Gurus and pundits warned us that robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) might upset the planet, its people, and their lifestyles in recent years before the coronavirus incursion into the workplace.

At least 20 million manufacturing jobs will be gone by 2030, and 30 percent of all employees would be automated, according to the warnings we received. Robotics, on the other hand, may assist boost productivity and economic growth while opening up new job prospects.

The disruptive innovation that we are currently seeing in many facets of life is driven by AI. However, it also contributes to the development of game-changing goods and services that could benefit low-end customers.

However, this disruptive technology known as 5G or IoT will make it feasible for all devices to be connected and share information at a fast speed, potentially eliminating many occupations as a result of the Internet of Things. This reminds me of the evil scheme of the movie "Terminator's" fictitious Skynet.

Making work more human

Josh Bersin stated in his fascinating book Irresistible that "every job is being automated at breathtaking speed. Marketing managers are now digital marketing mavens. Salespeople use AI-enabled customer relationship management (CRM) platforms to do sourcing, prospecting, pricing and negotiating. Engineers are using complex tools to design full-stack systems. Finance professionals are no longer bookkeepers; they're becoming financial managers."

Whether you like it or not, management and leadership are also becoming automated. Digital technologies are used by the top brass to determine whether or not employees have been productive. Distance no longer matters since leaders may instantly connect with their subordinates wherever they are in this technologically flattened and shrunk globe.

Maybe the pundits and experts didn't see the big picture. Even if a lot of the job is now automated, a lot of the human labor still needed to add additional value is still needed, but it now calls for other, more advanced talents.

In three years, people who don't reskill and upskill themselves won't even be eligible for their existing positions. Technical expertise and experience alone won't be sufficient to land a quality job anymore. Human resources personnel will take a closer look at the applicant than merely matching up abilities and experience with job requirements and job descriptions.

This change also affects how we must hire and promote employees, according to Bersin. "Irresistible companies select employees based on their experiences, not their experience; on their capabilities, not their technical skills; and on their ability to learn and adapt, not on their college pedigree or seniority within the organization," he continues.

Companies must continue to allow people the option to pick their jobs despite the insane, everyday grind of automation and robotics. Forget about succession plans and conventional career ladders. Even if you believe you are next in line, there is no guarantee that the position you have spent years training for won't be eliminated or outsourced at any moment.

Work will always exist, and a person's likelihood of finding it will rely on a variety of conditions, maybe including serendipity. Potential, readiness, and circumstances that weren't made by a god or a fairy godmother for one's convenience are other important considerations.

According to a quote from Deloitte's 2021 Global Human Capital Trends Report, "Workforce potential is not about what employees were recruited for, what they are certified to do, or even what the organizations or leaders want them to do. It's about giving employees more freedom to choose how they can best help tackle critical business problems as organizations and ecosystems evolve."