AI and Career Switchers

This week, we look at how ChatGPT and similar AI tools are radically changing the landscape for people who want to switch careers. Plus, how to avoid a work slump this summer.

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Will AI Trip Up Career Shifts?

Only two years ago, amid the pandemic, people were switching careers at a record pace, with companies paying handsome premiums to scoop up talent with needed skills.?

Now, however, as companies ramp up their use of generative AI, people—even tech workers—may find it much more difficult to change careers. In the banking industry, for instance, the war for tech talent has cooled off significantly, in part because AI can handle many of the software development and coding tasks engineers were being hired to do. Bradford Frank, a senior client partner in the Global Technology practice at Korn Ferry, says AI’s ability to reduce demand for certain skills could “limit talent mobility across industries.”?

Read the full article here.

The Grounding of Business Travel Perks

It has been part and parcel of being a top executive: flying often, and always in business class. But even post-pandemic, the need to fly for business has become less urgent—and airlines have taken notice.

Indeed, with domestic business flying still well below its pandemic level—down 26% by dollars—airlines are focusing more on leisure travelers. And in the process, they’ve made business travel far less glamorous or smooth for the business traveler, and pricier per trip for firms. One airline let go of 40% of its 350-person sales team for corporations and agents, while others have made lounge access harder or pulled back on fancy in-flight meals and drinks. “If it’s less cushy, workers will pull back to only essential travel,” says human resources expert Ron Porter, senior client partner at Korn Ferry.

Read the full article here.

5 Ways to Avoid a Summer Slump at Work

Who wants to stay indoors with spreadsheets and business strategies when they could be outdoors enjoying sunny weather, sandy beaches, and delicious barbecues? In a recent Korn Ferry survey, 46% of professionals said that the quality of their work slumps in the summer. That drop in focus can be a drag—not only on an organization’s productivity, but also on an employee’s career.

Korn Ferry experts offer their advice on how to stay engaged as the summer heats up, and even take advantage of some unique opportunities during the June-to-August period.

Read the full article here.

Other Must-Reads from Korn Ferry

• Affirmative Action… Supreme Court’s Action - Experts debate how much—or how little—the justices’ ruling on affirmative action could alter years of diversity efforts.
• The 100% Remote Career - Leaders are grappling with a new, “never in the office” job path that some workers are taking. Will firms lose out on some key talent?
• How Purpose Can Help Conquer Work Fears - Best-selling author Dan Goleman says people and organizations with a keen sense of purpose will be able to excel in the new and uncertain AI era.

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