Survival in the Digital Era: It's time to Future-Proof Your Corporation

Caleb Baker, MD, APAC & Emerging Markets, Alexander Mann Solutions

Caleb Baker, MD, APAC & Emerging Markets, Alexander Mann Solutions

In the digital era, people are no longer bounded by their geographical location. Technology has enabled us to stay connected, and communicate with our loved ones and business counterparts anytime, anywhere. Most of us have found ourselves guilty of replying to work emails during weekend getaways, checking for news updates on the phone first thing in the morning, or treating work emails as the adult version of bedtime stories before we go to bed. As we continue to embrace a lifestyle which didn’t exist 20 years ago, it is important to re-assess and change the way we work in order to future-proof our practices.

According to a research, 40 percent of jobs will be lost to automation over the next two decades. As we continue to refine and adopt robotics and automation to take up mundane routine work and raise productivity, it is more important now than ever that we future-proof ourselves and our talent acquisition practises to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve.

"With the ongoing advancement in technology, it is important for corporations to assess the long term role of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)"

Define Tasks for Robotic Process Automation

With the ongoing advancement in technology, it is important for corporations to assess the long term role of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) across different departments and work functions.

Corporations will need to define specific tasks and job functions where RPA could add more value too. For instance, the adoption of RPA at the Human Resources function enables routine analytics of the hiring process to be conducted quickly, effectively and accurately, improving the overall efficiency of hiring and on-boarding processes. Instead of replacing human interaction, RPA should be leveraged to assist and enhance existing processes in order to free up employees for more skill-based, value-added tasks.

Skills-based Job Descriptions

With the increasing automation of routine work by artificial intelligence, employees will be freed up to pursue more meaningful, skills-based tasks. Given automation will likely replace employees in certain roles, it is essential to align the skillset of an existing employee or job candidate with the company’s changing business needs. Hence, company management and talent acquisition practitioners need to look into the nature of different roles. Furthermore, job descriptions should be customised based on skillsets of employees as who they are and who they aspire to be, as opposed to what it was before.

Portfolio Career Planning

As technology continues to evolve and more jobs are being automated, it is estimated that 65 percent of school children will be engaged in jobs that do not currently exist. As traditional academic qualifications continue to lose relevance in the digital era, a number of companies have started to scrap academic qualifications of university degrees from their candidate assessments. For instance, companies such as Deloitte, Ernst and Young, and Penguin have removed academic qualifications as entry criteria for new candidates. In order to help employees to excel in their field, employers should embrace portfolio career planning and emphasise on acquired skills.

In a world where automation is unstoppable, employees should upgrade their skills constantly and make sure that they are also transferrable and applicable across different industry sectors and career paths. To facilitate ongoing business growth, companies and employees can evaluate and upgrade their skillsets through mentorship and constant training.

As the digital era continues to evolve, the HR function will play a key role in protecting the sustainability of a corporation. We must start future-proofing our practises to enhance job satisfaction and career prospects in this era.

Founded in 1996, Alexander Mann Solutions offers distinctive blend of outsourcing and consulting services. Headquartered in London, UK the company helps businesses and individuals fulfil their potential through talent acquisition and management.