The Rise of the Robots - Is Your Job at Risk?

Could a robot do your job better than you?

With the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI), workplace automation has left many people anxious about their career prospects. A recent Oxford University report estimates that within the next two decades, nearly half of all U.S jobs will be at high risk of being lost to computers, with transportation, logistics, administrative, sales and construction jobs to be impacted first. Yet even jobs that are thought of as ‘secure’ such as data analysts and bankers may be affected.

Tech pioneer Elon Musk claims that artificial intelligence is “our biggest existential threat”, so we should take it seriously that we may find ourselves in the near future replaced by - or at least sitting next to - a robot in the office. While its a daunting prospect that the careers we have built may be redundant in the future, having robots in the workplace may actually bring some surprising upsides to the workday – even if their chat is a little lacking.

Robots make the best colleagues. Let’s be real. No one is ever 100% productive at work all the time. Humans are emotional creatures, and as such, our productivity can ebb and flow. Robots, meanwhile, aren’t afflicted by human emotion, and you’ll never find them crying in an office cubicle. They don’t need lunch breaks, sick days or weekends. Our dull and repetitive tasks can be managed by a studious colleague who never complains - and never slacks off.

Workplace automation is an opportunity to up-skill. If a robot can do your job better than you, then think of it as a good thing. It means that doors will open for you to upgrade your skills and focus your energy on more creative projects that only a human can do.

There will be growth in careers that don’t even exist yet - all because robots have mobilised humans, the more highly intelligent talent pool, to do the more interesting, innovative work. Know your risk, and plan for the future.

Jobable are a company that can keep your career ahead of the game. They provide data on how likely certain jobs are to be replaced by a robot across ten top companies in Hong Kong. For HR professionals, it is a valuable tool to help understand how the workforce is changing - and what you can do to manage it.

Let’s look at customer service worker’s at HSBC as an example. They make up nearly 10% of the company’s workforce - and have a 91% risk of being replaced by robots in the future.

You can also compare the risk of workplace automation against other leading companies:

The benefit of this tool is that it offers suggestions on how at risk roles can be up-skilled to less at-risk ones. By clicking anywhere on the box “Better up-skill to be safe”, you will be given options on what skills you need to be able to better plan for your career future. Jobable’s data is gathered from real-life employees within each function and organisation. They take into account the company’s structure, recommending new jobs that exist within the company. It’s a valuable tool for anyone anxious about the impact of workplace automation on your career, and for HR managers who need to plan ahead for the changes technology will bring to the workforce.

How is your HR department managing the impact of workplace automation?

See how at risk your job is from robots by clicking on the link below. 

- Job Able Twitter