The recent McKinsey report – Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation – has offered compelling insights into what the future of work might look like as new technologies continue to emerge in an ever-changing digital market. Automation is expected to have a particularly far-reaching effect on workforces all over the world, with around 50% of today’s work-related activities thought to have the potential to be automated (at least theoretically).
For workers, this means re-allocating time to other tasks and possibly having to learn new skills or switch jobs altogether. In such a rapidly changing landscape, what will this mean for the recruitment industry as a whole? On the one hand, there will be more talent moving around, which presents an opportunity for recruitment businesses; on the other, there is also likely to be a surge in competition.
Similarly to the McKinsey report, LinkedIn published a piece on the four main trends that are changing the way we hire in 2018 (and beyond). It cites data and artificial intelligence (AI) as being the primary tech disruptors in the market. It’s thought that both are set to make big waves in the world of recruitment, fundamentally changing the way we recruit and automating jobs both within and outside the industry.
It’s not just the implications of increased automation at play here either. The way we live, work and communicate is constantly evolving as well. For the recruitment industry, it’s worth remembering that there are some things that can’t be automated – like building relationships or analysing a candidate’s interpersonal skills.
For the recruitment industry to set themselves up for the future in this context, and actually enhance the service they offer, it’s essential that they understand both the implications and advantages of technology. From the systems they use, to their marketing campaigns, recruitment businesses must accommodate the demands of the future and embrace technology to ensure they remain relevant to both clients and candidates.The role of data services
As the world of work develops in ways that could hardly have been predicted, the recruitment industry must be poised to embrace new digital processes and methods of communication. Not only because embracing them leads to smoother, more efficient internal operations, but because it enables businesses to deliver the level of seamlessness and convenience that’s increasingly expected of them.
With new and upcoming digital processes, comes an increasing need for round-the-clock connectivity. As technological developments keep pace with an expanding global marketplace, the recruitment industry, like any other, will be expected to do the same. The key to staying competitive is to adopt the technologies and solutions that make them more available and connected than ever.
Whether it’s making the decision to switch to cloud-hosted telephony or deciding to opt for a business-only network, there’s one thing at the heart of it all – robust, resilient, quality data services. Choosing the right service provider will unlock greater potential for recruitment businesses as we move into the global, always-on future of work.
