The AI Redundancy Truth Companies Won't Say

As someone who used to lead recruitment teams and work closely with leaders to hire, there are 2 themes I have been watching closely. The first is about who is actually being affected by AI in the job market, and it is not who most people assume. The second is about why organisations are really restructuring, and what that means for how we think about career security.

Both are worth paying attention to right now.

1. Senior professionals are facing the job market for the first time in years

The conversation about AI and jobs has been focused almost entirely on entry-level roles. And yes, that is real.

But what I am also seeing is this: it is senior executives who are increasingly being caught up in these layoff conversations. Professionals who have been in their roles for fifteen, twenty years, and for the first time in their careers, are having to think about how they navigate this new world of work.

They have spent years building expertise, delivering results, and growing within organisations that know and value them. Their reputation has done the work. They have not had to think about their external brand, their visibility, or how they come across to someone who does not already know them.

And now, for the first time, they have to.

This is a reminder that no one is immune from this. You can no longer be complacent about your career and expect things to work themselves out. The professionals who navigate this well are the ones who start thinking about their market presence before they need to, not when they are already in the middle of a job search.

2. Redundancies are not always about AI

Here is an insider HR perspective.

When organisations announce restructuring and frame it around AI, that is not always the full picture. What also happens during these big shifts is that organisations take the opportunity to address things they have been sitting on. Overhiring in certain areas. Teams that have grown beyond what the work requires. Structural changes they have been wanting to make for a while.

When every competitor and every headline is already talking about AI-driven layoffs, the reputational blow of joining that wave is significantly softer. Organisations know this. It makes these moments convenient as well as necessary.

This matters because it changes how we should think about career security.

Waiting to see what happens, assuming our role is safe, or telling ourselves we will figure it out when the time comes are strategies that leave us with very little runway when things move quickly.

The shift we all need to make

The professionals who will come out ahead in this environment are the ones who are future-proofing their careers now, not when they are already under pressure.

That means thinking about your unique value and how you are perceived in the market before you need to look for a role. It means building visibility, relationships, and a track record that speaks for itself externally. It means knowing what you stand for and being known for it.

Career security in an AI world comes from being someone the market recognises and values.

You can be great at what you do. But in this world, you also need to learn how to advocate, communicate, and be visible about your work. The time to build that is not when you need a job. It is now, while you have the space and the stability to do it well.

I’ve had so many enquiries on how to work with us and I’m thinking of running a one day workshop that teaches you what you need to land a senior role in 2026! Would that be something you’d be interested in? If so, add yourself to the waitlist here.

I will reach out with everything you need to know.

Rooting for you,
Angel Kilian
Founder | Career inFocus