If You Like Change & Disruption, You’ll Love 2018

Technology is the big winner for change in 2018 and beyond. People worry that machines are going to steal their jobs and even begin thinking for themselves. Heck, my compute already does THAT! Technology has such far reaching effects that it isn’t just machinery, robots, or computers that affect our work lives…it’s also digital. And if you think the above is scary, read on…

Digital: The top “Digital Giants” are Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent and almost everyone has frequent interaction with them. OK, I’m no tech guru but the following prediction by CIO Insights should send the chills of change up the spines of many.

“By 2020, five out of seven digital giants will willfully ‘self-disrupt’ to create their next opportunity. They ae being proactive by deciding to embrace disruption even if it cannibalizes some existing advantages.” I shudder to think about the ripple effects of such actions by giant entities that touch so many people’s lives in so many ways every day.

Recruiting: One change technology continues to bring about is that it is now easier to find what the pundits are dubbing as “passive candidates.”  Passive candidates are people who may not be actively seeking a job; and according to one source there are a plethora of candidates out there just waiting for discovery. When working as a recruiter for a large hotel, holding internal job fairs, attending external job fairs, having peers hand out recruiting cards, and advertising was the norm. Today recruiters simply surf through hash tags to find people with the skill sets they desire, use mobile apps, seek referrals through social media, email possible candidates they find on LinkedIn, and on and on right from the comfort of their office chair. This change will no doubt, continue well beyond 2018.

People: People are, in fact, still an important element in the workforce for today and beyond. One source with a heavy focus on the changes technology continues to bring encourages industries to concentrate on “people-centric technology options that introduce new ways to engage customers, employees, and business partners.”

Learning: Technology brings changes in employee development and the way many of us learn new skills on almost any topic, but maybe especially technology. Careers can now span 60 years and we continue to ride the “trend” (which has, or should, become a norm) of being continuous learners. Technology makes it easier for HR, managers, and executives to learn quickly, at their own pace, and to record data for future reference.

Manufacturing: Artificial Intelligence AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates through 2019, especially in manufacturing. This change in the manufacturing workforce continues from the industrial revolution right through 2018 and beyond. The lament in manufacturing, according to one executive, is the lack of “basic manufacturing skills” of new hires. A lack of basic skills, I imagine, is a cry reverberating throughout many areas of the workforce, especially in technology. America needs to continue to develop educational opportunities and encourage people to study science and technology.

Summary: “Organizations, [and their people], should organize for speed, agility and adaptability.” The point is that, bottom-line change will continue to affect us increasingly. Industries, organizations, and our workforce should prepare, stay the course, and brace for every more faster changes. Ramp up educating your workforce on handling change and help prepare them through providing every opportunity for learning, growth, and the ability to take on these new challenges.

Thank you for reading this blog. If you would like to have a brief, no obligation, discussion on how you can help better prepare your workforce for change, call 404-320-7834, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit www. Performstrt.com.

Graphic Credit: BigStock.com Copyright: ivector

Sources:
Blair-Fraser, R. (2017 November/December). 2018 Manufacturing Workforce Predictions. IMPO Insider. Retrieved from Dekalb County on-line library.
Boudreau, A. & Buckler, B. (2017). Rewriting The Rules for the Digital Age; 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends: A Travel, Hospitality, and Services Perspective. Deloitte.
Chan, D. (2018). If There’s Ever Such [a] Thing as a Good HR Problem, This is Probably It. Bitly.com
Greengard, S. (2017, October). Gartner’s Strategic Predictions for 2018 and Beyond. CIO Insight. Persistent link: http://proxygsu-dep1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=125837494&site=eds-live&scope=site Retrieved from Dekalb County on-line library.
Millet, J. (2017, November). The 2018 Human Resources Trends To Keep On Your Radar. Forbes Councils
Staff Writers. (2017, June). Seven Digital Giants Will Dominate Consumer Interactions By 2021. Which 50.com