HQ Asia, Singapore: Senior Director at Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work Says HR Leaders Must Prepare Their Organizations for the New Jobs of Tomorrow

“The rapid pace of technological development is transforming the job market,” writes Manish Bahl. “The concern about a jobless future appears to be more prevalent than ever.” Excerpts.

“Robots are not only replacing humans in mundane and repetitive jobs, but have also begun to take on more sophisticated tasks. However, it will help to look at things from a broader perspective.

Work has always changed. Few, if any, people make a living nowadays as telegraphists, switchboard operators, and elevator operators. The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s impact on jobs is just a part of the evolution.

While it is true that many jobs will disappear and that many workers will struggle to adjust, it is equally evident that many new jobs will emerge. HR leaders need to understand the new roles that they will have to fill in the coming decade.

At Cognizant, we conducted research on what exactly these jobs of the future will be. These jobs have the potential to create mass employment, provide work for scores of people, and are not to be confused with science fiction. With a three-point common theme centered on the human touch, we believe that these jobs will stay relevant, no matter what new technologies emerge on the horizon. Some of the jobs are highly technical, others not so much.

HR leaders must start preparing their organizations for these jobs by considering a change in organizational structure to fit these new roles, and planning to start attracting the right talent.

Although the future of work may seem hazy, the bottom line is that machines are tools that need to be used by people. To imagine otherwise is to fall into the realm of science fiction extrapolation.

The future of work is better work — roles that will be more enjoyable, more satisfying, more lucrative, and more worthwhile than many current ones. HR leaders need to start gearing up their organizations for this shift in the job market.”

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