mobility, workforce innovation, and U.S. competitiveness. As CEO of Upwardly Global—the nation's leading organization advancing the integration of internationally trained professionals into the American workforce—he works to unlock overlooked talent at a moment when workforce shortages, demographic shifts, and global competition demand smarter, more inclusive talent strategies.

Greg also serves as Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the first educator to hold the role in 70 years, and as a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, where his research examines how economic mobility, workforce readiness, and AI intersect with U.S. national security and global competitiveness.

A former college president, corporate litigator, and advisor to businesses and governments, Greg brings a systems-level perspective across education, finance, public policy, and innovation.

Chapters:

00:00 Why Companies Can't Find Talent While Millions Remain Unemployed

03:20 Will Demographic Decline Create a Permanent Talent Shortage?

07:33 Why Employers Still Miss Qualified Talent

08:55 Can Skills-Based Hiring Replace Degrees and Credentials?

10:05 How To Get Hired When AI Screens Your Resume

12:08 What Human Skills Matter Most In An AI Economy?

14:35 Why Young Professionals Still Need To Learn Without AI

16:07 Which Hiring Assumptions No Longer Match Reality?

17:00 Why Your Network Still Determines Your Career Opportunities

18:15 Will Remote Work Expand Access To Global Talent?

19:04 Why Companies Overlook Talent Hiding In Plain Sight

22:01 Can AI Help Employers Recognize Hidden Talent?

23:08 How Labor Markets Must Change To Solve Talent Shortages

24:32 Why Qualified Doctors Still Can't Get Hired

27:39 The $40 Billion Cost Of Wasting Skilled Talent

29:30 How Can We Increase Productivity Without Sacrificing Meaningful Work?

What happens when every employee starts building their own AI second brain and performance is no longer defined by experience, but by the intelligence you build around yourself?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Brian Madden, Futurist at Citrix Systems, to explore how individuals are creating personal AI “second brains” that reshape how they think, decide, and get work done.

Together, they unpack how this is creating a new gap between employees, why capability is shifting from roles to human-AI combinations, and what it means when work moves from execution to orchestration.

If your best people are already building their own AI second brain, what does that mean for everyone else and for the organization trying to keep up?

https://youtu.be/YLw72rtP3Ms

Guest Information:

Brian Madden is a technology officer and futurist at Citrix, where he explores how AI is reshaping knowledge work. He writes regularly at citrix.com/blogs, discusses workplace AI on LinkedIn, and gives talks globally on the future of work. Brian has spent the past 31 years focusing on end-user computing, digital workplace trends, and the evolving nature of knowledge work. Along the way he's started and invested in companies, written six books, published more than 2,000 articles, and delivered over 1,000 talks around the world.

Links:

• Brian Madden | LinkedIn
• Explore the Enhanced Citrix Platform: Secure, Scalable, and High-Performing IT Solutions
• Brian Madden – Citrix Blogs

Why are so many organizations investing heavily in AI and still struggling to create meaningful business value from it?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Alex Bombeck, CEO of North Highland, to explore why AI is forcing companies to rethink the architecture of work itself.

As AI changes not just the tools people use but the work itself, Alex argues that organizations built for stability, predictability, governance, and functional silos are now struggling to adapt. The conversation explores why traditional operating models create friction, why leadership behaviors designed for control become barriers to innovation, and why companies cannot simply layer AI onto existing structures and expect transformation to happen.

Together, they discuss how organizations can redesign themselves to become “Built for AI,” including rethinking the relationship between people and work, classifying different types of work, shifting from functions to outcomes, and moving from rigid org charts toward more fluid mission-based teams. Alex explains why leaders must stop measuring activity and begin rewarding curiosity, experimentation, and people-led innovation in environments where the path to the outcome is no longer predefined.

If you’re trying to understand why AI transformation often stalls inside traditional organizations and what leaders actually need to redesign in order to create organizations that can continuously evolve, this episode explores what it really means to become Built for AI.

https://youtu.be/-LdE4yfIiQg 

Guest Information:

North Highland CEO Alex Bombeck advocates a people-centered approach that transforms organizational and operational processes, enterprise agility, and work cultures.

