Finding the right match is difficult in many contexts. The labour market is no exception. Often the process is complex and costly. People and businesses seem to speak different languages and are in many ways worlds apart. This inevitably causes miscommunication. Human intermediaries try to interpret, but a lot is lost in translation. And it only gets worse, or so it seems.Mismatches are threefold. Firstly, the unemployed don’t find the jobs that are indeed available and the employed don’t have the skills that their tasks demand. Secondly, the vast majority of employees don’t enjoy their jobs. They disconnect in another way which is just as worrisome, or maybe even more so. And thirdly, as organization formats become exceedingly flexible, job requirements continually change. Even if a match is right from the outset, tights bonds can loosen and fall apart once again.

Stoffels believes that the solution paradoxically lies in the roots of these problems: internet, big data, social media and artificial intelligence. The things that cause the paradigm shift, at the same time offer the tools to adapt to it. In the future, we’ll use AI to create wisdom in stead of plain information.

At this point Stoffels introduces Jane, a personal virtual assistant. Why Jane? Because in the future, men undoubtedly still want to be Tarzan. Amidst all this turmoil, soms things never change. Jane helps people find matching en enjoyable jobs. Here, hard skills are quite easily quantified. But the perfect connection also depends on soft skills. Personality and culture fit become more and more important as jobs change on an ever faster pace. Self-learning AI will evolve to encompass these traits as well – and in doing so will enable people to evolve with their jobs. Making people feel confident, valued and happy.