Future of Work Rapid ChangeThe future of work is rapidly shifting as technology and social trends rapidly expand, creating an ever-more diverse, flexible, and remote workplace than ever before.
Human Resources must adapt to these changes by supporting transparency, encouraging employees to live company values and finding zero-cost and high-optionality collaborative opportunities – in order to help companies better prepare for the future of work.
1. Robots will be able to do more tasks
Partial automation is becoming an increasingly widespread trend as machines augment human labor. For instance, doctors are already employing AI algorithms to read scans more accurately and determine appropriate treatment more quickly, freeing up time for more complex tasks. Retailers also employ collaborative robots for repetitive tasks like stacking boxes or inventory tracking so humans can focus their energies on more intricate projects.
Human creativity knows no bounds, making certain jobs impossible for AI to replicate: strategic thinking, thought leadership, interpersonal conflict resolution/negotiation skills, empathy and emotional intelligence are among many others that cannot yet be emulated by robots.
As the workplace changes, HR professionals must answer two fundamental questions clearly: How is the company making money and how is work getting done? Tying this back to an organizational strategic vision will allow HR professionals to prepare their organization for what the future of work holds in store – including opportunities to reinvent how work is accomplished both for employees and businesses alike.
2. Robots will be able to learn faster
As digital workplace trends have continued to progress and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this change, organizations are searching for new ways to support their employees, such as offering employee wellness initiatives or creating an entrepreneurial spirit within employees by increasing empowerment.
Companies are using new tools to gain a better understanding of their current workforce and identify gaps between talent supply and demand. This enables them to take steps now to reduce future labor issues before they become liabilities.
AI can assist hiring managers by quickly sorting through thousands of CVs in seconds to select the ideal candidates, which could radically shorten the hiring process. Furthermore, AI is used to analyze employee data and make decisions based on it – for instance placing employees into appropriate teams or allocating projects based on competencies – which ultimately could improve productivity and efficiency at work – just one way AI is adapting to meet future workplace demands.
3. Robots will be able to adapt to new situations
While it’s impossible to fully predict the future of work with absolute accuracy, trends can provide us with insight. One such trend is employee desire for companies with meaningful missions – they want their work to make a positive difference and be meaningful to society as a whole.
Keep in mind that robots are already part of our workforce: in warehouses, factories, restaurants and clothing stores; some even becoming increasingly human in appearance and cognitive ability. Some are even starting to replace some traditional jobs that were less susceptible to automation; so workers must develop skills necessary for an ever-evolving technological workforce if they hope to remain marketable in today’s job market.
4. Robots will be able to communicate with humans
Robots programmed to communicate with humans can make work arrangements more flexible. For instance, they could be used to answer customer inquiries in live chat sessions or provide other customer service tasks – giving companies a great way to provide better service while increasing employee engagement.
Employees will find it easier to change roles if they’re unhappy in their current one, particularly those whose jobs could become automated over time.
Organizations must prioritize creating a positive workplace culture by supporting transparency and encouraging employees to live by the core company values. Furthermore, they should find new ways of working with distributed workforces such as AI-augmented virtual reality experiences; furthermore it will be essential for them to understand both strengths and weaknesses within their workforce so they can build a balanced team.