Dr John Sullivan Talent Management Thought Leadership

Millions who stare at a computer all day will get pink slips within 12–18 months! Soon, AI will be able to handle all repetitive tasks. And this prediction will make many white-collar jobs redundant. So, take note and remember that you read it here…

Dark times are ahead for those who don’t have a plan to adapt and thrive under AI!

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A Checklist Of Action Steps That Will Prepare You For Future AI Job Cuts 

In my experience, it’s always “better to be prepared than to be surprised.” Rather than denying that AI will transform all corporations and the jobs they offer, in my view, it’s better as an employee to assume that most of the CEO-predicted job changes, job eliminations, and layoffs due to AI are actually quite accurate. So, forward-looking employees will use those predictions as a trigger to put together an action plan that will accomplish following four goals. A separate checklist for each goal can be found in the remainder of this article. Note: The most effective actions appear early on each list.

1. Improve your chances of avoiding job elimination or a layoff.
2. Increase your chances of shifting to a position with greater job security.
3. Improve your job search capabilities.
4. Take financial actions that will help you to survive a layoff.

Part I – Actions That Will Improve Your Chances Of Avoiding A Job Loss

Fortunately, there are many proven actions that a current employee can take in order to improve their chances of avoiding an upcoming layoff or job elimination because of AI. 

• Become your manager’s “go-to person” – all managers desire a “go-to person” whom they can count on in a pinch to take full responsibility for sudden problems that arise. Of course, few managers will take any action that might cause them to lose a person that they can count on.
• Become your team’s AI expert – during a time when AI dominates almost everything, you can increase your contribution to the team and maximize your job security by becoming your team’s recognized expert in all things related to AI.
• Identify the layoff decision maker and build a relationship with them— identify which manager or executive will be making the final decision on AI related job eliminations or layoffs. Having a strong relationship with this decision-maker will help to ensure that they are fully aware of the contributions that you have made.
• Build a trust relationship with your manager – proactively building a close trust relationship with your manager and their boss. It will make them much more likely to be honest with you about the possibility of job loss. In addition, because having trust in an employee is highly desirable, managers will be less likely to cut those employees whom they fully trust.
• Improve faster with the help of a mentor – employees who are continuously improving are keepers. So, it’s good to have a person with a different perspective to accurately assess you and to guide you in improving your value and performance. And if your mentor is an employee at your company, they are also likely to vocally support your retention.
• Completing your training on AI tools will improve your contribution – not all jobs will be replaced by AI. However, since almost every job will soon require the use of AI tools, it makes sense to proactively complete both internal and external training on the use of AI tools. Continuous learners are among the most desirable employees in our fast-changing world.
• Increase your contribution by serving as a fill in – it’s wise to become a backup or fill-in employee for an important job within the team. Because that versatility means that you are providing both your manager and your team with a broader contribution.
• Increase your contribution by improving your job performance – it’s wise to ramp up your productivity, so that you will be considered a top performer. Those with a track record of exceptional job performance are more productive. Therefore, they are less likely to be laid-off. 
• Increase your contribution by serving as a mentor – when you voluntarily mentor a team member in your function, you are clearly expanding your contribution to the team.
• Remember that the “who to keep” decision is subjective – because sympathy often plays a major role in layoff decisions. When you are facing difficult economic or family situations. It may be a good idea to subtly make your managers fully aware of these external issues. In the case where a manager’s sympathies historically impacted layoff decisions. 
• Becoming more visible is a keeper factor – serving on company-wide committees will make you more visible to the leaders in your function. It will improve your chances of avoiding a layoff. And you should also realize that receiving external recognition may be especially important. Because that recognition provides “outside validation” of your value as an employee. You can improve your external visibility by writing, speaking at conferences, and/or appearing on podcasts.
• Winning internal and external awards will make you a keeper – being recognized by winning internal and external functional awards will provide you with one more type of validation that you provide them with high value.
• Improve your desirability by completing your academic degree – complete any unfinished academic work. Those with recent degrees are less likely to be laid-off. 

