What happens to ‘careers’ when algorithms take the driver’s seat? This was the big question at a group meeting of international scholars that gathered at Antwerp Management School to discuss the intersection of career analytics and algorithmic management. A topic that’s becoming increasingly relevant for HR leaders as career paths evolve beyond traditional job descriptions and hierarchical ladders.
From jobs to work experiences: The shift is here
Traditional career management has long relied on clearly defined roles, well-established career ladders, with a focus upon core employees (often high potentials) with a permanent employment contract. But today, the reality is far more fluid. Gig work, multiple job holding, and hybrid arrangements mean people can build their careers through a portfolio of experiences rather than a single employer or role.
Despite many organizations embracing innovation when it comes to their core business and to technology, mindsets and practices related to how to shape contemporary careers often lag behind. A significant portion of the workforce is overlooked because career frameworks still assume stable, long-term employment relationships. This tension calls for HR to rethink how to support diverse career journeys in an increasingly boundaryless world.
Algorithmic management: Between empowerment and control
AI and algorithmic management are transforming how work is organized and how careers unfold. Platforms already use algorithms to allocate tasks and monitor performance, often with little human interaction. On the one hand, these systems can boost efficiency, consistency, and even reduce human bias. On the other, they can limit autonomy and lock workers into narrow paths of specialization.
The takeaway? Technology isn’t just automating tasks. And the implications for HR reach further than redesigning jobs and investing in employability development. Technology is changing the way people experience and shape their careers, sometimes in ways that remain invisible to traditional HR systems. Technology is disrupting traditional career systems with implications for the backbones of HR policies in many organizations:
- job classification and grading systems,
- promotion criteria,
- reward building blocks.
The untapped potential of career analytics
Most organizations have a wealth of career-related data, from skills profiles and internal mobility patterns to aspirations captured in surveys. Yet much of this data remains underused. Career analytics can help employers:
- see trends they might otherwise miss,
- build better talent pipelines,
- and design more inclusive career pathways.
This potential is especially relevant when taking steps toward total talent management, which also encompasses non-traditional workers such as freelancers, gig workers, or project-based professionals whose ‘hidden’ work histories often go unrecognized.
A broader view: Bringing hidden career stories to light
There’s an opportunity to expand career frameworks beyond the conventional full-time employee. Many gig or freelance workers rely on these experiences to build skills and earn income, yet these roles often don’t ‘count’ in traditional talent management systems.
Recognizing this hidden experience can help organizations tap into overlooked talent pools, for example, viewing gig caregiving as a pathway into childcare careers. Broadening what ‘counts’ as career experience helps build fairer, more dynamic pathways for a diverse workforce.
Questions HR leaders should be asking
- How can algorithmic tools empower workers rather than just control them?
Designed well, AI can help employees navigate new opportunities, match skills with projects, and grow in meaningful ways – both on the internal and external labor market. - Do our career frameworks include all workers?
Thinking beyond permanent staff helps ensure that gig workers, contractors, and project-based employees also have pathways to grow and thrive. - Are we making the most of the data we have?
Partnering with researchers or tech providers can unlock new insights from existing data and help organizations test fresh approaches.
Co-creating the future of careers: A call to collaborate
Since more than 13 years, Antwerp Management School and SD Worx are joining forces to research and shape the future of careers in close collaboration with employers. This is a pivotal moment for reimagining careers — and it’s not a journey HR teams should take alone. Building fairer, more flexible, data-informed career systems calls for collaboration across employers, researchers, intermediaries and HR tech innovators.
If your organization wants to explore pilot projects, test career analytics tools, or contribute real-world data to advance research, this is the time to get involved. Together, we can shape career paths that work for people, organizations, and the evolving world of work.
Interested in partnering to explore what’s next? Let’s start the conversation and unlock the full potential of careers in the age of algorithms.
