I have been reading a lot about job trends and what our work lives will be like in the future. This is, as you would expect, something I have always done but it all has a new tone now. Nothing like a pamdemic to speed up innovation tenfold. It is fascinating to see the broad spectrum of opinion about this. Some people think that robots and AI will eliminate all work as we know it. Others think that robots and technology will enhance what we humans can do on our own and therefore make work better.
When I think back on my career in recruiting, a lot has changed in terms of the process and tools available to me . I no longer have to stand beside fax machine watching the pages pass through to make sure they don’t jam. I don’t have to flip through pages and pages of resumes in file folders (that were never in the right order).
Now, I can sit at a computer anywhere and have access to anything. I can send information to a client or a candidate with the mere click of a button.
In the end, the process of what I do remains the same regardless of the state of technology. I listen to what my client needs and then talk with lots of people until I find the right people with the right skills to fit the bill and find happiness.
Technology is great enabler. LinkedIn, Twitter and fancy databases provide easy access to all kinds of information but I still need critical thinking, writing and listening skills to do my job well. Those cannot be replaced by any kind of AI.
When Apple and Microsoft first came out with programs like Word and Draw, we were suddenly able to make our work look totally professional. My words looked like a manuscript. It was so cool. It was a real come-down to realize that just because it looked like it had been published, did not make it publish-able. It was still just words on a page by a budding recruiter.
The lesson here, is for all of us to continue to use our critical thinking skills to question how we use technology and to put the new tools to work in the best way possible. After all, they don’t call it “human” resources for nothing.
Recruiter's Couch 