Developing these “future skills” will make you a keeper

Most corporations put together a list of the “future skills” that the company has determined will be essential for future company success. Make it clear to your manager whether you have or are developing any of the following “future skills.” 

• Continuous learning is the most desirable future skill – Google, for example, has found that the most valuable of all future skills in a rapidly changing world is continuous self-directed learning. Not only does your contribution increase when you continually learn, but you also save your manager time by doing it without being prodded.
• Agility and resilience are also future skills – because two of the most valuable “future skills” in a highly volatile world are resilience and agility. Go out of your way to convince your manager that you are resilient. 
• Leadership skills are a future skill – because developing leadership bench strength is almost always a critical team and corporate goal. Senior leadership will almost always be reluctant to layoff developing leaders who have already developed to the point where they have already demonstrated their ability to lead small projects and sub-teams.
• Being future focused is also a future skill – in a busy world where most are focused on “today.” Being recognized as a forward-looking person that accurately forecasts and prepares for upcoming changes will make you a keeper.

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Part II – A Checklist Of Actions That Will Allow You To Move Into A Position/ Company With Greater Job Security

Fortunately, there are proven “move to another job” actions that a current employee can take in order to improve their job security. Those job movement actions include:

• Start by looking for a pattern to more accurately identify which jobs will likely go first – rather than just guessing about which jobs at your company are likely to be included large-scale layoffs or AI job eliminations. You should first look at “first mover” companies in your industry. First movers are the companies that, over time, have been the very first corporations to lay off or eliminate jobs. You can then assume that this pattern of layoffs/job elimination will soon be repeated at your company. 
• Consider moving externally to an organization that is less likely to be impacted by AI – obviously, if you work at a corporation like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, or Facebook you won’t be able to avoid the impact of AI. Fortunately, there are companies and organizations that will be much slower at adopting AI. So, consider getting your current job in the nonprofit, state, or local government sectors. Also, consider getting your job in small businesses, rural companies, or in less developed countries. Look to union jobs, becoming self-employed, or developing an Internet side gig. 
• Increase your job security by getting a job in an industry that seldom has layoffs – it’s a fact that the companies in some industries are much more likely to experience AI job cuts and layoffs. The industries that have had fewer layoffs have included  healthcare, energy, and education.
• Increase your job security by moving externally to a company that seldom experiences layoffs – companies and industries that have a strong track record of doing well financially are less likely to have large-scale layoffs. So, consider seeking your same or a different job at a company in an industry that seldom experiences layoffs. Those no-layoff companies include Publix, Lincoln Electric, Nugget Markets, Torani, Southwest Airlines, and SC Johnson. Also consider applying to growth companies that haven’t had any recent large-scale layoffs (Apple and Nvidia). 
• Transfer internally to a more secure job – if you work in a corporation that has been producing mixed results and/or opening up the possibility of layoffs in underperforming functions. Consider transferring internally to a job in a business unit that will be less likely to be immediately impacted by AI or layoffs. Those “less likely to be impacted” functions and teams often include product development, physical security, equipment repair, data centers, chemistry/physics teams, and supply chain. 
• Avoid jobs that have been subject to a hiring freeze – you should take recent hiring freezes or significant budget cuts. As a leading indicator of which job families will likely have little future job security. For example, because of recent hiring freezes. Be cautious about taking a job in a call center, accounting, HR, or in coding. Instead, seek a job in high-growth business units that have never even paused their hiring.
• Consider physically relocating to another region – even during severe downturns, there is often an intense need for talent at some location in your company. So, consider physically relocating to one of your company’s business units that is experiencing less AI job elimination or layoff pressure. 
• Avoid middle management and consultant jobs – because AI and corporate cost-cutting have already eliminated many middle management and consulting jobs. It would be wise to avoid seeking these types of jobs in large corporations.
• Try to become a boomerang rehire – because in most cases, companies are more than eager to rehire their best former employees. So, if one of your previous jobs was at a company that currently offers a high level of job security. Ask one of your former colleagues who is still there to consider making you an employee referral.
• Create Google Alerts to learn which jobs are being impacted by AI – rather than just guessing. Create a series of Google alerts that will warn you about which job families are being eliminated or modified by AI (use a search string “jobs replaced by AI”). And which companies are now laying off (“recent layoffs”).