Since joining North Highland in 2014, Bombeck has led the firm in a variety of areas including digital and experience design, data and analytics, agile transformation, and North Highland’s revenue and growth strategy. He has also served as a member of North Highland’s board since 2018, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s board of directors since 2022.

Over the course of 15 years with Havas Worldwide, Bombeck served in several leadership roles including Chief Strategy Officer – Marketing Services, President – Havas Digital, President – CRM & Analytics, and Chief Digital Officer. In a client management capacity, Bombeck was previously Worldwide Account Director at IBM for 15 years, North American Digital Account Director at Intel for five years, and North American Digital Brand Director at multiple Diageo brands for seven years. He also oversaw the digital and direct marketing strategies of global brands such as BMW, Volvo, Charles Schwab, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Novartis, and Schering-Plough.

Bombeck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Vermont. He also completed the Executive Education Programs in Leadership Excellence and Accounting & Finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bombeck is a certified scrum master and product owner, co-author of Getting from Zero to Digital, a multiple Effie Award Finalist, and in 2017 he was named a top 25 global consultants by Consulting Magazine.

Chapters:

00:00 - Why Organizations Struggle To Become Built for AI
03:30 - Why AI Requires Organizational Redesign, Not Reorganization
06:06 - Why Job Descriptions and Task-Based Work Are Breaking
08:45 - From Org Charts to Outcome-Based Work
12:02 - The Hidden Organizational Taxes Slowing AI Transformation
14:28- How To Classify Work for the AI Era
19:01- Why AI Transformation Must Ignore Functional Silos
21:31- Where Leaders Should Start AI Transformation
26:38- The Practical Framework for Redesigning Work With AI
30:06- Why Traditional KPIs and Incentives No Longer Work
34:10— Why AI Transformation Depends on Leadership, Not Technology
37:16— Why AI Needs People-Led Innovation
40:05— What Will Count as Work in the Future?
41:46— Why Culture Determines AI Success 

What happens when AI moves beyond software and into the physical world—through robots and humanoid robots working alongside humans? How do organizations redesign work when machines don’t just support decisions, but actually execute tasks?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Burkhard Boeckem, Chief Technology Officer at Hexagon, to explore how “physical AI” is entering real-world workplaces from factories to autonomous systems.

They discuss how work is shifting from individual roles to human-machine systems, why trust becomes the central challenge when AI operates in physical environments, and what it takes to bridge the gap between what these technologies can do in theory and what actually works in practice.

https://youtu.be/X3xWDUFj1mk 

Guest Information:

Burkhard Boeckem is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Hexagon, where he leads the company’s innovation goals for a future shaped by autonomy, robotics, and spatial intelligence. Burkhard leads Hexagon’s technology evolution toward autonomous systems, integrating artificial intelligence, edge computing, LiDAR, and 5D digital twin capabilities into scalable technology platforms that support complex industrial ecosystems. Most recently, Burkhard started and set up the team that developed the company’s first humanoid robot, AEON, built for industry, launched in June 2025.

Links:

Hexagon's Robot Generation Report: https://hexagon.com/robotics/the-robot-generation

Chapters:

00:00 — What Is Physical AI In The Workplace?
01:26 — How Is Physical AI Different From Automation?
04:07 — What Will Humans Do When Robots Can Execute Tasks?
06:06 — Will Humanoid Robots Replace Factory Workers?
10:06 — Why Do Robots Need To Look Like Humans?
12:58 — How Would You Build An AI-First Factory?
14:38 — What Is The Human Role In AI-Powered Workplaces?
17:49 — How Are Companies Using Humanoid Robots Today?
20:31 — How AI And Robots Change Factory Workflows
22:18 — What Will It Feel Like To Work Alongside Robots?
25:26 — Why Is Trust The Biggest Challenge In Physical AI?
28:05 — Why Physical AI Is Harder Than Digital AI
31:29 — What Questions Should We Ask About The Future Of Work?
33:13 — How Should Schools Prepare Humans For AI And Robots?

