Here Come the Robots

Two recent articles illustrate why some workers may be growing uneasy about their future prospects.

As Chip Cutter writes in his article, “[the] long-running war for talent sounds more like a war on the talent these days.” He goes on to quote several corporate leaders who are taking a harder line on return-to-office mandates, work-life balance, and perks in general. A second article discusses how vaccine maker Moderna recently merged the company’s technology and HR functions into a single department, in large part because the company believes that there will be a growing number of jobs that either now or in the future will be done better by AI.

In addition to HR feeling pressure from the C-Suite to think about how to better leverage technology in order to reduce headcount, there is also a perception that perhaps employers have the upper hand these days due to a shifting labor market. HR leaders should remind their CEOs that the playing field can change quickly; when the war for talent heats up again, organizations that remember how to fight those battles will be in a stronger position to capitalize on opportunities. So while we all wait for our robot overlords to take over, employers should continue to focus on building and maintaining exceptional corporate cultures, providing robust total rewards offerings, and finding ways to get the most from the humans who show up for work day in and day out.