hold on tight

We are now right in the middle of what experts call The Fourth Industrial Revolution. A technological revolution that will completely change the way we work and the way we live forever.

In fact, Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, says that the scale, scope and complexity of how Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and machines will change our lives will be unlike anything we have ever experienced before. While no one knows for sure exactly how robots and machines will change us; look around you and one thing is for sure; things are changing fast.

The Internet of Things and process automation is already here. Today we can control all kinds of things in our house without actually being there. Like controlling the thermostat, closing the garage door, even turning on our security system, right from our smartphones.

From smart self-driving cars that talk to each other to algorithmic software that can calculate employee moods, machines have come of age. There are 3D printing machines that create body parts, flying cars on the horizon, and much more. No, this is not science fiction, this is real and it is happening now.

Dramatic changes ahead

But this is elementary compared to the many changes that are about to occur. And the technology of the future will destroy millions of jobs. Jobs you see workers are currently doing. This will put millions of unprepared workers in line for unemployment. Life within every organization, as we know it, is about to change rapidly. This Fourth Industrial Revolution will see many job losses as robots and AI are introduced into the workplace at a frightening rate.

In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, as many as 5 million jobs will literally disappear as soon as 2020, and 36 million more will be lost by 2030. That’s 41 million American workers who will be displaced in the next 10 years. Are many workers just not paying attention?

Once these jobs are gone, they are not coming back. Yes, new, better-paying jobs will be created, but workers will need to reorganize and upgrade their skills before it’s too late.

The new open talent economy

Another thing that will alter the way we work is the changing work platform. A survey of leading companies around the world shows that they have already stopped hiring most of their workers permanently. In fact, most of these companies already have a 50 to 50 ratio of permanent workers to what are now called “temporary workers.”

Welcome to the new “open talent” economy, where employers hire top talent (temporary workers) on an as-needed basis. This is a major sea change that is being felt globally.
Now is the time for organizations to prepare their workforce for these new changes. And now is the time for every worker to reinvent themselves for the new world of work.