AI and Jobs Series: Navigating Upskilling's 'Messy Middle' and Fixing the Skills Mismatch - An Expert Explains

New research shows many labor markets face a skills mismatch, not a talent shortage. And in the 'messy middle' of the AI transformation, that mismatch will be harder for leaders, workers and hiring managers to ignore as they build future-ready teams. To compete, companies will need to focus on skills-based hiring to ensure worker capabilities reflect what rapidly evolving roles require. In this episode, Maria Flynn, CEO of non-profit Jobs for the Future, explains why skills, not degrees will be the currency of the future workplace, and why education and workforce systems built for the past are struggling to keep pace with AI-era job shifts. She shares changes needed in how workers are trained, assessed, tested and hired. Flynn also discusses the importance of designing quality jobs in all sectors and how worker voice and agency matters in both AI training and implementation and how this can reduce turnover, strengthen AI adoption, and close gender gaps. Key takeaways: • What is the skills mismatch - and what hiring managers need to understand to build their teams • How skills-based hiring can expand across hiring, advancement and talent management • Why successful AI adoption needs worker input, better job quality and inclusive workforce design Part two of our three-part AI and Jobs series. Subscribe to Meet the Leader for more conversations on leadership, AI, skills and the future of work.  About this episode: Jobs for the Future: https://www.jff.org/ Research - JFF: JFF AI for Workers & Learners Survey: https://info.jff.org/ai-for-workers-learners-2026-survey JFF American Job Quality Study: https://www.jff.org/idea/the-american-job-quality-study/ Research - World Economic Forum: Report: 2026 Chief People Officer Outlook, World Economic Forum:  https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-people-officers-outlook-may-2026/ Related episodes: AI and Jobs Series: What one company stopped doing - an HR exec shares lessons shaping the future of work Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/49xjtnyj Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/27fjhud8 AI 'workslop' is a leadership problem. Here's how to fix it Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2mxkzwc3 Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4evh8yk6 Watch here - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTAbIqqAf4Y How to Lead People Through AI Change: Questions to Ask from a Transformation Expert Read here - transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ykk9r7hb Listen here - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc2azrwv Watch here - Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/yyv24pvd