Published on 17th December 2025
Not long ago, a mid-sized tech company faced a dilemma. Despite a strong market position, it was struggling—not with demand, but with talent. The skills they needed were evolving faster than their workforce could keep up. Layoffs loomed, not because of downsizing, but because of “right-skilling.” The leadership team knew they had to act—but how?
This story isn’t unique. Across industries and borders, HR leaders are navigating a new reality. Layoffs are no longer just about cost-cutting—they’re about recalibrating capabilities. And the people most affected? Often mid-career professionals aged 35 to 54, caught between legacy skills and rising expectations. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveals that businesses predominantly focus reskilling efforts on younger employees, often neglecting mid-career workers and therefore increasing their risk of redundancy.
A Workforce Feeling Stuck
In a recent Glassdoor poll, nearly 65% of professionals reported feeling “stuck” in their roles. In tech, that number jumps to 73%. Disengagement is rising. This pattern is amplified by the emerging “job hugging” phenomenon, where employees cling to their current positions out of fear of economic uncertainty or lack of better options, even when they feel dissatisfied.
While it temporarily suppresses attrition, this trend creates a risk of a mass exodus once the job market rebounds. HR leaders may be enjoying low turnover now—but a wave of “revenge quitting” is building beneath the surface.
This stagnation isn’t just a morale issue—it’s a strategic risk. It erodes innovation, slows decision-making, and undermines workforce agility; leaving companies vulnerable to talent gaps and competitive disadvantage. Career opportunities ratings on Glassdoor have dropped across sectors, with IT, pharma, and media seeing the steepest declines. Employees are waiting for a reason to leave. The question is: are organisations mismanaging their human resources investments? It’s time for HR leaders to shift focus from talent attraction to employee retention.
The AI Disruption Is Already Here
While many still talk about AI as a future disruptor, it’s already reshaping the labour market. In 2024 alone, top U.S. companies reduced white-collar headcount by over 127,000. The World Economic Forum predicts 92 million jobs will be displaced by 2030, while 170 million new ones will be created. But the transition won’t be seamless.
This shift is creating what Josh Bersin calls the “Rise of the Superworker”: employees who are agile, continuously learning, and capable of navigating complex, tech-driven environments. Those superworkers need a different mindset and way to manage their career—a navigational mindset, moving forward without always knowing the destination. This involves knowing their value, being curious, staying in a constant state of readiness to learn and pivot, and building resilience in the face of change. HR, therefore, needs to respond by rethinking roles, redesigning work, and investing in career development like never before.
Why Career Transition Services Matter
In this landscape, how a company handles layoffs speaks volumes. Career transition services aren’t just a kindness—they’re a strategic lever. Employees who receive outplacement support are 38% less likely to harbor negative feelings toward their former employer. And in today’s social media age, reputation travels fast.
The same survey shows that millennials, in particular, are 2.5x more likely than Gen Xers to share negative experiences online. That matters—because 64% of consumers say they’ve stopped buying from brands that mistreat employees. Outplacement recipients, on the other hand, are 3x more likely to remain loyal customers.
But it’s not just about external perception. Internally, how you treat departing employees affects those who stay. A respectful offboarding process fosters trust, stability, and loyalty. It signals that your company values people—even in difficult moments.
Redeployment: The Missed Opportunity
Despite widespread talent shortages, internal hiring remains surprisingly low. Globally, only 25% of roles are filled internally. In tech and media, that number drops to 11.5%. This is likely because the shelf life of skills is even shorter in the tech industry, and upskilling or reskilling programs cannot keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology.
It is therefore crucial for companies to embrace redeployment. Think of it as the circular talent economy: instead of treating talent as a linear pipeline (hire, use, exit), organisations must create a closed-loop system where skills are continuously recycled, redeployed, and renewed internally. By doing so, companies not only reduce waste in human capital but also build resilience against external shocks, fostering a sustainable workforce model.
According to research, organisations which build for continuous change, are 9 times more likely to attract top talent, 31 times more likely to retain employees and 20 times more likely to achieve high workforce productivity. Still, only 7% of companies operate this way.
Why? Because redeployment demands visibility into skills, a culture of mobility, and systems that support non-linear career paths. It means shifting from jobs and roles to skills and work. Yet many organizations are only just taking baby steps toward skills-based hiring models, making this transition even more challenging.
A Call to Action for HR Leaders
The time to act is now. HR leaders must move from reactive to strategic—embedding career transition and redeployment into the core of workforce planning. That means:
Because in the end, effective management of career transitions doesn’t just impact the payroll and the bottom line. It also demonstrates your organisation’s social responsibility. Avoiding layoffs means reducing public spending for unemployment, mitigating mental health challenges associated with job loss, and promoting economic stability. The challenge may seem huge but career management experts are here to help with their tools, insights, and experience. So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to one of our members!