What does it actually take to hire the best person for the job no matter where they are in the world?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Sagar Khatri, CEO and co-founder of Multiplier, to explore what’s really behind the promise of global hiring. The idea sounds simple: if talent exists everywhere, companies should be able to access it from anywhere. But in practice, most organizations still
don’t. Sagar explains why the challenge is no longer about possibility but about execution. From operational complexity to deeply ingrained habits, companies are still figuring out what it takes to actually hire across borders. The conversation also uncovers a shift in how companies engage talent. Moving beyond outsourcing and contract work, organizations are increasingly hiring globally as employees—especially in critical roles shaped by AI, where ownership, continuity, and intellectual property matter more than ever. And global hiring itself is evolving. It’s no longer just about accessing lower-cost talent. It’s becoming a way to access markets,
customers, and growth—changing how companies think about where work happens and why.

If you’re trying to understand the shift from moving people to work to moving work to people — and what it takes to actually make that happenת this episode gets to what’s actually changing, and what it takes to make it
real.

https://youtu.be/BDiPm87u0_Q

Guest Information:
Sagar Khatri, a visionary leader and entrepreneur, serves as the CEO and co-founder of Multiplier, a pioneering global employment solution empowering businesses to seamlessly hire, onboard, and compensate talent across 150+ countries. Motivated by his firsthand encounters with the complexities of international expansion in prior ventures, Sagar, alongside his co-founders, established Multiplier to redefine the employment landscape. Their mission is to simplify global workforce management, ensuring it's as effortless as managing local teams, while handling intricacies such as employment contracts, payroll, taxes, and benefits in compliance with local regulations.

Links:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagar-khatri-53529359/
Multiplier website: https://www.usemultiplier.com/

Chapters:
00:00 What Does It Mean To Hire Talent Anywhere In The World?
01:08 Are Companies Really Hiring Globally?
02:14 Why Is Work Still Tied To Location?
03:04 How Remote Work Changed Global Hiring
05:25 Why H-1B Costs Are Changing Hiring Strategy
08:23 What Actually Blocks Global Hiring Today?
09:02 Why Companies Are Still Afraid To Hire Internationally
10:11 Are Companies Moving Away From Gig Work?
10:59 Why AI Is Driving A Shift Back To Full-Time Employment
14:04 Why Companies Around The World Are Hiring In North America
15:30 How AI Is Changing Global Talent Flows
17:08 Can You Build A Global Company From Anywhere?
19:41 What Will The Workforce Look Like In The Age Of AI?
23:30 What Are Micro Enterprises And The “Atom Of Work”?
25:12 What Is The Most Important Question About The Future Of Work?
25:39 How Global Work Changes Careers, Companies, And Governments

What happens when employees can do more than their organizations allow? As AI takes on execution, people are gaining the ability to direct work, make decisions, and own outcomes. But most organizations are not built to absorb that shift.

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jared Spataro, Chief Marketing Officer, AI at Work at Microsoft, to explore the findings behind the 2026 Microsoft Work Trend Index—and the growing gap between individual capability and organizational readiness.

Together, they unpack what Microsoft calls “blocked agency,” the emerging reality where employees are ready to operate at a higher level but are held back by outdated structures, metrics, and management practices. The conversation explores how AI is shifting work from execution to decision-making, why the most advanced users sometimes choose not to use AI, and how “frontier professionals” are already redesigning work around agents.

Spataro shares what separates “frontier firms” from the rest, why organizational culture and management practices matter more than individual skill, and how both bottom-up experimentation and top-down leadership are required to unlock real value. He also offers a look at what’s already changing inside software development—and why that transformation is a preview of what’s coming across all knowledge work.

If you’re trying to understand why AI isn’t delivering the impact organizations expected—or what it will take to redesign work around it — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AI Is Expanding Employee Agency. Why Most Organizations Block It⁠⁠”, to explore these ideas further.  

https://youtu.be/F1T121bDMp4 

Guest Information:

Jared leads efforts to help every organization leverage AI to solve their unique business problems, reduce costs, and drive net-new value creation. Jared and his team conduct research to help predict and shape what the future of work and business will look like across industries, while also delivering new products and features within Copilot, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform. 

