The Reinvention Imperative: Career Transformation in the AI Era

For workers, it can prompt reflection not just on where they’ve been, but where they’re going—and whether they want to go back at all. In today’s shifting landscape, more and more people are using that moment not simply to transition to a new job, but to reinvent their entire professional identities.

At LHH, we’re seeing that shift up close. In fact, nearly 60% of our career transition candidates in 2024 didn’t return to their previous industry. They made a full career transformation.

This is not the traditional model of job loss and rehire. It’s something more profound: a re-evaluation of purpose, identity, and possibility. And it’s happening at a scale that deserves close attention.

In our latest paper, The Reinvention Imperative, we explore what’s really happening behind today’s workforce headlines—and what it means for the organizations shaping the future of work.

Based on insights from over 200,000 career transitions and a survey of over 8,000 career-transition candidates, the paper explores how people are responding to career disruption, and what support makes the difference between stalled progress and renewed momentum.

Some of the key patterns we uncovered:

• Most workers who’ve been made redundant do not identify AI as a cause of their job loss, even when it is. This creates a disconnect that slows reemployment and clouds future planning.
• Workers impacted by AI are more likely to face long transitions—and more likely to need a full reinvention of skills, direction, and confidence.
• Over 70% of career transition candidates are already learning about AI, but only 10% have received formal support from their employer.
• The shift from transition to reinvention is already well underway, and the people going through it need more than tools. They need clarity, guidance, and care.

These are not just individual insights. They have direct implications for employers, too.

As businesses look to adapt their workforce strategies, many are asking the same questions:

• How can we respond to talent disruption without losing the human connection?
• What does meaningful reskilling look like when the direction of travel isn’t always clear?
• How can we support people managers, who are often expected to lead others through change while managing uncertainty themselves?
• And how can we align our workforce transformation goals with our values—as an employer, a brand, and a community?

The Reinvention Imperative helps answer these questions with fresh data, real-world patterns, and grounded insight. It’s not a guide to emerging tech. It’s a look at what professional development means amid structural change.

Because the truth is, most people don’t just need a new role. They need a renewed sense of direction. And while some are taking steps to reskill on their own, too many are doing so without backing, clarity, or strategy. That’s where employers can have lasting impact.

Reinvention doesn’t have to be reactive. When it’s built into the fabric of a workforce strategy—with coaching, career development, and skills support that adapts to change—it becomes a strength. One that builds resilience, preserves capability, and opens space for new ideas to grow.

For workers, it can be transformative. Reinvention isn’t only about work. It’s about confidence. It’s about voice. It’s about shaping the next chapter on your own terms.

We believe a beautiful working world starts by meeting people in these moments—with humanity, insight, and care.

Download the full report.

Because reinvention is already here.