If you find value in content like this, sign up for my Talent Edge Weekly newsletter.
This past week, Challenger, Gray & Christmas published its January 2026 layoff report, noting that US-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, an increase of 118% from the 49,795 cuts announced in the same month last year. That context is why I found this new Deloitte Insights article timely. It suggests an opportunity for replacing “cliff” layoffs (abrupt exits that sever ties with an organization) with “talent ramps,” which are structured pathways that help people move into new internal roles or transition into the broader ecosystem while keeping skilled alumni connected for future opportunities, such as project roles, advising, contracting, or partnering. Examples include BMW’s Senior Experts Program, which brings retired engineers back in part-time, project-based roles to solve technical problems and mentor emerging talent, and Goldman Sachs’ alumni network of 115,000+ former employees, which helps keep relationships active (e.g., job marketplace access and events) and makes it easier to reconnect when needs emerge. To turn this into action, two questions: 1) Which roles are most likely to change in the next 6–18 months, and what are the 2–3 adjacent roles or projects people could ramp into? 2) What is our simplest mechanism to re-engage alumni for surge capacity or niche expertise that will fill our talent needs? As a bonus, I’m resharing my post “Rehiring Former Employees as a Talent Strategy,” which includes a cheat sheet to help identify which former employees you may want to re-engage for different needs.