Links:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index 

Chapters:

00:00 – How AI Is Changing Work In 2026
01:48 – 2026 Microsoft Work Trend Index
02:43 – What Kind Of Work People Use AI For Today
04:01 – Who Are Frontier Professionals In AI
06:01 – Why The Best AI Users Know When Not To Use AI
06:55 – Will AI Hurt Learning And Skill Development At Work
08:35 – What Is Blocked Agency At Work
09:14 – Why Organizations Block AI Impact
10:38 – Can Managers Unlock AI Without Changing Culture
11:10 – How One Employee Can Change AI Culture At Work
13:06 – Why Fear Blocks AI Adoption In Organizations
14:57 – Why AI Training Alone Doesn’t Work
15:39 – What Is A Learning Organization In The Age Of AI
17:46 – What Are Frontier Firms Doing Differently With AI
18:09 – How AI Is Changing Jobs From Doers To Managers
20:26 – What Happens If Organizations Get AI Right
22:27 – Can Companies Transform Fast Enough For AI
23:39 – Why The Future Of Work Is Not About Efficiency

What really happens when AI enters a large organization? How does it reshape roles, skills, and work itself?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Maryjo Charbonnier, former Chief Human Resources Officer at Kyndryl, to explore what it actually takes to translate AI from strategy into workforce reality inside a large, complex organization undergoing transformation.

Drawing on her experience leading the transition of 80,000 employees through Kyndryl’s spin-off from IBM, Maryjo reframes AI not as a technology shift, but as a cultural and behavioral one.

Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping work by breaking work into tasks, workflows, and skill combinations that can be reassembled in new ways. The conversation dives into one of the hardest operational challenges organizations face today: understanding skills. From overwhelming amounts of data to building AI-powered systems that dynamically match people to work, Maryjo shares what it takes to move from job-based structures to skill-based deployment at scale.

If you’re leading AI transformation—or trying to understand how to align technology, people, and work in a system that no longer stands still—this conversation offers a grounded, inside look at what it takes to make it work.

https://youtu.be/kk7Ys5CpR1M

Guest Information:

Maryjo Charbonnier serves as Executive Advisor to Kyndryl, supporting customers in transforming their workforces in the age of AI. She was Kyndryl’s first Chief Human Resources Officer from its founding as an independent company in 2021 to March 2026, bringing extensive experience in global HR leadership and large corporate transformations.

Maryjo joined Kyndryl from Wolters Kluwer, a global provider of professional information, software solutions and services for professionals, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer since 2015. Prior to joining Wolters Kluwer, Maryjo served as Chief Human Resource Officer at Broadridge Financial Solutions for seven years. Earlier in her career, she was an HR executive in a variety of leadership roles at PepsiCo, including VP for Talent Sustainability for PepsiCo Foods Americas, a unit with $30 billion in revenues and more than 120,000 employees.

A native of the Detroit area, Maryjo is a graduate of Catholic University in Washington, DC, and earned her MBA at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She was named "CHRO of the Year” in 2019 and 2024.

Links:
Kyndryl’s approach to change management in the agentic AI era 
2025 Kyndryl Readiness Report

Chapters:
00:00 – How Are Companies Actually Implementing AI In Large Organizations?
01:36 – Why AI Transformation Is a Culture Change, Not a Technology Change
05:17 – How Do You Build a Learning Organization That Actually Works?
05:59 – How AI Changes Jobs: From Tasks to Workflows to Roles
08:17 – Who Owns Reskilling in the Age of AI? Employees or Managers?
09:04 – How Do You Change Culture Across 80,000 Employees?
10:48 – How Do You Make Organizations Faster and Less Bureaucratic?
11:46 – What Leadership Skills Are Needed in the Age of AI?
13:07 – How Should Leaders Redesign Work for AI and Automation?
14:30 – What Is Human Judgment in the Age of AI?
15:59 – How Do You Reduce Fear of AI Replacing Jobs?
17:42 – What Does Employability Mean in the AI Era?
18:27 – How Are Employees Using AI to Become More Productive?
23:15 – How Do You Build a Skills-Based Organization with AI?
24:57 – Can AI Predict Skills and Career Transitions?
27:59 – How Do Companies Match People to Work Using Skills?
29:10 – What Does Success Look Like in AI Transformation?

As AI moves from supporting work to performing it, organizations face a far more complex challenge than adopting new tools. They must redesign how work itself is structured, measured, and managed when part of the workforce is no longer human.

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Brandon Metcalf, Founder and CEO of Asymbl, to explore what it really means to operate a hybrid workforce of humans and digital workers. Together, they unpack how companies must rethink job design from the ground up. Through concrete examples, from recruiting workflows to AI-generated executive briefings, the conversation reveals how easily organizations can lose critical business outcomes when they automate without understanding the full context of work.

