Addressing Labor Shortages

Most companies don’t have a hiring problem. They have a leaving problem. And leadership avoids the mirror. The fastest way to lose top talent? Treat retention like HR’s job. And leadership like business as usual. Because replacing good people doesn’t just cost money. It costs momentum. Trust. Institutional memory. Belief. And here's the real irony: The leaders who complain most about “talent shortages” are often the ones quietly pushing talent out. Not through bad intentions. But through everyday leadership design. If you want people to stay,  start here 👇 1. Make it safe to tell the truth early Not in exit interviews. In week one - before silence feels safer than honesty. 2. Say what won’t change - especially when everything else is Name the constants. Repeat them. Stability is what people hold onto in uncertainty. 3. Fix systems before judging people Look at workload. Priorities. Handoffs. Broken systems exhaust good people. 4. Treat emotional load as real work Change fatigue. Tension. Customer pressure. Invisible labor is still labor - and it’s why people leave. 5. Invite people into decisions that shape their work Not everything is democratic. But nothing important happens without context. 6. Create visible growth paths, not vague promises Talk about skills. Next moves. What “better” actually looks like here. 7. Design fairness instead of relying on goodwill Clear standards. Consistent reactions. No mood-based leadership. People stay where dignity isn’t negotiable. Here’s the part worth remembering: You can always hire new people. But you can’t rehire trust, pride,  or belief once they’re gone. Great leaders don’t try to “retain talent.” They build places worth staying. ♻ 🥇 Repost to remind leaders what actually makes people stay. ➕ Follow Mike Leber for leadership people actually stay for. Image credit: Eric Partaker — 📌 I’m creating a free Leadership Readiness Assessment  to help leaders spot what’s pushing people out - and fix it early. Join the waitlist to get it first  👉 https://lnkd.in/dM8Ks7Ns

We're 295,800 nurses short nationwide… 42 states will face critical shortages by 2030. But when you look at what we're asking nurses to do, this shouldn't be surprising: → 88% say they're concerned about how staffing shortages affect patient care → 63% are assigned too many patients → 23% are performing tasks outside their scope Turnover remains elevated at 18.4%, still above pre-pandemic levels. 𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 1/3 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. This creates a vicious cycle: Overworked nurses leave, worsening shortages for those who remain. Everyone's focused on recruiting more nurses. But what about stopping the exodus of the ones we have? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰����𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬. While most health systems compete for the same shrinking talent pool, others are making their current staff more productive by using a patient-facing operating system that works across every department, every unit, every interaction. This translates in: → Workflows that maintain consistency while adapting to individual patient needs → Real-time routing systems that connect issues to the right people instantly → Technology that handles routine follow-ups so nurses can focus on patient care If you could give your nurses back even half of that paperwork time, you'd effectively increase your nursing capacity by 15% overnight… ---------- If you're rethinking how to support your nurses, here's how we can help: https://lnkd.in/eXJ8nZrE

Community pharmacies are already delivering primary care — the question is whether health systems are ready to recognize and govern that reality. In many countries, especially LMICs, community pharmacies are the first point of contact for people seeking care. They are accessible, trusted, and embedded in communities. Yet too often, they sit outside formal primary care models — under-recognized, under-regulated, and under-utilized. A new WHO Clearing House brief, Inclusion of community pharmacies in private practice within primary care, explores what the evidence tells us about this gap — and what governments can do about it. The brief examines: • Why community pharmacies matter for primary health care and UHC • The governance risks of ignoring their role (from antimicrobial resistance to high out-of-pocket spending) • Policy strategies to recognize, regulate, and integrate pharmacies within models of care • Practical tools — regulation, accreditation, remuneration — that enable safer, more effective integration When community pharmacies are brought into primary care through deliberate policy design, aligned incentives, and appropriate oversight, they can support prevention, continuity of care, rational medicine use, and health system resilience — all critical to achieving universal health coverage. This brief is part of WHO’s broader effort to strengthen stewardship of the private sector in health systems and to move beyond “public vs private” debates toward designed integration for public value #PrimaryHealthCare #UniversalHealthCoverage #HealthGovernance #CommunityPharmacy #PrivateSectorInHealth #SystemsThinking #GovernanceByDesign

