09/02/2026
⭐Roundtable Recap: Workforce Development, AI & Preparing for the Future of Work⭐
This week’s roundtable focused on the intersection of workforce development, employee retention, customer service, and artificial intelligence. A major part of the conversation centered on how businesses can better prepare people for today’s workplace while using emerging technology to increase capacity, not simply replace employees.
The group discussed the importance of creating stronger pathways between education, training, and employment. Employers need workers who understand not only the technical responsibilities of a job, but also the expectations that come with customer-facing roles, including communication, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, accountability, and professionalism. Pre-employment training, certifications, community college programs, and partnerships between employers and workforce organizations were discussed as potential ways to better prepare individuals before they enter the workplace.
Employee retention was another important part of the conversation. Hiring someone is only the beginning. Businesses also have to consider onboarding, training, workplace culture, communication, realistic expectations, opportunities for growth, and whether employees have the support they need to succeed. When employees are overwhelmed, inadequately prepared, or disconnected from their teams, businesses can experience higher turnover and an inconsistent customer experience.
AI also played a major role in the discussion, particularly as a tool that could support workforce development and productivity. From helping develop training materials and standard operating procedures to managing repetitive administrative tasks and organizing information, technology can potentially give employees and business owners more time to focus on higher-value responsibilities. At the same time, participants emphasized that human oversight, accuracy, customer relationships, and good judgment remain essential.
Key Takeaways:
✅Build stronger talent pipelines. Partnerships between businesses, educational institutions, and workforce organizations can help prepare individuals with the skills employers actually need.
✅Training should go beyond technical skills. Communication, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, accountability, and customer service are critical workplace skills.
✅Retention starts with the workplace. Strong onboarding, clear expectations, supportive leadership, opportunities for development, and a positive culture can help businesses retain good employees.
✅Use AI to support employees—not simply replace them. Automating repetitive tasks can create more capacity for work requiring relationships, creativity, leadership, and judgment.
✅Prepare employees for how the business operates. Helping people understand expectations, performance measures, and how their role contributes to the organization can create greater ownership and engagement.
✅Keep the human element. Technology can improve efficiency, but people remain essential to building relationships, solving complex problems, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
The conversation was a great reminder that the future of work isn't just about adopting new technology, it's about developing people. Businesses that invest in training, create pathways for employees to grow, build strong workplace cultures, and thoughtfully incorporate technology will be better positioned to develop and retain the workforce they need.
💭 Question to Consider: How could your business better prepare, develop, and retain employees?
Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion! Our Small Business Roundtables are open to business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and anyone interested in connecting, learning, and growing together. We hope to see you at the next one!