Nirit and Brandon explore the implications for talent development, leadership, and organizational design. How do you train people to manage work they no longer perform themselves? What happens to entry-level learning when foundational tasks disappear? And how do leaders ensure their organizations don’t simply layer AI onto outdated processes?

Looking ahead, the conversation highlights what will separate organizations that succeed from those that struggle: the willingness to rethink work from first principles. Rather than forcing new technology into legacy models, leading companies will redesign their operations around outcomes, blending human and digital capabilities into a cohesive system.

If you’re navigating AI transformation or questioning how work should be structured in a world of digital teammates, this episode offers a sharp and practical perspective on what it takes to build organizations that truly operate in the future of work.

https://youtu.be/cYJsCMTWv9U 

Guest Information:

Brandon Metcalf is the Founder and CEO of Asymbl, a workforce orchestration company that helps organizations coordinate human employees and digital workers as unified systems. He leads Salesforce consulting, digital labor advisory, and workforce applications to scale businesses with speed and discipline. A serial founder, he built and exited Talent Rover (Inc. 500 #9, acquired 2018) and integrated Blueprint Advisory into Asymbl. Harvard Business School OPM graduate with deep staffing roots, he emphasizes practical execution, measurable outcomes, and close Salesforce partnerships.

Links: 

• Asymbl Website: https://www.asymbl.com/
• Asymbl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asymbl-inc/ 
• Brandon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/metcalf/

Chapters:

00:00 What Is Workforce Orchestration and Why It Matters Now
01:16 How Do Humans and AI Work Together in Companies
02:21 What Changes When Work Becomes Hybrid Human and AI
02:53 What Is a Digital Worker vs AI Tool Explained
05:18 Why Automating Tasks Can Break Business Outcomes
06:30 What Is “Motivation for Success” in Job Design
07:21 Why AI Automation Doesn’t Deliver Real ROI
08:55 How to Redesign Jobs for AI and Digital Workers
09:54 Why Job Descriptions Miss What Actually Matters
12:16 What Is the Talent Paradox in the Age of AI
13:11 Will AI Replace Jobs or Change Roles Instead
15:02 How Do You Train People to Manage AI Output
16:02 Why Human Skills Shift From Doing Work to Defining Outcomes
17:08 How to Coach and Manage AI Digital Workers
17:28 Real Example of AI Running Business Insights (Bradley Case)
19:44 Why AI Needs Continuous Coaching Not Set-and-Forget
20:17 How Managers Should Oversee AI and Human Teams
23:19 How Technology Changes Jobs Over Time (Fax to AI)
23:45 What Leaders Get Wrong About AI Productivity
24:44 How to Implement AI Without Breaking Your Business
25:43 What Will AI-First Organizations Look Like
26:39 Why Some Companies Succeed With AI and Others Fail
28:03 Why You Must Rethink Business Processes for AI
29:03 What Question Leaders Should Ask About the Future of Work
29:26 How Would You Design Your Business From Scratch With AI

Why are so many companies trying to return to the old rules of work just as technology is pushing organizations forward? And what happens when leaders treat AI primarily as a cost-cutting tool instead of using it to expand human potential?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward and a leading voice in the conversation about modern leadership and workplace transformation. Together they explore why the renewed push toward command-and-control leadership is unlikely to succeed in today’s organizations.

Drawing on years of research and leadership experience, Elliott explains why headlines about strict return-to-office policies do not reflect what most organizations are actually doing. The deeper challenge facing leaders is not where people work but how work itself is designed. Productivity today depends on clarity of goals, trust in employees, and the ability to align teams around meaningful outcomes.

The conversation also explores how this leadership shift intersects with the rapid adoption of AI. Many organizations are approaching AI as a tool for efficiency and cost reduction. Elliott argues that this framing limits the real opportunity. Companies that treat AI as a way to amplify human capability and unlock new value will move much faster than those focused only on automation.

Nirit and Brian discuss what it takes to build organizations where people and technology work together effectively. They examine how leaders can help teams experiment with AI, why shared learning matters, and how a clear sense of purpose can guide organizations through rapid technological change.

