You get walked out. They blame the chatbot. Everyone nods like that's a real reason.
It wasn't. Forrester says 55% of the companies that pulled this move already regret it. Some are secretly trying to hire the exact same role back — yours, probably, with a fresh job req number so nobody has to type the word "oops."
The real story's boring. A lot of these companies over-hired in 2021 and are now covering the bill. "We messed up the budget" doesn't trend. "AI restructuring" does. There's a word for that: AI-washing.
What we get into:
Why Forrester found 55% of the companies that blamed AI for layoffs already regret it (and are quietly rehiring)
What Yale's Budget Lab actually found when it tracked "AI-exposed" jobs — spoiler, they're not vanishing any faster than the rest
The 5-minute "write it down" exercise Fast Company ties to 40% of rehires, because institutional knowledge is the one thing AI can't Google
How to use AI out loud, so you're the one people trust to call bullshit on the hype
Next time they come knocking, don't just hold the door open. Make them explain what they were doing with your shit in the first place.
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