I wanted to share a few reflections. This was an open, at times blunt, but deeply important conversation with Amy Wilson and Josh Gosliner from SAP SuccessFactors.
We called the session "Beyond Capabilities: Reengineering Work." That's exactly what's at stake.
For years, I've worked in workforce strategy. I've tried to help organizations see that people have capabilities. But jobs have tasks. That distinction matters more than ever in the AI era.
Here's what stood out for me.
Not long ago, every boardroom was focused on retention. Employee experience was the metric. Work movement was the buzzword. It was about making people feel valued and building opportunities.
But the reality changed abruptly. Economic pressures flipped the switch. Productivity, efficiency, and cost-cutting dominated the conversation.
We talked about this shift on the call. Organizations still care about people. But the priority changed to survival, velocity, and getting leaner.
That shift means many companies are back at square one. Even those that invested in capability-led strategies now ask:
Who are our people? What are they actually doing? How can we be more efficient?
The old focus on capability-led organizational design isn't enough on its own.
One thing I keep repeating. People have capabilities. Jobs have tasks.
AI doesn't automate capabilities. It automates tasks.
When companies invest millions in static taxonomies, it worries me. The second you save that file, it's outdated. Every time you introduce AI, you remove certain tasks. And you introduce new ones.
We need a live, dynamic view of work.
Every enterprise is deploying AI. Almost none can see the work they're deploying it into.
That's why we built Work Context. Not to replace job architecture. To evolve it into Work Architecture.
We Map tasks, tie them back to capabilities, and keep that data live. Companies don't just know their people's resumes. They know what work actually gets done.
From Job Architecture to Work Architecture.
Josh made a great point about customers buying systems without having the data to make them work.
I see this everywhere.
Companies plan massive redesigns. But their learning strategies are still guesswork. They pick "future capabilities" out of thin air.
I said it bluntly on the call. And I'll say it here:
We can't waste people's time making them learn things that don't matter.
If you want to move people into new work in an AI-powered workforce, you need to know:
That's the only way to target capability-building that actually works.
AI capability is compounding. Work visibility is not.
We also talked about the fear. That this shift will be driven purely by "bean counters" slashing headcount with AI.
That's real.
We all have a responsibility here. Workforce redesign can't just mean cutting costs. It has to mean reinventing work and reinventing careers.
When 64% of a role's tasks are automated, the answer shouldn't be layoffs. It should be:
How do we pivot these people into new roles? Their adjacent capabilities show the way.
This is the work.
This is why I'm excited about our partnership with SAP SuccessFactors.
SAP gives organizations the governance and structure for capability data. Reejig's Work Intelligence connects that to the reality of tasks and work design.
Together, it's not just an integration. It's a way for organizations to see and manage the full picture:
If you're a CHRO, CLO, redesign leader, or workforce strategist reading this:
Go make best friends with whoever owns AI strategy in your company.
These conversations cannot happen in silos. If AI teams roadmap automation without talking to workforce leaders, you waste money. You lose people you could have kept. You fail at redesign.
We have to build this together.
Workforce AI redesign isn't optional. It's here. The train has left the station.
Our job: make sure it happens responsibly. Without leaving people behind.
If you want to talk about this more, my inbox is always open. Get in touch.
Let's do this the right way.
Siobhan 💜