If you are trying to understand what leadership looks like in the age of AI and why trust, clarity, and human potential matter more than control, this conversation offers a powerful perspective on where work is heading next.

https://youtu.be/YFmMhITZVyU 

Guest Information:

Brian Elliott is CEO of Work Forward, executive-in-residence at Charter, and a Senior Advisor with BCG. A recognized expert on the future of work and the bestselling author of How the Future Works, he spent 25 years in tech as a startup CEO and executive at Google and Slack before co-founding Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work. He publishes Flex Index, the Work Forward and Charter newsletters, and was named to Forbes' Future of Work 50.

His work enables leaders to build a future of work that's better for people and organizations, combining research-backed insights with practical advice from 30 years of leadership experience.

For the latest, read his newsletter and follow on LinkedIn.

Links: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/belliott

https://www.theworkforward.com/

https://theworkforward.substack.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Why Command And Control Leadership Is Failing
01:00 What Is Really Happening With Return To Office Policies
02:20 Why Leaders Don’t Trust Employees At Work
03:30 Why Measuring Activity Kills Productivity
06:30 Why Employees Fear AI Replacing Their Jobs
07:40 Why AI Adoption Fails Without Clear Goals
09:00 How To Measure Productivity Instead Of AI Usage
13:00 Why Internal Competition Hurts Team Performance
14:15 What Is AI Burnout And How To Prevent It
15:40 Who Benefits From AI Productivity Gains
18:30 How To Train Teams To Use AI Effectively
22:00 Why Trust Matters More Than Location In Work
25:00 How To Balance Flexibility And Collaboration
29:30 What Future Of Work Should We Create

What actually pushes someone from thinking about change to finally doing something about it? Why do some people leave their jobs while others renegotiate their relationship with work instead?

In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Anthony Klotz, professor of organizational behavior at UCL School of Management and the researcher credited with coining the Great Resignation, to explore the invisible moments that reshape careers. Drawing from his new book Jolted, Klotz explains how careers rarely change gradually. Instead, they shift in response to sudden events—what he calls “jolts”—that cause people to pause and rethink their relationship with work.

Together, Nirit and Anthony unpack the many forms these jolts can take, from workplace disappointments and career milestones to personal events and global shocks. The conversation explores why these moments are becoming more common in a world of nonlinear careers, why the traditional stay-or-quit decision is no longer the only response, and how many people now respond to jolts by renegotiating their work rather than walking away.

They also examine how the pandemic acted as a collective jolt that reshaped expectations about work and life—and why artificial intelligence may become the next wave of career-defining moments. From identity shifts caused by new technology to the ways managers can recognize and support employees through pivotal moments, the discussion reveals how careers are increasingly shaped by reflection, experimentation, and reconfiguration.

If you’ve ever experienced a moment that made you suddenly question your job, your priorities, or your future at work, this episode offers a powerful lens for understanding why—and what to do next.

Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠The Moment Employees Decide To Leave — And Why Leaders Miss It", to explore these ideas further.  

https://youtu.be/Kv025f8pzLM 

Guest Information:

Anthony Klotz is a professor of organizational behavior at UCL School of Management in London. He is best known for predicting a global pandemic–related labor shift and dubbing it the Great Resignation. A leading scholar on the psychology of work, he has written for Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and his research is regularly published in the leading academic journals in management. He has discussed the current and future of work with media outlets, including NBC News, Bloomberg Businessweek, CNN, CNBC, Today, The New York Times, Financial Times, BBC, and NPR, and with executive teams at numerous Fortune 100 firms.

Links:

Author Site: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/people/anthonyklotz 

Chapters:

00:00 – Why You Suddenly Want to Quit Your Job
01:05 – What Makes You Rethink Your Career Path
02:00 – Signs It’s Time to Change Jobs or Careers
04:45 – Did COVID Change How We Think About Work
06:29 – Should You Quit Your Job or Stay
07:45 – Is Quiet Quitting Actually Setting Boundaries
10:30 – How AI Is Changing Jobs and Career Decisions
13:20 – Can Managers Tell When You’re About to Quit
15:20 – How to Talk to Your Boss When You Feel Stuck
17:00 – What to Do If You Don’t Want to Quit but Aren’t Happy
17:45 – How People Start Side Hustles or Career Changes
19:18 – What Question Should You Ask About Your Career
20:40 – Can AI Help You Find Better Work