Powered by a youthful and high-educated demographic wave, the advances coming out of markets like India are truly mind-blowing. And yet, we still read an alarmist narrative at times about how automation, robotics and AI may replace the need for human-powered work.

Notions of a world overtaken by machines leave me sceptical, and miss a key premise about business, which is that we have to run our companies by people, and for them. The scare stories also distract us from key market realities. Many sectors in fact, face potentially crippling shortages of talent. In advanced economies, ready talent supply is becoming a global determinant for future growth potential.

The job of hiring leaders, and efforts like Tomorrow’s Talent, is to help guide this process: and encourage a conversation that sees companies investing in our people, including the retraining and development into high-demand roles.  Win the talent race after all, and our business landscapes can unfold before our eyes. Ignore it, and we face the prospect of our best and brightest being tempted away to other organisations or markets that prioritise talent more. In the talent race, it’s about use it or lose it – it’s really that simple.