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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Have you ever wanted to break up with your doctornot because of the practitioner, but because of the difficulty in engaging with their practice? Youre not alone. Ive left doctors for that reason and McKinsey has found that nearly 25% of consumers have delayed care because they hate everything about the process. System complexity is not doctors fault, but making the care experience easier for patients is now theirand their teamsburden. And that burden is only increasing. With generative AI reaching a tipping point, practices that cant adopt the technology to engage patients with a consumer-grade experience will soon face an existential crisis. In virtually every other aspect of our livesfrom banking and shopping to transportation and vacation planningtechnology has dramatically improved the consumer experience, catering to convenience and access. But not in healthcare, where the experience of being a patient still differs widely from practice to practice. There are offices where booking a routine medical appointment can feel more stressful than booking a flight to Melbourne or negotiating insurance approval for a standard treatment feels out of reach. While healthcares digital revolution has stubbornly lagged other industries, that is now shifting. Patients are beginning to flex their consumer muscles, demanding digital convenience that enhances human connection. And theyre increasingly starting to vote with their feet when they dont get the digital attention they need. We see this with the uptick in patients turning to urgent care clinics for more than just colds, because of the flexibility and digital access they provide. At the same time, much of the technology aimed at improving patient experience has, so far, created more work for doctors. These compounding factors are pushing an already burdened ecosystem towards its limits. But there is a way forward. And it’s based on understanding that the ability to deliver a consumer-grade patient experience requires a better practice experience, one where physicians and administrators alike can spend their time on what matters most: delivering patient care. An AI aha moment Until recently, many physicians have struggled to realize the value of AI in their practice. The introduction of ambient listening technology has changed the equation, creating an industry-wide revelation. This AI-based voice recognition technology has quickly proven its ability to shave off hours of time on notetaking, documentation, and entering preliminary information to assist in billing patient encounters. Doctors who were previously plagued by pajama timehours spent catching up on patient documentation work at homefeel liberated by AI-powered ambient listening. And the research supports that the optimism is more than anecdotal. athenahealths annual Physician Sentiment Survey found a positive shift in physicians opinions of AI. This year, only 27% of surveyed physicians believe AI to be overhyped or unable to meet expectations (down from 40% a year ago), and the majority of physicians who previously reported using AI in their practice (68%) are using it more frequently to generate clinical documentation. Beyond the important work to streamline operations, AI is also increasingly working as an intelligence layer that enables doctors to spend less time hunting for facts and more time acting on insights at the moment of care, allowing their practices to offer a better experience for patients and staff. The rise of AI agents What am I excited about seeing in 2025? AI applications on the horizon that can deliver on the promise of a more consumer-friendly, human experienceone that shifts physicians attention away from the computer screen and back toward their patients. Recently, I was at the HIMSS conference, an annual gathering of healthcare technology leaders. While last years conference centered on generative AI hype, with few applications in sight, this year showed real world impact and a more tangible roadmap of coming applicationsincluding agentic AI. AI agents have been operating behind the scenes in many industries for years, but large language models are giving them the ability to perform more complex tasks, such as answering certain patient questions and managing front office work. We are already seeing these agentic AI applications in our app store Marketplace of partner tools (for instance Salesforces Agentforce for Health), and are exploring agentic AI throughout our solutions, such as in improving the revenue cycle management process. As the technology enables practices to function more efficiently, those improvements will be felt by their patients, whose needs can be met faster and more directly. The benefits are real As a health tech marketer and executive, I understand both the challenge and the opportunity ahead. As I wrote about AI previously in Fast Company: Just as important as building and evolving the technology is our ability to market AIs benefits to physicians and patients alike, to ensure that its leveraged to help reclaim whats at the heart of exceptional care: a meaningful patient-physician relationship. I believe the recent AI advances have demonstrated that the benefits are real. That we, as patients, can finally stop checking our consumer expectations at the door of our doctors office. And that better care is within our reachnot despite technology, but because of it. Stacy Simpson is chief marketing officer of athenahealth.