Automation Job killer or temp job cultivator - Viewpoint Viewpoint careers advice blog

Automation Job killer or temp job cultivator - Viewpoint Almost every day a media headline jumps out at me declaring jobs are at risk as a result of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Yet if the past century is anything to go on, technology will only serve to create more jobs than it destroys, at least that is what this Deloitte report indicates. Indeed, for the foreseeable future, I believe that the world of work will continue to thrive alongside the evolution of AI, but not only will it thrive, it will drastically change. Specifically speaking, the number of temp roles created will grow in tandem with the surge in automation and AI. Why will we see a growth in temp roles? According to empirical research, ‘routine manual’ jobs as a share of employment have fallen by 10 percentage points in the past three decades, while ‘cognitive routine’ jobs have been falling since the early 2000s. You only have to look as far as surgical robots, news articles and reports written by language generation software, to see this trend in practice. Non-routine jobs, however, are in higher demand. This will see demand grow for highly-skilled professionals with particular knowledge and expertise surrounding non-repetitive tasks, particularly when applied to planning, interacting with others or making decisions. This is where temporary and contract employees come into their own. By their very nature they possess a high level of relevant knowledge, and are able to come into an organisation to add value immediately. It’s no wonder then, that we’re seeing an increase in the use of such staff. A growth of temp roles in the technology sector While automation will create jobs across various industries and sectors, it is the technology sector that’s likely to see a surge in the number of temp roles being created. Why? Two reasons: The need for business ready solutions. Any company seeking to improve efficiency through AI or machine learning, will need to deploy experts in the tech industry to help them on-board the right solutions quickly and efficiently. Melonee Wise, CEO of robot manufacturer Fetch Robotics, asserts that “for every robot we put in the world, you have to have someone maintaining it or servicing it or taking care of it. There will be new jobs [and] there will be new things that people have to do.” An increase in tech start-ups. With the advent of AI, a range of tech start-ups are expected to launch, and in the process, recruit a readily available workforce. Temporary and contractor staff will benefit from the flexibility offered by these start-ups, and vice-versa. As we look ahead, we can expect more jobs for highly-skilled temporary and contract staff, particularly within the technology sector itself. They will fill knowledge gaps and bring particular expertise that is difficult to find, can’t be automated or that permanent employees are not upskilling in quickly enough. If you found this blog helpful, you may also enjoy some of our other digital transformation blogs: 5 Reasons Every CIO Must Use Contractors to Survive Digital Transformation AI Will Be a Big Part of Our Future â€" but What Does That Mean for Businesses Searching for Talent? The Real Challenge for Digital Transformation Is Not Your Technology