How AI will transform the working landscape in 2023 and beyond was originally published on College Recruiter.
Talent acquisition and management has evolved significantly in recent years and it will continue to change in the future. Digital solutions are empowering businesses with new and more effective ways to find and retain the best talent. Modern tools allow companies to fill open positions in record time and with minimal unnecessary fuss. A major contributor to this evolution is the introduction and adoption of AI-based tools. Used properly, automation can help businesses and employees work in a way that is more efficient and can ultimately make working more productive and fulfilling.
AI in today’s workforce
A study of public opinion about automation found that almost half of Americans believe that automation has hurt workers, instead of helping them. However, people often feel stressed about AI because they don’t understand how it will be used. Uncertainty about how it will affect each employee often leads to reluctance to accept AI-driven automation.
Recruiters are perfectly positioned to see how the introduction of a modern solution influences a business’ hiring needs. While there is a general belief that AI can help businesses improve hiring, HR personnel seem to be more receptive to using AI in their daily activities—95% stated that AI could help them do their job better. However, this number decreased slightly when employees from other business departments were asked the same question. As more companies experience the benefits of using AI, employees will have to evolve to thrive in this new working environment—relinquishing repetitive, manual tasks in favor of higher-level pursuits. This means changing the way career paths and specializations are viewed.
How career paths and specializations will change in the future
Before employees can thrive in a new AI-driven work environment, they must first understand how career paths will change in the coming years. As companies automate low-value, repetitive tasks, employers are likely to focus on high value tasks that AI cannot do. This includes skills such as relationship building, client outreach, data analysis, and so much more. Employers will place significant emphasis on soft skills (such as adaptability) above professional and formal training. This gives job seekers more flexibility throughout their careers by allowing them to showcase their transferable skills instead of continuing to work in industries where they aren’t fully satisfied.
How automation benefits employees and job seekers everywhere
1. Automation will create more jobs
An often cited example of how job automation creates more work for job seekers is how the introduction of ATM machines actually allowed banks to hire more tellers than before. The efficiency of ATM machines allowed banks to offload tedious tasks such as cash withdrawals and deposits while allowing tellers to interact with the customers who need personal service. As organizations find more efficient ways to get work done, history shows that they expand the scope of their offerings to appeal to a wider range of customers or serve their existing customers better. This expansion provides job seekers with not only a greater number of positions to apply to, but also more varied and diverse opportunities.
2. Employees will spend more time on interesting, high-level work
Modern organizations are intimately aware of the challenges that hiring difficulties can create. Businesses are constantly looking for better ways to find workers and keep them engaged, but this can be challenging if employees find their work inherently disengaging. A Gallup poll showed that only 36% of American employees are engaged at work. Automation directly tackles this challenge by offloading tedious and time-consuming tasks to AI-based solutions. Employees are then able to focus on the more rewarding aspects of their job such as interacting with customers or doing more interesting analytical or creative work.
3. The money saved through automation will benefit employee wages
Automation affects different jobs at different levels. Jobs that are most likely to be affected often involve more manual labor and are likely to be low-paying jobs. These are also the jobs that are most affected by the “great resignation” that companies are experiencing. In other words, the jobs that are most likely to be taken over by automation will give way to the higher paying positions that Americans want. The working landscape will change to better reflect the needs of the American workforce as automation eliminates the jobs that workers are rejecting and creates more revenue for businesses to open up roles that pay more and better engage workers.
How to take advantage of the impending AI-driven workplace
The role of AI is not limited to automating low-value tasks. It can also empower workers to direct their efforts more effectively. AI provides significant data about businesses and the effectiveness of existing processes, and can provide business leaders and data scientists the knowledge they need to make better decisions for themselves and their employees.
Ultimately, AI is already changing the way businesses and employees work and it will continue to do so in the coming years. Despite worries about job loss, AI should be viewed as complementary to traditional labor. Employees can benefit from automation as much as businesses can. Automation empowers employees to focus on skills development and can open up new and better paying opportunities that are more likely to engage them on a deeper and more fulfilling level than their old jobs.
—Dean Mathews. Dean is the founder and CEO of OnTheClock, an employee time tracking app that helps over 15,000 companies all around the world track time.
Dean has over 20 years of experience designing and developing business apps. He views software development as a form of art. If the artist creates a masterpiece, many people’s lives are touched and changed for the better. When he is not perfecting time tracking, Dean enjoys expanding his faith, spending time with family and friends, and finding ways to make the world just a little better.