The Hidden AI Bottleneck No One’s Talking About: It’s Not GPUs — It’s Human Hands We’ve been told the #AI race is all about chips, models, and PhDs. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI’s physical infrastructure buildout is hitting a real bottleneck — a shortage of skilled tradespeople. Real stat you should see: As of late 2025, the U.S. construction industry is facing a shortage of roughly 439,000 workers, most of whom are skilled trades like electricians, plumbers, and pipe layers — the very people who build and power data centers that are the backbone of AI infrastructure. This gap isn’t a footnote — it’s a strategic vulnerability in our national AI capacity. Here’s what that means for AI leaders: 🔹 AI leadership isn’t just about algorithms — it’s about infrastructure leadership. You can train the best ML models but if you can’t wire, cool, and power the facilities, that compute sits idle. 🔹 The “AI talent war” is no longer just for coders and researchers. Trades like electricians and HVAC techs — roles once overlooked — are now critical AI talent. We must redefine talent strategy for the AI era: • Skills pipelines. • Apprenticeships. • Cross-sector career pathways. • Partnerships with unions and trade schools. • Corporate investment in human development. AI doesn’t replace jobs that require human dexterity and judgment — it amplifies the demand for them. What the market forgot: humans build AI infrastructure — machines don’t. Your AI Leadership Action Plan: 1. Integrate physical infrastructure capacity into your AI readiness strategy. 2. Invest in skills-first workforce development (trades + technology). 3. Advocate for structured apprenticeships tied to AI ecosystem growth. You can’t scale AI without scaling the humans who build it. What do you think?

Business leaders are grappling with skills shortages and a lack of candidates with relevant experience for in-demand roles. The problem is clear - but fortunately so is the solution: applied learning (or on-the-job training) through reskilling, upskilling, and early career talent programs. The current misalignment between the supply of skilled talent and the demand of employers is at the heart of my latest piece in Fast Company. Co-authored with Opportunity@Work founder & CEO Byron Auguste, we explore the critical opportunity to provide, "huge boosts to business productivity and to the wider economy through pathways that are built for all workers at all stages in their career and educational journey." In this piece, you can learn more about: - The 30 million STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes, rather than bachelor’s degrees) in the US who already have the skills for roles with at least 50% higher salaries than their current jobs, if employers #TearThePaperCeiling.  - How, according to Multiverse research with The Burning Glass Institute, apprenticeships could move 830,000 people in the US into higher-wage roles, resulting in $28.5 billion more in annual earnings.  - The emerging in-demand roles, including cybersecurity and data analysis, that are increasingly being filled through apprenticeship pathways. This piece underscores the need for the private and public sectors to collaborate and scale these programs - and with skills-based hiring increasingly prominent and various states offering tax credits for workforce training, we are already making strides. As the US economy looks for innovative ways to build new industries, let’s ensure we also build effective pathways to success for workers of all backgrounds, all ages, and all career stages. #FutureOfWork #SkillsGap #TalentDevelopment

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴��𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦. While demand for talent remains high, the hiring rate has fallen sharply, and a shocking number of job openings remain unfilled even as the number of unemployed people is steadily rising. One major reason for these developments is a growing disconnect between the skills employers need and those job seekers have. To meet this challenge, we need to rethink how we approach talent development. Reskilling and upskilling are a necessity. Businesses can’t wait for the perfect candidate with the perfect skill set to show up—they need to invest in developing the skills of the workers they already have. How? There’s mentorship, training programs, and leveraging technology like AI. All these can ensure workers are equipped with the skills we need today and in the future. But it’s not just about developing one’s in-house talent. Employers must also be open to diversifying their approach to attracting external talent, including identifying and engaging with untapped talent pools—people who might not have followed traditional career paths but have the skills to thrive in the right environment. In an era characterized by rapid technological change, employers must take a proactive, forward-looking approach to investing in talent, offering the right opportunities for growth, and developing skills that align with tomorrow’s needs. Only through these efforts can we close the skills gap and build a future-ready workforce.

Unemployment continues to climb, but so do our skill shortages. There are few credible arguments to be made that current immigration policies are addressing our skills gaps, but maybe we’re overlooking one of the most underutilized talent pools: moms. The data is clear. Women spend nearly twice as much time on childcare and housework compared to men, and that imbalance has real consequences in the workplace. Forty-four percent of working mothers say they’ll likely need to change jobs to balance childcare demands, compared to just 37% of fathers. After childbirth, 24% of women exit the labor market in the first year, and 15% remain out even a decade later. During the pandemic, the lost economic value of working mothers in the US and Canada was estimated at $420 billion. So here’s the question: could solving the skills shortage be as simple as changing workplace policies so more moms can stay in, and thrive in, the workforce? If we know moms are doing more at home, then employers need to do more for moms at work. That means flexible work arrangements that reflect caregiving realities, childcare support like subsidies or emergency care days, career progression models that account for nonlinear paths, leadership development that doesn’t penalize motherhood, and inclusive cultures that value care as a leadership trait. To all the moms who are doing double duty, we see you. To all the employers who are listening, keep going. To all of us dads, be better

