Dive Brief:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning will have "far reaching implications," a study by Forrester states, and employers will need to adjust their development programs accordingly. Forrester posits that automation will be driven and fueled by shape-shifting organizations, use of the gig economy and the desire for data privacy. For employees to thrive, their "robotics quotient," or the ability to work with automation, will also need to be developed.
- For organizations to thrive in a changing environment, they'll need to adapt to new ways of working. But planning for this upcoming disruption will be a challenge, as external changes will come in "fits and starts," Forrester said. To survive, employers will need to anticipate changes and "sufficiently bend" them to create competitive advantage.
- The study suggests a variety of ways employers can prepare, including prepping leadership to act decisively and anticipate problems. To hone the talent of employees, employers may need to build a learning environment that considers change a constant.
Dive Insight:
Most employees don't fear AI, but their managers do; while half of managers think their staff will need new skills to keep current, 82% of respondents in a Robert Half survey said it would be challenging to teach staff to use new tech. This survey and the Forrester study point to the importance of an employee development plan to smooth out the expected and fast-approaching hurdles associated with changing tech.
To prepare for that change, employers may need to train their leaders, not only to cope with the speed of change, but to buoy their direct reports that may feel unbalanced from the shifts. In response, more employers are leaning into "growth mindset" that encourages risk-taking and decision-making while teaching employees that they can grow from failures just as well as successes. A cultural shift at an organizational level may be required to ensure employees actually feel like they can fail and not be punished for it, however.
Companies continue to believe that automation will call for more employees, not less. But to access these roles, most workers will need serious upskilling. Companies are responding in turn through community collaborations to ensure people of all backgrounds have access to training. Microsoft, for example, recently teamed up with General Assembly to provide training to 15,000 workers over the next three years.