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. The influence of millennials and Gen Z on B2B purchasing decisions is undeniable. As these generations continue moving into leadership roles, their approach to decision making, especially in B2B environments, is shaping how brands leverage various marketing and sales strategies. While todays B2B brands are aware of social medias role in engaging these decision makers, many fail to fully integrate it into their omni-channel strategies.Madison Logics recent surveyin collaboration with Harris Pollfound that 64% of B2B marketing leaders plan to invest in more B2C-focused social channels like Instagram and TikTok in 2025. Its critical that brands understand how to effectively leverage social media or risk seeing low returns from their efforts. What drives todays buyers Millennial and Gen Z buyers bring unique perspectives, habits, and expectations that are reshaping B2B marketing and sales strategies. As digital natives, their approach to purchasing and information gathering is often more collaborative, digital-first, and influenced by nontraditional media channels. These two generations are less likely to be influenced by in-person meetings, comprehensive email exchanges, or through phone calls. Instead, millennials and Gen Z want seamless, online purchasing similar to what they have in their personal livesconsumer-grade digital interactions. They also expect personalized, immediate, and easily accessible informationmuch of which is found on social media. Why social is the missing piece Omni-channel marketingfocused on creating consistency across digital platformsis a proven method to deliver a seamless customer experience at every stage of the decision-making process. The idea is to meet prospects and customers where they are; and where they are is on social media. While LinkedIn, with over 1 billion members has long been considered the go-to platform for B2B decision makers, younger generations are expanding their social media presence into platforms that were previously more aligned with B2C engagement. TikTok and Instagram, for example, are not just for fun and entertainment anymore; theyre becoming crucial business tools. LinkedIn continues to be the most effective platform for professionals looking to make connections and engage with thought leadership content. In fact,80% of B2B leadsgenerated via social media come from LinkedIn. However, millennials and Gen Z have grown up with a broader social media usage pattern. These younger decision makers are comfortable on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and even Facebookplatforms that might seem outside the typical B2B scope. How to make the most of social in your omni-channel strategy To make the most of social media in your omni-channel approach, its essential to integrate these channels seamlessly into your broader marketing and sales strategies. Heres how to ensure youre maximizing your efforts. Use data to understand buyers:Social media allows brands to connect with potential customers in a more personal, humanized way. This is especially important for millennial and Gen Z decision makers, who tend to value authenticity and transparency. Using intent data to understand buyer concerns and mapping engagement to where they are in the buyers journey is key to building an effective omni-channel strategy Engage in real-time conversations:Social media offers a unique opportunity to engage with your audience in real time, and this is where the younger generations are looking for genuine interactions. If someone comments on your brands Instagram post or asks a question on LinkedIn, its essential to respond quickly and meaningfully. Millennial and Gen Z buyers often prefer self-service and quick resolutions. Embrace video:Short-form video is the fastest-growing content category on LinkedIn, withnew datarevealing that total video viewership surged by 36% year-over-year and video creation grew at twice the rate of other original post formats. Video content consistently outperforms text-based content and images in terms of engagement, largely due to its ability to capture attention quickly, making it ideal for social channels where professionals are often scrolling through feeds looking for insightful, actionable content. Leverage influencers and thought leaders:Our recent survey also found that more than half (56%) of B2B marketers use influencer marketing strategies to connect with their audiences. Collaborating with respected industry experts, thought leaders, and influencers lends credibility to your brand, increases awareness, and helps foster trust with potential buyers. Measure, analyze, and optimize:Finally, as with any aspect of your omni-channel strategy, it’s important to continually measure and optimize your social media efforts. Social media platforms offer powerful analytics tools that allow you to track engagement, reach, and conversion metrics. By analyzing this data, you can identify which social channels and tactics are driving the most value for your business and optimize your strategy accordingly. Incorporating social media into your B2B omni-channel strategy is no longer optionalit’s essential for reaching todays decision makers. With millennials and Gen Z increasingly occupying key roles in the B2B buying process, brands must work harder and seek out ways to meet them where they are. And, at a time when nearly everyone is being asked to do more with less, those who embrace social as a critical part of their omni-channel strategy will surely be better positioned to win in the long run. Keith Turco is CEO of Madison Logic.