Featuring Dr. Mike Chetta, the Director of the Master of Science (MS) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at the University of Central Florida and researcher at the forefront of AI in workforce assessment.

In this edition of our Pivot & Thrive Campaign series, we sat down with Dr. Mike Chetta, the Director of the Master of Science (MS) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at the University of Central Florida and a researcher at the forefront of AI in workforce assessment. In this episode, we explored how the world of work is evolving and how education, consulting, and hiring must evolve with it.

The Challenge: Navigating the Shifting Terrain of Workforce Development

Dr. Chetta shared insights into how workforce development is undergoing significant transformation. One of the major trends he sees is a decline in long-term, resource-intensive consulting projects. Clients are now demanding faster, leaner engagements with immediate impact. This shift has been driven by economic pressure, high turnover among project stakeholders, and a broader cultural preference for agility over tradition.

Even within the academic community, Dr. Chetta notes a shrinking and shifting pool of graduate applicants, particularly in human resources (HR), business, and I/O psychology. As formal qualifications become less predictive of workplace performance, employers are pivoting toward skills-based and behavioral hiring.

The ability to solve problems, adapt, communicate, and think critically now outweighs a pristine GPA. Employers are more interested in how someone works, especially in uncertain situations, rather than in what they’ve memorized.

Embracing Soft Skills and Applied Assessment

With AI and automation replacing many routine tasks, Dr. Chetta emphasized that the future of work will increasingly rely on soft skills. In response, his consulting work and even internal hiring practices are shifting toward real-world, work sample-based assessments.

This includes:

• Structured interviews
• Situational judgment tests
• AI-enhanced assessments
• Simulations of real client challenges

In this new paradigm, hiring is less about degrees and more about demonstrated abilities and alignment with organizational key performance indicators (KPIs).

Pivoting Toward the Future: Reimagining Consulting Services and Hiring Strategies

At his firm and through the MS I/O Psychology program at UCF, Dr. Chetta is leading a pivot toward holistic evaluation. This means looking beyond the resume to understand a candidate’s full capability, from how a person explains complex ideas to how they demonstrate initiative.

For his clients, this translates into consultative support that is tailored, adaptive, and rooted in forward-thinking assessment design. Whether it's promoting from within or selecting new hires, Dr. Chetta urges organizations to prioritize agility, learning potential, and resilience over static credentials.

Defining Success in a Rapidly Changing World

So, what does it mean to truly thrive in today’s climate? According to Dr. Chetta, success must be uniquely defined by each organization and then broken down into measurable steps. He encourages companies to start with fundamental questions:

• What are we trying to achieve?
• What capabilities will get us there?
• How do we define progress, not just at the end, but at every stage?

In this way, even modest wins become stepping stones toward greater transformation and success.

Looking Ahead: The Skills-Based Future

As AI continues to reshape industries and redefine job roles, Dr. Chetta believes those who succeed will be those who are adaptable, multidisciplinary, and ready to learn. The focus is shifting from narrowly defined roles to fluid, skill-rich, and diverse teams.

Companies, educators, and consultants must rethink how they identify, develop, and align talent to ever-changing goals. It's a future full of uncertainty but also immense opportunity.

Kaptivate remains committed to helping brands navigate uncertain times and challenges, successfully pivot, and be able to thrive in the future. Are you interested in learning more on how we can help your organization pivot and thrive? Connect with us today!