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The Future Of Work Is Here

Forbes Technology Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Adam Goldberg

In a startup competition, I was recently asked to write an essay about the future of work. As the CEO of a tech company that provides a platform and service to companies and their employees who are caregivers, it’s a topic that’s often on my mind. A focus of this always returns to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. The discussion in the marketplace around this topic appears to be polarized. One side feels that technology and robotic workers will dominate entirely, and the other places the employee and human needs more and more at the center of the business ecosystem. What I wonder, as I search high and low for exceptional talent, is which comes first -- the chicken or the egg in the equation of the rise of technology in the workplace?

A Fear-Based Outlook

When asked about the future of work, so many people pause -- then freeze -- and talk about automation. And when they think automation, they think about robots. Not the nice ones, however, like Rosie on the Jetsons, but the warped ones, like HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The negative AI narrative has been heightened due to the ongoing debate between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, with Musk carrying the banner for fear. Stephen Hawking once also fretted to the BBC that AI would end the human race.

There’s a reason for this: The power of fear of the unknown. As the scientists say, a signal of distress is more likely to trigger the organic chemicals in your brain to pay attention and listen to a scenario where you are facing a threat or a perceived threat. The introduction of AI and big data conjure, for an executive team, both feelings of strategic opportunity and the burden of the unknown. The question for business leaders is where these technological breakthroughs fall within Albert Humphrey’s SWOT analysis for their respective organizations. But a bigger threat for businesses surrounding AI may just be the reality of reconciling competition for human capital as a result of technology.

As the prevalence of AI, data and automated processes continues to grow, it appears that the highly skilled human component is more and more important -- ironically and thankfully. Zuckerberg described a non-fearful approach to the rise of AI and integrated technology into processes, products and the lives of people: “Whenever I hear people saying AI is going to hurt people in the future, I think: Yeah, technology can generally always be used for good and bad, and you need to be careful about how you build it, and you need to be careful about what you build and how it's going to be used.” The essence of Zuckerberg’s words, as I see it, is that the more powerful and complex technology becomes, the more important highly skilled workers are for an individual organization, as well as throughout the value chain of technology production and usage.

The upshot? The already competitive marketplace for human capital will only continue to heighten in the near future, and businesses need to strategize today regarding how they will attract and retain these highly sought-after employees. Is it possible that the growth of AI-related automation and human resource strategy must integrate?

What Employees Need

In my previous article, I asserted that there is both a market-driven and values-driven debate on the role that AI will play for many different human stakeholders. A rapidly growing group of businesses around the world is telling a story in which the human is the hero and automation is the supporting actor -- the latter relying on the former to enable its existence and execute its purpose.

I remain optimistic that what’s happening in relation to AI and automation in modern care will rally to the human side of AI, especially within competitive industries today -- software, life sciences, insurance and health tech, to name a few. Why? In part, these industries’ incredible reliance on technology and the demand for highly skilled workers who guide it. It is this demand that illustrates the growing marriage between humans and technology rather than the fear-based approach driving them apart.

Employment growth in these industries could thrive even in uncertain times, along with the value of human capital. Strategic benefits planning is becoming a requirement for supporting high tech and digital transformation operationally, and companies are offering prospective and current employees benefits in a manner never seen in the market before. An ADP report (registration required) revealed that 69% are changing pay and benefits plans to attract new candidates, and 72% will increase investment in training and culture for retention purposes. Benefits that encompass employees and their families beyond traditional insurance and retirement funds are not only growing rapidly but are becoming the standard. Over the past few years, those companies on any of the "Best Places to Work" lists are companies heavily invested in technology, offering modern, flexible and family-oriented benefits. Interestingly, many growing benefits such as telehealth, remote working, wellness programs and solutions supporting family well-being are reliant on the very technologies that the employees are hired to support.

The foundation of today’s modern existence is built upon technology. But it’s driven by the vision that technology should be at the service of and driven by human beings -- not the other way around.  That’s a story that is taking root as more businesses understand the real threat they are facing and the real opportunity they have to shape the future of work. In the end, I assert that the future of work is about people. After all, robots don’t work for themselves.

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