The next decade is going to see a whole host of new jobs created. Roles that haven’t existed before can be tricky to resource, as there is no direct experience that can be demonstrated by recruits and hiring is reliant on transferable skills. The old methods of recruitment become redundant, so how can organisations find the right talent?
Changes on the horizon
The job market is rapidly changing, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation changing the world of work. Employees in manual fields – like waitresses, checkout assistants and truck drivers – will find their roles largely automated, forcing them to reskill and work in areas where ‘human’ skills like empathy, caring and creativity carry greater value.
Despite popular belief, however, automation and AI will cause a net increase in jobs. 133 million new roles are anticipated, driven by new products and services built via the technology, but what these jobs will look like is still under debate.
The need for soft skills
Organisations can no longer rely on hard skills or experience to hire people for these positions, because it simply doesn’t exist. Instead, they will have to look at soft skills and transferable experience – a candidate’s personality and their cultural fit with the organisation will also be under greater scrutiny.
Much work in the future will hinge on skills like communication and leadership, and people will have to work seamlessly together and with robots and AI requiring exemplary teamwork and problem solving skills. With automation having a lasting effect on a range of industries and disrupting countless jobs, recruits require the ability to adapt and change careers quickly. Focusing on hiring these skills now will help organisations to futureproof their workforces.
Internal development is one of many talent sources
External hiring is becoming increasingly difficult because of the growing skills gap in the tech industry, meaning organisations must consider alternatives such as training and promoting from within. More than half (54 per cent) of employers will need to reskill their employees by 2022, and while formal training programmes go a long way to doing this, there are huge benefits to be found in simply carrying out stretch assignments in other departments, mentoring and volunteering to build new skills.
Organisations may also turn to other sources of talent to plug their internal skills gap. Freelancing and the gig economy is on the rise, with half the U.S. workforce expected to be freelance by 2020. Hiring freelancers and contractors when required will offer business leaders more flexibility – such recruitment can be scaled up or down depending on market demands, customer needs and the economy. Importantly, as new roles emerge, on-demand workers can be quickly hired to fulfil the immediate need, providing more time for long-term employees to be upskilled or recruited.
All about mindset
Attitude will play a larger role in future jobs. Employees will need an aptitude for learning on-the-job and the motivation to keep developing. As more roles emerge, organisations that foster a strong learning and development culture will be on solid ground. When recruiting for future jobs, understanding a candidate’s long-term goals is vital – passion for the field and an enthusiasm to learn will be a significant indicator of eventual success.
Businesses would do well to consider more nuanced factors when recruiting for emerging roles. As nobody can accurately predict the coming times, prioritising soft and transferrable skills is essential. In the current climate, finding a candidate who can grow into a role is more desirable than someone with direct experience, especially in fields in which that experience doesn’t yet exist. As jobs evolve, so too will recruitment – it’s time to start looking beyond hard skills on a CV, to the characteristics that make us uniquely human.
