Headlines about robots taking all our jobs might be alarming, but it’s not necessarily the reality. If you have a mindset of curiosity, and a willingness to embrace continuous learning, then you can reinvent yourself long before your job is replaced .Rebecca Stahlnacke
As a Management Consultant at Ernst & Young Australia, Bachelor of Commerce alum Rebecca Stahlnacke spends her workdays supporting organisations through an environment of continuous transformation. She shares her insights into what’s driving all this change, and the practical steps that professionals can take to ensure they are set up for success.
By Rebecca Stahlnacke
Four key trends are driving workforce transformation
At a macro level, there are four key drivers of the change that we’re seeing.
Changing demographics
On the one hand, there’s the rise of Generation Z, which has distinct expectations about how to consume services and products, and what they want from their employers. Social media is a huge part of their lives. There’s a strong emphasis on sustainability and climate change, and equity, inclusion and diversity. On the other hand, an ageing population is driving changes to our health and care needs. That’s impacting some sectors heavily, the healthcare industry being an obvious example.
Sustainability
The second driver is sustainability and environmental responsibility. This is a key focus for organisations responding to generational attitudes and regulatory concerns. Organisations need to understand how to successfully adjust to the expected green shift and ensure they have sustainable practices in place, not just inside their own structures but across supply chains too.
Technology disruption
Technology and digital disruption is on the mind of every CEO and business owner. There’s growing momentum in the use of technology to respond to the three other drivers of change. With lower barriers to entry, new digital, lean businesses have quickly given large, established companies a run for their money, effectively deploying cloud-based data management, automation and AI. To remain competitive, organisations globally must keep up.
Customer expectations
All these drivers are fundamentally shifting customer and consumer expectations. Customers expect organisations to deliver more tailored and personalised products or services faster, while also delivering on expectations around sustainability and climate change. This is all happening while organisation seek to maintain cost levels, which means a heightened focus on innovation and efficiency.
Reflection question: What change is happening in your industry today that responds to these challenges?
These trends are fundamentally shifting our expected skills and career paths
As a rule, organisations are globally integrating technology and sustainability with business strategies, including building up their technology functions and roles in areas such as AI, business intelligence and information security.
A technology-related example is the automation of many manual tasks. Organisations are at different stages of maturity, and some move faster than others. But there’s a big drive to digitise where possible, freeing people up to engage in problem-solving and relationship management.
When we look at sustainability, there’s growth in the specialist roles that need to really understand the nature of the work, and how to drive environmental strategies such as redesigning environmentally sustainable supply chains or governing organisations through environmental risk management.
But these changes affect everyone. You may not need to know the detailed science behind climate change, or how to create a sustainability strategy. But you still need to understand it, and how it applies to your work. You need to be aware of what your organisation’s position is, and the direction they’re going in.
While we’re seeing growth in many fields, at the same time administrative roles and tasks that can be automated, such as data entry, customer service and accounting, are declining.
We’re now in an environment of continuous transformation. Organisations 20 to 30 years ago could operate essentially in the same way for decades. Now they need to constantly adjust. They’re reinventing products and services, and processes too. They’re adapting to new regulatory requirements. And they want people who can move with them.
Reflection question: What are the biggest roles and skill gaps you are observing in your industry and workplace?
Regardless of your industry or discipline, building future-relevant and transferrable skills can help secure your future
For graduates and professionals with a specialist skill set, the missing gap is often translating that knowledge, using it to help realise business strategy. So, it’s vital to understand how these disruptors actually impact your work, and how you can use these changes to your advantage. Seeking to understand, being a curious problem solver, and collaborating broadly with teams across your organisation will all go a long way to demonstrating the human value you can bring.
Graduates from broader disciplines, such as arts, business, law or education, are probably facing the biggest change. They’re impacted by the digitisation of services and products, and by Environmental, Social and Governance concerns. Many roles across these disciplines are not going away, but they will continue to change significantly.
AI and data management has already had a dramatic effect on the world of law, for example. Where once there was an emphasis on memorising legal documents and strong attention to detail, new search engines and AI-driven information sourcing are shifting focus towards the human aspects, like problem solving, critical thinking and influencing. In the world of education, shifting demographics and continuous disruption are creating new opportunities for corporate learning programs, and technology is creating new ways for on-demand digitised learning at speed.
No matter what degree you’ve graduated from, it’s useful to identify the core specialist and generalist skills required in your area. What could be automated? What could be augmented by technology? How can you still add value through your attributes, skills and experiences?
Reflection question: What new career opportunities have opened up in your industry that didn’t exist before? What new skills would you need to use these opportunities to accelerate your career?
Rather than turning a blind eye to disruption, there are a couple of shifts you can make right now to secure your future
Although a lot of what you have read might feel overwhelming, implementing just a couple of behaviour shifts is a great way to start adapting to what the future of your work might look like.
Be curious
Think about how those drivers of change impact the work you do, and organisations you want to work with. What are some of the issues those businesses might be facing right now? Do a bit of research, show you understand the big picture, and where your role might fit into that.
It’s useful to pay attention to trends within your field, and stay up to date through articles, podcasts and conversations with experts.
When they’re recruiting, many companies look for potential and motivation. Do you have a side project? Participate in organisations outside your study? Demonstrating application of your skillset can show potential employers why they should hire you.
Make connections
It’s useful to understand different perspectives, experiences and individual journeys that might give you inspiration and insight. Being able to get advice from fellow professionals, and reflect on your own career journey, can give you fresh insights into your career and help you develop a plan for what’s next. The University of Melbourne's Ask Alumni program, for example, is a flash mentoring program for students and alumni alike. Many industry bodies and employers also run dedicated mentoring programs.
Conclusion: while change can feel overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be
Headlines about robots taking all our jobs might be alarming, but it’s not necessarily the reality. If you have a mindset of curiosity, and a willingness to embrace continuous learning, then you have the ability to reinvent yourself long before your job is replaced. But if you don’t take action, over time it is likely someone else might sit in your chair. In the first instance, this is not going to be a futuristic intelligent robot, but somebody who knows how to use technology, who’s forward-thinking and has adapted to change. But the good news is, there are many things you can do now to help secure your career well into the future.