The AI era is significantly reshaping the workforce. To address the tightening labor market, companies are turning to technology to improve productivity. At the same time, workers want to evolve with their companies and improve their skills so that they can not only keep their jobs but also advance their careers.
“Employers and leaders are being asked to do more with less, which means each person in the organization needs to be the best version of themselves possible because they need to be productive and productive,” said Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild, an educational benefits company that provides a platform for employees to earn degrees and certificates to advance their careers.
Shah, who was named to the 2025 CNBC Changemakers list, said disruptive situations like AI that are reshaping businesses and economies will require workers to be more resilient. It is necessary for both workers and their companies to remain competitive. Shah said that workplace fluidity, or the ability of workers to adapt and evolve to fill in-demand jobs, is a key indicator of how companies and workers will adapt to these disruptions or fall behind.
“CEOs and their executive teams spend a lot of time thinking, ‘How can we do more with less?'” Shah said. “So it’s really important to make sure we have the best people possible with domain expertise and knowledge.”
Shah said the key is to focus on building career ladders within the organization. This means that workers are more likely to not only develop into key talent, but also stay with the company.
Paul Marchand, Chief Human Resources Officer charter communicationsThe telecommunications company, which employs more than 90,000 people, said there is a “virtuous cycle” in implementing this type of talent development program.
“The harder someone is with us and the harder they work and grow and develop, the more they’re going to be dedicated to the customer experience and making sure the customer is satisfied and taken care of. That translates into customer retention,” Marchand said. “Ultimately, that is our business goal.”
In 2023, Charter partnered with Guild to launch a tuition-free education benefit for employees and provide a structured career advancement program. To date, approximately 13% of the company’s employees have enrolled in or completed the course, Marchand said, and the majority of those employees are in front-line customer-facing roles.
Charter data shows employees who take advantage of the program have a 20% higher promotion rate than other employees. Data shows these employees are 19% more likely to stay with the company.
“We’re seeing people looking for competencies that lead to career paths and promotions, rather than thinking, ‘Oh, this is just a job,'” he says. “Now they feel like they’re part of a team, they feel involved, they feel empowered, they feel like they have a path, and that’s what starts all the conversations.”
Mr. Shah said that in this work environment, where companies are looking for highly productive workers, it is important to ensure that these types of programs are available and that workers are aware of such pathways.
“People who are willing to invest in themselves, who are willing to stick with their employers, who are willing to evolve their capabilities to get better at their jobs are all becoming increasingly important,” she said. “Employers are starting to grapple with this issue and ask themselves, ‘What can I do to help my employees keep what’s expected of them?'”
