October 29, 2018
October 29, 2018
Contributor: Jackie Wiles
Strategic workforce planning takes on new urgency as AI changes the complexion of the workforce. Heres what HR leaders need to know and think about.
Will robots take my job? Yes, there’s actually a website that indicates the likelihood of you being displaced by a bot. (Here’s another in case the first bot took the day off.)
Gartner TalentNeuron data shows that by 2020, artificial intelligence will be pervasive in new software products and services and AI will become a positive net job motivator, creating 2.3 million jobs while only eliminating 1.8 million jobs.
"Beyond the net impact on employment numbers, AI is changing the skills needed to perform today’s jobs," Scott E. Engler, Gartner VP, Advisory, said at ReimagineHR 2018 in Orlando, FL.
Roles are shifting to focus more and more on social-creative skills (which AI can't perform) and digital dexterity skills (the skills for working with technology and its outputs). HR leaders urgently need to plan for how AI will change their workforces.
“HR leaders need to know, given the growth in AI, what skills their company has now, what it will need in the future and how they will prepare for tomorrow’s needs,” says Emily Rose McRae, senior principal at Gartner.
Today, there are four types of skills in the world. Demand for these skills will change as AI becomes more pervasive.
Over time, demand for social-creative skills has been increasing. AI has actually increased demand for the skills it can't replace. Over time, the lower the percentage of social-creative skills required for a role, the more likely that role is to be impacted by AI.
For example, that software developers for applications have one of the lowest percentages of required social-creative skills, so companies should monitor the role to gauge the impact of AI on the skills needed. In short, the AI impact will be high on roles such as web developers, accountants and electrical engineers.
Read more: Digital Dexterity at Work
HR leaders need to take a leadership role in discussing AI strategy, and what that strategy means for the current workforce — and for potential employees. Every element of HR is necessary for success:
Here’s a guide to help HR to prepare.
Join your peer CHROs and senior HR executives from leading organizations to discuss specific HR challenges and learn top HR trends and priorities.
Recommended resources for Gartner clients*:
Understanding AI in HR: What AI Is, and What It's Not.
Future of Work Scenarios 2035: How Will Leaders Manage in a Majority-Bot Workforce World?
*Note that some documents may not be available to all Gartner clients.