HR Mattters: Will artificial intelligence rule our world?

By Ron Zarbock

There is lots of talk about artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and its potential to transform life (and work) as we know it. That transformation is all a bit cloudy, though. What does “the rise of the robots” really mean to the workforce and employers, and from a more personal perspective, the recruiting industry? Will jobs be lost? Will robots replace people? How will the workforce survive? {mprestriction ids="1,3"}

Ways Automation Is Reshaping the Workplace

There was a time when checks were cashed, film was processed and phone calls were connected — by people. Technology has changed all that. Automation has eliminated some jobs entirely, reduced the need for others and created completely new roles in the process. In envisioning the workplace of the future, workers see automation as inevitable, and they’re not necessarily happy about it. With an eye to the potential for greater productivity, employers are far more bullish about the benefits of automation. 

Robots are good at tackling repetitive, standardized tasks at scale. Artificial intelligence is used with high volumes of information that in the past would require lots of hours and human brains to digest and analyze. When robotics or AI are employed, workers are freed up to focus on job aspects that require the so-called “softer skills,” such as empathy, collaboration, communication, problem-solving and intuition. Rather than being marginalized, workers become far more valuable when a job or process requires more human intellect and emotional intelligence than computing power alone.

Based on the findings of the latest Emerging Workforce Study commissioned by Spherion, half of workers believe automation will lead to greater productivity. Yet they are also confident people can do their jobs just as efficiently, if not more so, than machines. Although that may be more wishful thinking than an inevitable truth, the reality is perhaps somewhere in the middle. More than three-quarters of both employees and employers admit that automation can improve performance, but both agree that people would still rather work with people, not machines. When robots and artificial intelligence are paired with humans, more can be accomplished than either can do on their own.  

Re-skilling the Workforce

With a study by the McKinsey Global Institute predicting that automation will eliminate between 39 million and 73 million U.S. jobs by 2030, you have to wonder what will happen to all those people thrown out of work. Some might point to the growing ranks of retiring boomers but look beyond the demographics. The statistics point to jobs lost, not necessarily workers, many of whom will be assuming new roles. That is why the need for more training is fast approaching critical proportions. Not only will there be greater demand for advanced technology roles, employers will need to upskill and reskill the non-tech workforce. It will transform traditional educational norms into continuous, career-long learning that goes far beyond a need for people to enhance their digital skills. It will require learning how to work differently and how to function cooperatively with machines in order to work more productively.

How Technology Is Transforming the Search for Talent

Research studies say anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent of workers are ready to jump to a new job. With more than 6 million jobs currently open in the U.S., employers are continually scrambling to find and engage high-quality candidates. Innovations that leverage chatbots, SaaS, the cloud, social, mobile, predictive analytics, video, gamification and AI promise a big boost in the search for talent. All these “intelligent” tools can save hiring managers from a tsunami of irrelevant resumes. They can automate administrative tasks. They can condense hiring cycles. Perhaps most important, they can deliver a more engaging candidate experience. However, the most valuable tool in recruiting is neither new nor “artificial” intelligence but human intelligence. Why? Because recruiting is a uniquely human endeavor that is more about relationships than robotics. Although technology is a powerful weapon in the hands of a smart recruiter, there is more to recruiting than identifying the right talent through applicant tracking and algorithms. Recruiting still begins and ends with people —  people who understand that business success still depends on getting the right people in the right jobs. It is the intellect and expertise of a recruiter that wields the greatest power in talent acquisition. 

Where Technology Falls Short in Securing Talent

Not surprisingly, HR leaders cited “leveraging HR technologies to more effectively recruit candidates” as a top concern in the Emerging Workforce Study. With so many technologies available, which tools will provide the best boost in talent search? In a highly competitive talent market, the most valuable tool will not be found in a technology array. Just as workers can boost performance and productivity when partnered with smart machines, successful talent search must combine the power of recruiting expertise — human expertise — with investments in new technologies to deliver truly intelligent results, filling skills gaps and providing employers with the talented employees critical to growth. 

Ron Zarbock is the president of Spherion Staffing services in Salt Lake City.{/mprestriction}