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Theres a seismic shift reshaping the labor market, with tremors across government and business. The latest signal of this transformation is the announcement of the Skills-First Workforce Initiative, a collaboration of top employers aimed at making the skills needed for jobs more transparent. It follows an announcement from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who on April 2nd unveiled his Master Plan for Career Education, furthering Californias efforts on skills-based education and hiring. That means candidates are encouraged to apply for roles based on their skills and previous experience, rather than what can be an arbitrary marker of capability: the college degree. The Skills-First Workforce Initiative and Newsoms plan build on the momentum of many other states, like Colorado and Arkansas, and the federal governments Chance to Compete Act, which makes skill-based hiring a requirement for federal agencies. All together, these initiatives and announcements send a clear message: The future of work has arrived. Its a future that requires a new strategic imperative for workers and organizational leadersthe need for continuous upskilling. Skills are the new currency A growing number of companies and other state governments are already reaping the benefits of skills-based hiring by focusing on talent and potential rather than formal education. These leaders understand the potential of skills-based hiring to diversify the talent pool, foster innovation, and prepare organizations for the complexities of the future. According to the National Governors Association’s recent findings, over half of U.S. state governments have policies that encourage skill-based hiring, and states that adopted these policies have seen faster growth in job postings that dont have degree requirements. With more organizations adopting skills-based hiring approaches, and even leveraging skill assessments to promote internally, skills are becoming the currency of the modern workforce. Adapting to this new era of skills requires an essential mindset and strategy shift for employees and organizations. Employees need to embrace a mindset of continuous upskilling, while organizations need to give their employees the time and resources to sharpen those new skills. For those at the cutting edge, this means starting the journey to becoming a skills-based organization. Become a skills-based organization A skills-based organization prioritizes the skills and capabilities of candidates and employees over their formal educational background. According to our research at Udemy, over 80% of employees report that their companies are beginning to consider implementing skills-based approaches (such as skills-based hiring), and 75% of organizations have already made changes to support this transition. The key steps to becoming a skills-based organization extend beyond hiring practices. To become skills-based organizations, companies need to create structured skill taxonomies. These are frameworks that identify and categorize the skills necessary for various roles within the organization. At Udemy, we are developing a skills taxonomy to map the competencies essential for different career paths, enabling targeted learning and development. Focusing on skills instead of traditional credentials like degrees or job titles has been proven to cultivate a workforce that is both more agile and diverse. According to Deloitte, nearly two-thirds of companies implementing skills-based strategies experience enhanced outcomes compared to those that don’t. Such organizations benefit from greater workforce flexibility, facilitating quick and adaptive reactions to unexpected market shifts. When skills development and acquisition are prioritized, employees become versatile, readily transitioning to new tasks or roles as needs arise, without being limited by predefined job titles or descriptions. This agility enables organizations to swiftly address emerging challenges by strategically reallocating talent where it’s most needed. AI supercharges the change These shiftstransitioning to a skills-based organization and adopting new mindsetswon’t happen overnight. However, AI can significantly accelerate the process, and it is becoming even more critical as companies feel pressure to reskill their workforces. We are entering an era where AI integrates into every facet of learning, simplifying, and accelerating skill acquisition. One way that AI can transform workplace training is by enabling adaptive learning systems that customize educational content based on learner progress. This personalized approach can enhance learning efficiency and engagement, allowing learners to access the knowledge they need more effectively. AI-enabled learning systems have the power to bridge gaps between current employee knowledge and needed skills, making them a dominant force in the future of education. Our role as leaders The movement towards a skills-based economy is not just a fleeting moment. It’s the dawn of a new era in workforce development. Announcements like Newsoms signal a move toward a more equitable and efficient labor market. As leaders, we must champion these changes within our organizations, ensuring that we create an environment where continuous learning and skills development take center stage. By prioritizing skills over degrees, we’re opening doors to a broader range of individuals, enriching our organizations with diverse perspectives and experiences. Together, we can build a more inclusive and dynamic workforce equipped for the challenges and opportunitis that lie ahead. Hugo Sarrazin is CEO of Udemy.
Category:
E-Commerce
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