
From the ongoing shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts caused by automation, and other possible disruptions to the status quo, many wonder what the future holds in terms of employment. In a recent interview with Authority Magazine, Abilash Velayudhan, Head of Talent Acquisition for North America and Western Europe, gives his thoughts on what the future of employment in this industry might hold.
Abilash began his career as a technical recruiter 22 years ago and has worked for many companies in order to become well-versed in analytics and statistics. His previous work in various agencies, including those that conduct recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), corporate employment, and staffing has taught him to deliver results under pressure and, most importantly, how to work cohesively with your team and collaborate with your partners and hiring managers.
Below are some of the interview highlights:
What do you expect to be the major disruptions for employers in the next 10–15 years? How should employers pivot to adapt to these disruptions?
According to the World Economic Forum, in 10 years, over 50% of jobs will be automated. However, only 5% of jobs will be eliminated, which essentially raises the need for the existing workforce to be upskilled and reskilled to work alongside the most complex machines. Another phenomenon that is rapidly disrupting work is the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) skills.
How should people plan their careers such that they can hedge their bets against being replaced by automation or robots?
We need to shift our focus from worrying about the impact of automation to actually helping create high-end technologies. If we look at the possibilities in evolving technologies like artificial engineering, machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA), and blockchain, there’s a nonstop need for training, data, and maintenance of technological innovations and exceptions.
What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support the fundamental changes to work?
In order to support future labor demands, there must be a bigger push to include more of the workforce in technology-based jobs. There is a huge parity in job availability and access, and only with proper training and expanded recruitment will these challenges be remedied.
What are your “Top 5 Trends To Watch In the Future of Work?”
- Diversity and Inclusion will become the cornerstone for workforce planning
- Most companies will start creating teams to work as independent startups within their organization.
- Remote work will become the norm and teams will be expected to collaborate globally and work flexible hours to find common timelines.
- Automation and AI/ML will be inevitable in all functions of organizations.
- Candidate experience will play a crucial role in creating employer branding and the company’s ability to attract talents.
Click here to check out the full article from Authority Magazine.