Interview programme · UK
Interviews open
The missing rungs
Rethinking how people grow as AI reshapes the ladder
Programme overview
For as long as anyone can remember, people built their skills by doing the work at the bottom of the ladder. The routine, entry-level tasks were never really about the output – they were how judgement, craft and confidence were acquired, one rung at a time. AI is now absorbing much of that work, so the lower rungs are thinning out, and with them the way skills have always been built.
The instinct is to try to rebuild the old ladder. The more interesting response is to reshape it. As AI takes on more of the routine work that once helped people build experience, organisations will need to rethink how capability and judgement are developed. The opportunity is not simply to replace the missing rungs, but to design new ways for people to build skills, take on meaningful work, and develop judgement from the start. The question for HR leaders stops being “how do we replace the lost junior work” and becomes “how do we deliberately rethink how capability gets built as the nature of work changes.”
This is a skills question, not a headcount one. As the old rungs disappear, the organisations that pull ahead will be the ones that make skill-building deliberate.
Why take part
AI is changing work unevenly across teams, and HR is being asked to bring structure, confidence and fairness to it. This interview is a peer-level chance to reflect on a shift every HR leader is starting to feel but few have yet put into words. You speak as a strategist about the future of skills, observing an industry-wide change, rather than defending your own programme.
Who this is for
Senior HR and people leaders in the UK, including:
- Chief HR Officers, Chief People Officers and People Directors
- Heads of HR and People
- People Operations and HR Operations leaders
- HR Transformation, People Systems and HRIS leaders
- Talent Management and Organisational Development leaders
- Learning and Development leaders
- Performance and Employee Experience leaders
- People Analytics and Workforce Planning leaders
- Talent Acquisition leaders
- Reward and Compensation leaders
Interview questions
8 questions and a closing reflection, shared in advance so you can think them through before we talk.
- 1
Please tell me about your role and the part of the people and workforce agenda you are closest to today.
- 2
Where in your organisation is AI changing the work most visibly, and what is happening to the roles people used to start in?
- 3
People used to build judgement – knowing what good looks like, spotting when something doesn’t look right, and knowing when to ask questions – simply by doing routine work. As that work thins out, how do you think people will develop those capabilities instead?
- 4
As AI takes on more of the entry-level work, how are roles and career paths starting to change, and what does progression look like when the way in is different?
- 5
Managers used to develop people through the day-to-day work itself. What is the manager's role becoming, and what do managers need to do it well?
- 6
Designing capability deliberately means knowing what you already have. How clearly can you see the skills across your workforce today, including AI proficiency, and where are the biggest gaps?
- 7
Where are your people data and systems helping you plan and build capability, and where do they get in the way?
- 8
As the shape of work changes, how is this feeding into your workforce planning: the roles, the numbers and the mix of people you expect to need in two to three years?
Closing reflection
Looking 12 to 24 months ahead, what must change most in how your organisation builds capability, and what is the one thing you would want your CEO to understand about it?
The interview process
Step 1 – Read the FAQs
Before you bookBefore you book, read our FAQs so you know what taking part involves: the interview format, what happens afterwards and how your contribution is used.
Read the FAQsStep 2 – TechPros.io interview
30 minA 30-minute TechPros.io Zoom interview, with the questions shared in advance. It ends with a short anonymous poll that feeds the report’s infographics. We produce a short summary of your key points to support a more focused follow-up conversation.
Book your interviewStep 3 – Exploratory call with HiBob
20–30 minA short follow-up call with a HiBob subject-matter expert to explore your insights further. TechPros.io then writes up your interview one-pager and sends it to you ahead of the review call.
See an example one-pagerStep 4 – One-pager review
15–30 minWe run through your one-pager to capture your feedback and agree any changes, and let you know the expected publication date.
Step 5 – Market view report
PublicationWe email you a week before the report is published on LinkedIn and again on the day of launch, often with a draft post for you to reshare.
See an example market view reportWhat taking part produces
Real one-pagers and Market View reports from past programmes. Each one opens the published original.
Interview one-pagers
Gareth Owen OBE
Humanitarian Director, Save the Children UK
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Philippa Barnes
Director, ReThink HR
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Phil Bevan
Director of People and Culture, Nacro
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Read the reportWhat we need from you
Company email
Please share your company email when you book, so we can coordinate with you.
Professional headshot
We need a professional headshot for your one-pager and will arrange this with you by email.
Employment status
We ask every participant to confirm they are currently in their role, so your insights reflect your live experience and the publication accurately represents your position.
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About our sponsor
HiBob is the company behind Bob, the people platform for the modern world of work. Founded in 2015 by Ronni Zehavi and Israel David, HiBob brings core HR, talent, payroll, compensation and workforce planning together in one connected platform, with AI built in throughout.
More than 5,000 companies use Bob to run their people operations, from growing businesses to mid-market and enterprise organisations in sectors including technology, financial services, professional services and manufacturing. HiBob’s UK headquarters is in London.
This research reflects HiBob’s genuine interest in understanding how HR leaders are rethinking the way people build skills, experience and judgement as AI changes the shape of work.
Add your voice to the report
Share how your organisation is rethinking the way people build skills and judgement, alongside senior HR and people leaders across the UK.