This will cost us millions of lives in the next decade. How to fix it before it’s too late: Healthcare is running out of PEOPLE. The workforce crisis is here - and it’s getting worse. Every hospital, clinic, and care center is feeling the pain: • Nurses are burning out and leaving in record numbers • Doctors are stretched thin, working double shifts • Support staff can’t keep up with demand • Rural areas are losing care altogether By 2030, America will be short 300k healthcare workers and 3 million counting caregivers and home health aides. Our rapidly aging population and rates of chronic disease are pushing the system to the edge. BUT, there is a way forward. I think we need to implement 3 urgent strategies to build a sustainable healthcare workforce: 1. Invest in People: Pay more, train more, support more. Raise wages to keep talent. Fund scholarships and fast-track programs for nurses, techs, and aides. Give staff mental health support and flexible schedules to fight burnout. 2. Embrace Smart Tech: Use AI, automation, and telehealth to do more with less. AI can handle paperwork, scheduling, and even early diagnosis. Tech-enabled robotics could soon deliver meds and supplies. Telehealth lets doctors reach more patients, faster, from anywhere. 3. Redesign the Work: Build teams that work smarter, not harder.  Let nurses and doctors focus on care, not admin. Use care teams with pharmacists, social workers, and techs to share the load. Shift simple tasks to AI assistants and digital tools. Healthcare is the backbone of society... if we don’t act now, the system will break. But with bold action, we can build a future where care is always there when we need it. The time to fix the workforce is NOW - millions of lives depend on it. ❤️ What do you think is the MOST important thing we can do to fix the healthcare workforce crisis that awaits?

How did an iconic hotel in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, cut labor dependency with AI and robots by 30% while simultaneously generating 162,000 manhours of greater value with its staff? The secret lies in treating AI and robotics as a partner for your people, not a replacement. Marina Bay Sands (known as MBS here) in Singapore, a large-scale integrated hotel + casino + mall, is demonstrating that AI and robotics are now fully viable for complex, large-scale hospitality operations. MBS became the first in Singapore’s hospitality industry to deploy a fleet of 12 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for back-of-house deliveries across its hotel and convention center. Facing a 35 percent surge in delivery volumes between 2019 and 2023, the resort turned to automation to manage growing demands. The deployment of AMRs, which handle manpower-heavy tasks, carrying up to 300kg and moving at 84 meters per minute, resulted in a 30 percent drop in labor dependency. However, the crucial insight for long-term value and staff adoption is the strategic focus on the workforce, repurposing Talent for Sustainable Value. MBS's comprehensive automation efforts, which include over 200 automated work processes across various functions (like 'The Wardrobe' system managing over 200,000 uniforms via ultra-high-frequency chips and automated stocktaking, or the automated upcycling of 100% of food waste by end of 2025), have resulted in the repurposing of over 162,000 manhours annually towards greater value-added tasks. For example, instead of job elimination, members of the procurement and supply chain teams who previously handled manual deliveries are now trained in new, higher-value roles such as inventory management and robot dispatching. By investing in innovation and fostering a culture of productivity, MBS leadership proves that successful integration requires to be people-driven just as much as you are AI-driven. Repurposing staff generates motivation, long-term value, and ensures technology adoption, making automation a key driver of human capital enhancement. full article here: https://lnkd.in/g_M3bpPs #HospitalityInnovation #AIinHospitality #Robotics #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureofWork #MarinaBaySands #GenAI #Leadership #Singapore #TheWayForward

The U.S. faces a growing problem: diminishing access to physicians and health care services for 60 million people living in rural communities. Rural residents face longer travel times to receive care and there is increased pressure on those physicians remaining in the community. In a new piece in Healthcare Dive, I outline seven policies to reshape rural primary care and support the growth or the rural primary care physician workforce.   1. Tax credits for physicians practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas 2. Professional liability insurance coverage via Federal Tort Claims Act 3. Tax deduction for teaching and mentoring medical students and residents in rural practices 4. Rural Medicare payment enhancement 5. Prompt pay in Medicare Advantage 6. Strengthen the Healthy Americans incentive 7. Direct contracting with primary care physicians for Medicare and Medicaid patients Rural communities deserve access to high quality, accessible primary care. I challenge the new Congress and administration to seek bold policy changes that that make this a reality for the millions of Americans who call these rural communities home. https://lnkd.in/eRz3g2Kw