Why Skills Beat Job Titles: How AI Is Reshaping Work with Ravin Jesuthasan
January 15, 2026
How can organisations future-proof work by hiring for potential, not roles, while using AI to unlock human skills at scale?
In this episode of Humanity at Scale, host Bruce Temkin speaks with Ravin Jesuthasan, global leader for transformation services at Mercer and author of The Skills-Powered Organization. Together, they unpack why skills, not static job descriptions, are becoming the true currency of performance. Ravin explains how AI can surface hidden capabilities, match people to work dynamically, and make reskilling cheaper than constant rehiring. The conversation explores shifting from rigid roles to flow-based work, building learning agility into hiring, and empowering employees to co-create their futures alongside machines.
How can organisations future-proof work by hiring for potential, not roles, while using AI to unlock human skills at scale?
In this episode of
Humanity at Scale, host
Bruce Temkin speaks with
Ravin Jesuthasan, global leader for transformation services at
Mercer and author of
The Skills-Powered Organization. Together, they unpack why skills, not static job descriptions, are becoming the true currency of performance. Ravin explains how AI can surface hidden capabilities, match people to work dynamically, and make reskilling cheaper than constant rehiring. The conversation explores shifting from rigid roles to flow-based work, building learning agility into hiring, and empowering employees to co-create their futures alongside machines.
Here are some of the topics that Bruce and Ravin explore:
- How to pivot from hiring for technical credentials to hiring for learning agility
- The £50,000 economic advantage of reskilling over churning
- The three-part AI intelligence layer for skills management
- How to transition from fixed jobs to flexible and flow work models
- Why the education system must partner with corporations to produce "work-ready" talent
- How to make reskilling a front-line, bottom-up effort rather than a top-down mandate
Ravin Jesuthasan is a globally recognised thought leader, futurist, and bestselling author on the future of work, AI, and human capital. He leads Mercer’s Transformation Services globally and serves as Executive Fellow and Adjunct Faculty at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. A Thinkers50-ranked management thinker, Ravin is the author of six books, including Work Without Jobs and The Skills-Powered Organization, both number one bestsellers.
Episode Resources: