Working in the Fourth Industrial Revolution | IMAGR

Artificial intelligence and automation will bring an end to work as we know it and will reign in an era

of massive change; so many say. It can be a dismay to think about, because in many ways, it is true.

Technological advancement in the recent decade has seen AI, automation, e-commerce has disrupted

all industries and all sectors around the world. Its magnitude isn’t one that can simply be measured by

the looks of it, but is clear enough to be felt by the everyday person, whether it is obvious or not that

the usual ways of doing things is changing. However, that’s not to say that existing jobs won’t be

around to stay and won’t be created. Here are some ways we can expect to know the idea of work in

the future:

1. On-demand workforce

Otherwise known as the “open talent economy” or the “gig economy”, more people are jumping into

this growing labour market. Rather than taking up a permanent position, individuals are hired to

undertake particular tasks and usually in a predetermined time frame.

This mode of work has become commonplace in the last few years, with companies such as AirBnb,

Uber, Snappr, ParkingPanda, Amazon Flex, and Postmates taking full advantage of our digitally wired

society. Employee benefits include greater flexibility in working hours and geographical location and

deduction of expenses. This narrow lapse of time in transient work is most suited for the skilled

individual.

2. Specialisation

Technologically driven improvements in the quality of capital equipment may also lead a firm to

invest more and also hire more staff with the skills required to operate the new assets, such as

AI-enabled automation.

These types of improvements are geared towards those who have the knowledge and skills to operate

and improve these technologies. To go further, there will be a need for people who have a deeper

understanding of not only a specific field of study, but have the ability to filter their skills through

their ideas and point of view. A solid mix of perspective and skill creates the most unique

combination.

3. Divergent thinking

As great as it sounds to have everybody agree on everything, complete homogeneity in an organisation

isn’t realistic or constructive. The way we see, articulate, and inquire into the world is often the result

of our inclinations against lived experiences and the conclusions we make from it, and everybody

possesses a different version. Rather than encouraging carbon copying, it would be more productive to

create an environment where people feel free to express their differing thoughts and opinions.

For example, an organisation with employees from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds already

has genuine representatives from said identities, hence having the advantage of understanding

potential customers better. Or maybe having people with different life experiences provides a better

range of third-person perspectives to gain an accurate understanding of first time problems in familiar

situations.

New problems will always arise, but they can be tackled faster by a variety of thoughts in a collective

effort; and the best way to build a collective is by emphasising shared values.

4. Purpose-based collectives

While the need to be engaged in employed work will still be the norm in the foreseeable future, most

employees arguably prefer roles that speak to their sense of autonomy. As with products and services,

shared job features are common but the cause behind them is harder to distinguish. Modern

employers are aware of this and are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of creating an engaged

workforce driven by purpose, rather than solely traditional work incentives.

As the seed of any joint venture, the nourishment of a goal or idea relies on recognising shared values.

For future organisations, creating values that are beneficial to the collective and then proving them to

be so is where the workplace will begin to focus on mutual trust, rather than labour.

5. Touch of randomness

In a world driven by data, algorithms and analytics, not only work, but also modern human behaviour

in general, is only going to become more streamlined and optimised for efficiency. While this may

sound like an opening line for a robo-apocalyptic movie, there’s one thing that we know will stick

around for another while longer; and that is the human touch.

Call them mistakes, coincidence, luck, or chance; however you experience it, they’re a visceral

reminder that your perspective has expired and is available for renewal. A perspective made by chance

usually isn’t the result of optimisation, but can be equally useful if you find its relevance in future

problems.