The rise of the robots shouldnt make us fear for our jobs - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

The rise of the robots shouldn’t make us fear for our jobs - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Recently I’ve read a lot in the news about the increasing influence that smart technology, particularly robots, is expected to have on the world of work. The more sensationalist headlines predict the demise of the human worker. The more sensible do point to the opportunity for advanced robotics to unleash a massive wave of productivity improvements, akin to the impact of the original Industrial Revolution centuries ago. While I accept the latter, particularly as robotics can fundamentally change the economics of a business, I find it hard to believe some of the more dramatic headlines, many of which appear to discount the importance of personal relationships and intuition, for which everyone in business knows there is no substitute. Research, including that from the Boston Consultancy Group, Oxford University and Deloitte, has predicted huge swathes of jobs, ranging from those in  accountancy  to manufacturing, will be lost to robots in the not too distant future. In fact, the former predicts that up to a quarter of current jobs won’t be performed by humans by 2025. This has understandably caused quite a stir, and I know colleagues and friends were very quick to check  a new online calculator, which evaluates how likely a robot is to take over their job. But should the rise of the robot cause us so much concern? Yes, machines already carry out many roles and with technology’s rapid evolution this is only set to increase. There’s no denying that when it comes to repetitive motion and basic data analysis, for example, robots certainly have the upper hand. Equally, the advances in data science and artificial intelligence are opening up new ways to look at businesses and generating insights that can lead to major productivity improvements. Im investing in those areas in my own business, but to best equip my people with the tools to do a better job than their competitors, not to replace them. And it works. So in my mind it will be humans, not robots, who will continue to differentiate businesses in the coming decades. Here are four reasons why, in my opinion, businesses will need people as much, if not more, than they will need robots: 1. People become a premium It’s too easy to forget that no matter the industry or sector, those at the end of the sales funnel are human. Technology consistently re-values skills, and with the digital world permeating every area of our professional and personal lives you should expect colleagues, customers, clients and partners to place an increased premium on quality, relevant, insightful, and ultimately human engagement in the future. As I wrote about in my previous blog, we must all be aware that  technology can be replicated  by your competitors but your people can’t. We should look at robots not as a threat, but as a means of freeing up time, increasing capacity and productivity and ultimately allowing businesses to focus on the human side of what they do. We then get back to the old cliché that our people are our greatest asset. But it becomes even more true when everything apart from your people can be replicated. 2.  You can’t build rapport with a robot I’ve yet to meet a robot that can motivate a workforce, bank goodwill, return a favour or build a relationship, qualities that enable a business to run smoothly and get things done. It’s these meaningful personal relationships and interactions, which see employees go that extra mile for a client or each other. Human relationships simply cannot, and will not, be replicated by robots, and I know here in my own company at Hays, a very people focused business, how important some of these softer skills are to our success. They are fundamental and vital in a world where people do business with people.  3.  Innovation can’t be programmed or plugged in In today’s ultra-competitive corporate world, the battle for innovation has never been fiercer. To be truly innovative requires a level of collaboration, idea sharing and creativity that simply cannot be programmed or plugged in. These moments are often unplanned and happen in the office corridor, over a drink in the evening or when joining a meeting you might not have been scheduled to attend. While there is no replacing hard work, I’ve seen that it’s often these unexpected and unplanned moments which lead to businesses standing out from their competitors. 4. Human instinct should be trusted While technology can execute strategy, planning is best left in the hands of people. Natural intuition cannot be coded and we’ve all seen results fly in the face of prior data. As an example, when my companys clients ask our consultants to recommend candidates for roles, we consider a wide range of options to source the ideal fit. Experience, qualifications and expertise are vital factors, but we also assess how well the candidate will complement the skills and personalities of the existing team, which requires human intuition. Ultimately I dont think you can program a culture and an element of ‘gut’ instinct is often required in business, especially when it comes to delegating within a team or future proofing your organisation through new hires and training. People, particularly in leadership and management positions, are in my view the biggest deciding factor in the success of a business. Inspiring and motivating a team requires a level of nuance that can only come from people â€" an argument accepted by  the online calculator referenced  earlier, which predicts that CEOs have just a 9% chance of being replaced by robots. Im obviously pleased to hear that. A final thought There’s no doubt that some of today’s jobs will be carried out by robots in the future, both near and far, and we should embrace that. However, it’s important to appreciate that the rise of these smart machines will also mean that people and their unique skills will become more valuable. After all, we’ll need a whole lot of human skill and intuition to really leverage this technology to drive productivity in our businesses. The trick is to make sure we recognise that we will need different skills, either individually ourselves or within our organisations. So, instead of spelling the end of  many  jobs as we know it, I believe the rise of the robots will  help make us more productive, thereby creating new types of work and jobs for the future. Hopefully you found this blog valuable. Here are some other related blogs that you will also enjoy: The future of recruitment? Prioritising personality in your hiring process Theres no such thing as a digital expert 4 ways to grow yourself global 11 ways to become more productive at work Prioritising personality in your hiring process