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Part III – A Checklist Of Actions For Improving Your Job Search Capabilities

Because both the job market and recruiting have dramatically changed over the last few years, it is critical that you assess and update your job search capabilities. The job search actions that you should consider taking include:

• Develop a close relationship with at least one recruiter – it’s important to realize that no one will give you better job search advice than an effective recruiter. So, look for opportunities to build a close relationship with a variety of recruiters. Get their guidance and their support for one of their company’s jobs. Incidentally, it’s much easier to build relationships with recruiters during slow recruiting months (December, July, and August). 
• Rebuild and pretest your resume – use AI to suggest changes to your resume that will make it more competitive. Then pretest it with recruiters and colleagues until it is near perfect. Then send it out to some open jobs in order to specifically identify what’s working and what isn’t.
• Make sure your resume highlights AI skills, accomplishments, and tools – because AI is such a hot area. It is critical that you include AI related keywords and accomplishments. As well as any areas where you used AI tools to accomplish a difficult task.
• Quantify the job accomplishments in your resume – Elon Musk has recently highlighted the importance of accomplishments in making hiring decisions. Because big numbers are so memorable, make sure that your resume and your interview answers quantify your accomplishments.
• Practice interviewing – develop a list of likely interview questions that cover AI and your important business accomplishments. And then practice your answers until you can’t get them wrong. Then videotape a complete interview and have it critiqued informally by recruiters and your colleagues until it’s perfect.
• Encourage your external colleagues to make you an employee referral – by far the best way to get hired is through an employee referral. So, keep in touch with any former colleagues at your target companies. And over time, encourage them to make you a referral.
• Reinforce your references – it’s a mistake to assume that your references will highlight the strengths that you have found to be the most important. Periodically, hold conversations with your references, so they are reminded of your strengths.
• Build relationships with professional association leaders – in addition to recruiters. Professional Association Officers in your function or industry are the most likely to know what the best companies are looking for in their new hires. And when it’s possible, ask these officers to make you a referral to the lead recruiter for an open job.
• Keep in touch with your colleagues that have recently gotten a job – because they have been successful. Seek their guidance and learn from them.

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Part IV – Financial Actions That May Help You To Survive A Layoff

Despite all of your job security efforts. You still need to prepare for the possibility that you may still lose your job as a result of AI or corporate layoffs. So, improve your chances of surviving the layoff by taking these financial steps:

• Put together an “out of work budget” – when you begin worrying about an impending job loss, you should put together an “out of work household budget.” It will help you more accurately gauge when your savings are likely to run out. 
• Build up your savings and your credit – in order to avoid or limit financial desperation. It’s important that you develop a plan for building up your savings and your credit rating. You should also consider obtaining a line of credit (while you still have a job) for use in an emergency. 
• Encourage your spouse to enter into job search mode – if your spouse/partner doesn’t currently have a well-paying job. It makes sense for them to begin looking for one early on, because their search might take a long time. And beginning early will shorten the time period when your family won’t have adequate income coming in.
• Get a part-time job before you need one – when you feel that a job loss is imminent. It makes sense for you to get a part-time job that might be expandable at a later date. By finding it before you lose your job, you won’t be as rushed and you’ll beat the other trove of laid-off employees looking for the same jobs. You should also consider creating an Internet side gig that can generate some extra income.

Final Thoughts

With the distinct possibility of an upcoming economic downturn, it is time to realize that the predicted upcoming tidal wave of AI-related job eliminations and layoffs are actually about to occur. So, I recommend that you use this list as a basis for identifying a handful of the actions that you must take in order to prepare for the upcoming job turmoil.

Thanks for finding the time to read and share this article.

Notes for the reader

This is the latest article from Dr. Sullivan, who was called “the Michael Jordan of Hiring” by Fast Company.
You can subscribe to his Aggressive Talent Management newsletter (which focuses on recruiting tools, current recruiting opportunities and recruiting trends). Either here or by following him on LinkedIn.