Andrea Schnepf on Workforce Agility, AI, and Restructuring

Andrea Schnepf is the Managing Director at nepf LLC. She has spent 20+ years helping global executives lead with confidence through transformation. She’s led high-stakes M&A, AI, digital, and organizational transformations for top consulting firms and Fortune 1000 companies. Her approach combines strategy, capability building, and execution to ensure real impact. 

Schnepf emphasizes that tech layoffs reflect a shift toward capability alignment and AI-driven transformation. She highlights agility as clarity, not speed, and stresses reskilling tied to defined roles. Careers are evolving into fluid, skill-based journeys where adaptability, leadership, and continuous growth ensure lasting organizational impact.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What do Microsoft’s recent layoffs reveal about the evolving priorities of tech giants?

Andrea Schnepf: Microsoft’s recent layoffs illustrate a broader shift: tech giants are no longer managing for headcount volume but for capability alignment. These moves are less about reaction and more about repositioning the workforce around AI, platform innovation, and emerging growth bets. We see this pattern across industries: future-ready organizations are constantly recalibrating talent to stay aligned with where value is created next. The message for employees is clear: relevance is measured less by tenure and more by how closely your skills connect to the organization’s future direction. 

Jacobsen: How can companies balance profitability with proactive restructuring?

Schnepf: The balance lies in linking workforce decisions directly to business outcomes, ensuring profitability while strengthening the capabilities needed for long-term growth. Restructuring shouldn’t just be about protecting margins; it should be about creating the capacity to invest in the future. At nepf, we’ve seen companies succeed when restructuring is paired with transparent communication, targeted reskilling, and manager enablement. Those moves protect near-term performance while creating the adaptability leaders need to navigate whatever comes next. 

Jacobsen: How is AI accelerating the shift from traditional roles to more fluid career paths?

Schnepf: AI is accelerating the move away from rigid job descriptions toward fluid, skill-based roles that evolve alongside technology. We’re moving toward a blended model of human creativity and machine intelligence. That elevates the importance of skills like strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and tech fluency. We guide leaders to frame careers as flexible, skill-based journeys instead of rigid hierarchies. That shift enables organizations and employees alike to adapt as roles and priorities are continually reshaped. 

Jacobsen: How are boards and executive teams redefining “agility”?

Schnepf: Agility used to be synonymous with speed. Today, agility is about clarity, the ability to reallocate capital, talent, and strategy without destabilizing the business. Boards are recognizing that agility is a governance priority, not a management afterthought. The organizations that adapt best are those that invest in aligning their people strategy with their business strategy, rethinking roles, and skilling leaders to lead through ambiguity. At nepf, agility is embedded into our culture, which allows us to pivot quickly to evolving client needs and deliver tailored, lasting impact.

Jacobsen: What signals should employees look for as signs of possible vulnerability to restructuring?

Schnepf: The earliest signals are often cultural, not financial. Silence from leadership, vague strategy updates, or a heavy emphasis on efficiency without a growth narrative all raise red flags. We encourage employees to watch where investment flows — into which skills, technologies, and growth areas. The question isn’t only “is my role secure?” but “does my work connect to where the organization is going next?” Stay curious about where your skills intersect with emerging needs and be proactive in shaping your narrative.

Jacobsen: How can companies invest in reskilling without creating uncertainty?

Schnepf: Reskilling works best when it provides certainty rather than speculation. That means tying learning to a clear destination role, a defined timeline, and transparent opportunities. We’ve seen the strongest outcomes when learning is built into the culture and framed as a shared expectation of growth. That framing signals that reskilling is an investment in everyone’s future, not a countdown clock. When employees see reskilling as a bridge to growth, rather than an undefined promise, it builds confidence instead of anxiety.

Jacobsen: What impact will workforce recalibration in large tech firms have on smaller startups?

Schnepf: Large-scale recalibrations often release highly skilled talent into the market. The influx of top talent creates new possibilities, but it also raises the bar for clarity, culture, and growth pathways. We see the most future-ready startups treat this moment as a catalyst to reimagine how they operate, moving beyond simply adding headcount to intentionally building the structures, leadership, and culture required to scale. The real impact isn’t just a talent boost; it’s the chance to accelerate organizational maturity and compete on a larger scale. 

Jacobsen: How might the concept of a “career” be redefined with role fluidity?

Schnepf: The career ladder is giving way to the career lattice. Traditional linear progression is being replaced by nonlinear, skill-based growth. A “career” is no longer defined by holding a title for decades, it’s about cultivating a dynamic, living portfolio of skills and experiences. At nepf, our culture embodies this: employees work across functions, engage directly in strategy, and continuously shape both their growth and the company’s. In an era of disruption, stability doesn’t come from role permanence, but from the enduring ability to deliver value in evolving contexts.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Andrea.

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More info: www.nepf.com.

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Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.

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