Employability in the Era of Automation

Telemarketing and customer service calls are largely done via automation systems. Automobiles are built with self-driving technologies. Most larger stores are equipped with several self-checkout options. And more and more people are purchasing books, groceries, clothing, etc. via the Internet rather than brick-and-mortar stores.

With all of these technological advancements, it is clear that we are living in an era of automation. This is worrisome for many: will robots take over human jobs?

In 2014, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 technology builders and analysts. Nearly half of these experts (48%) said they were concerned that robots and other digital agents would displace both blue- and white-collar workers — which would in turn lead to vast inequalities in income, employability, and an overall breakdown of the social order. Fifty-two percent of the people surveyed anticipated that many jobs will be taken over by technology but that human ingenuity will create new jobs, industries, and ways to make a living — which has been done since the Industrial Revolution.

Regardless of which group of experts is more accurate, it is clear that the job market is changing drastically. For instance, 30 years ago one had to be a highly trained and specialized software engineer to solve certain complex issues, but now there are “virtual engineers” that tackle these repetitive tasks. Furthermore, because of the technology involved, less-experienced engineers can take on formerly unattainable missions. Because technology is developing so fast and so intelligently, humans must do the same.

The Harvard Business Review outlines five steps that up-and-coming professionals must take in order to stay relevant: step up, step aside, step in, step narrowly, and step forward.

1. Step Up: individuals must continue seeking higher intellectual ground, whether it be shooting for an MBA or a Ph.D. or simply continuing to challenge oneself and broaden one’s perspective as a professional, especially regarding innovation and strategy. This may involve letting the technology conduct the smaller, more menial tasks, which would in turn allow the actual human more time and energy to tackle higher-level concerns. But, it is also imperative for the professional to understand how the machine does the work — and especially how that fits into the organization’s bigger picture, too.
2. Step Aside: individuals must continue to develop and refine Multiple Intelligences (a theory outlined by Howard Gardner). This is not necessarily “intelligence” as typically defined by IQ level but rather strengths like interpersonal skills, naturalistic inclinations, musical tendencies, etc. Individuals must recognize where their strengths lie, refine those skills, and subsequently hone their less-developed intelligences. Humans have capabilities that machines do not — empathy and creativity, for example — and these need to be mastered in order to remain marketable.
3. Step In: individuals must understand what the technology is doing (and why) in order to monitor and adjust accordingly, especially when the automated systems — and/or their human programmers — make mistakes or errors in “judgment.” As a result, professionals must be heavily skilled in and knowledgeable about STEM fields.
4. Step Narrowly: individuals who find a niche, develop or refine their own specialty are much more marketable and less-likely to be replaced by machines than those whose tasks are mundane, repetitive, and wide-ranging. These individuals are generally highly educated, but they also have tremendous on-the-job training as well as discipline and focus to delve deeply into their passion, constantly learning and acquiring new knowledge and skills — often too quickly to be automated.
5. Step Forward: individuals will be always be needed in the workforce, but they may be needed at much lower rates due to constant and endless automation. One position that will remain regardless is the developer of new artificial intelligence, new computers, new technology with which to automate other roles and tasks. Individuals must be on the cutting edge of technological developments, must think outside the box, must anticipate where machines will fall short and how they can be more efficient and beneficial in the future.

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In order to maintain relevancy in this ever-changing, technologically-savvy workforce, professionals must continuously grow, develop, and push themselves: they must seek further education, refine human skills such as empathy and creativity, delve deeply into STEM fields, find their niche, and think innovatively.

The workforce may be changing, and we may continue to see computers take over human jobs. But, that also means that humans will have more time and energy to do higher-level tasks, solve problems that intrigue them, do work about which they are passionate, spend time with their families and on individual aspirations, be less stressed and much happier, and change the world in positive and incredible ways.