Category: Business Trends

Business trends discusses the implications of economics, employment, mergers, acquisitions, and regulatory changes on talent, leadership, recruitment, and human resources issues.

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People Data For Sale: How The Talent Intelligence Market Really Works

Have you ever wondered where all your personal and professional data goes? Here’s a peek into the multi-billion dollar “people data” market.

One of the most dynamic and important parts of our economy is the marketplace for people data. Every recruiter, location planner, HR executive, economist, university head, and government planner wants to know where ... Read more»

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Prompting is Programming: We’re All Software Engineers Now!

If you think software programming is a techie niche for hoodie-clad coders pounding on keyboards, think again. Welcome to a new era, one where every business leader, HR professional, and even frontline manager is, in effect, a software engineer.

That may sound strange, but stay with me. Because this shift is about empowerment, AI, and ... Read more»

Yes, HR Organizations Will (Partially) Be Replaced by AI, And That’s Good

I adore the human resources profession. These folks are responsible for hiring, development, leadership development, and some of the most important issues in business. And despite the history of HR being considered a compliance function, the role is more important than ever. CHRO salaries, for example, have increased at 5-times the rate of CEO pay ... Read more»

The White Collar Recession Is Real: What Should We Do About It?

Over the last six months we’ve seen much evidence of a white-collar recession. Employees have stopped changing jobs, wage growth is slowing, and research shows that workers with college degrees are the least “in-demand” in the market.

Note this new research by ADP which shows that jobs requiring advanced degrees (“extensive preparation”) are ... Read more»

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Busting Bureaucracy: Are Layoffs The Only Way To Go?

As we discuss in The Rise of the Superworker, we’ve entered a period of productivity-led growth in business. The economy is slowing (US consumer sentiment plummeted and GDP growth in the EU and China has slowed), expectations for AI are high, and CEOs are looking to redesign operating models.

Core to this ... Read more»

A Tumultuous Year Behind: A Challenging, Important 2025

2024 has been a rough and tumble year. We watched two major wars (Ukraine and Gaza), the breakdown of the Syrian regime, and a record-breaking year of floods and hurricanes. Crypto emerged as a viable, highly valued asset class and the world wrestled with inflation. And right-wing politicians won major elections, including in the United ... Read more»

The Road To AI-Driven Productivity: Four Stages of Transformation

We’ve been doing a lot of advisory work on skills and job design and now that AI tools have arrived, we’re reinventing work faster than ever. So let me give you some thoughts on this process, and you can also learn more from my recent podcast.

As you know, there are many types of ... Read more»

Hyper-Growth Through Efficiency: Theme For The New Era

With all the mixed messages in the latest election, one rings loudly for leaders: the US Government must become more efficient. US voters did not seem impressed with the billions spent on the Chips and Infrastructure acts: they want lower taxes and more accountable government.

As Elon Musk explains, reducing costs is an exercise ... Read more»

Guild Jumps Headfirst Into The Corporate Learning Market

Guild has been a fascinating company to watch. Founded by Rachel Romer, Guild was founded in 2015 with a mission to help companies connect their employees to high-value education programs, leveraging investments in tuition reimbursement. Today, through the acquisition of Nomadic Learning, Guild moves into the corporate L&D market directly.

Let me explain. US companies ... Read more»

Digital Twins, Digital Employees, And Agents Everywhere

I recently heard Elon Musk predict that every citizen would have multiple Optimus robots in their homes within five years. And while I often ignore his predictions because they’re exaggerated, I think he’s on to something. We are about to witness an explosion of Digital Employees in our companies, and these may be the “robots” ... Read more»