So it turns out Jamaraqui was right. The future is made of virtual insanity.
Because last week Gallup released a poll that sent us straight into the void. Literally. Of the study's three major findings, there is one that has us wondering the if, why, and most importantly the when of it all.
We break down our top two concerns below.
1. WE DON’T WANT TO FREAK YOU OUT BUT AI IS A REAL THREAT TO REAL JOBS
According to Gallup's analysis, millennials are the generation most vulnerable to the threat of AI and automation. Don't want to be replaced by a robot? We feel that. (and robots never will, cough, cough. NEVER!)
Here's the deal. Millennials are much more tech savvy than older generations, but they also lack fewer managerial skills. In the past, this has been a plus ++++ on a resume. Millennials have helped move companies forward, adopt new operating systems, and move everything online, but younger workers' positions are more likely to be automated, and AI technologies now exist to do just that. AI can't manage a team, but it can input data and find flaws in operating systems and do it a whole lot faster and likely cheaper than human labor. Plus AI doesn't need health benefits. This is one of those shitty facets of capitalism. If it's likely to save a company money, it's likely to happen. According to the poll, nearly four in 10 millennials (37%) are at high risk of having their job replaced by automation, compared with 32% of those in the two older generations.
So what’s a living, breathing, human worker to do? For one, stop job hopping so often and make sure you are continually growing your skill set and value to the company. AI can't oversee a team, but you're never going to lead one if you keep doing this--
2. & WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? MILLENNIALS ARE JUMPING COMPANY SHIP FASTER THAN EVER
Millennials now represent the largest generation in the U.S. workforce -- and many don't stay with their company for the long term. Why this presents a problem/a major disruption for the modern workplace is multi-fold. Though millennials report having Gallup finds that only 29% of millennials are engaged at work. Gallup estimates that millennial turnover due to lack of engagement costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion each year.
Employers need to focus on getting them to STAY with the company. Many millennials are job-hoppers, but this doesn't need to be accepted as the new normal. You want you employees to feel valued, especially as AI threatens to take over work. Gallup reports that 21% of millennials changed jobs within the past year, and six out of 10 millennials are open to different job opportunities right now. Make your employees feel both valued and engaged and they are less likely to jump ship.
If there are jobs within your company that are likely to be replaced with AI, get prepared as a leader of what that means for your company and your employees. Leaders should be asking the same question employees are: what will this workplace look like in the future?
