UK Recruiter and TempBuddy have launched a series about Temporary Recruitment. On a particular article, Rachael Moss, Marketing Director, of TempBuddy wonders whether machines will replace recruiters.

The advance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic right now. Robots are expected to take jobs performed by humans, but also to give humans new jobs, providing companies a competitive advantage when properly used. The truth is that robots are here to stay and their existence already impacts our lives every day.

Indeed, there are new jobs still to be imagined as a result of AI, and education plays a key role in developing the skills that people will need in the future. Certain roles will be entirely replaced, while others may have humans and robots working together to achieve the maximum efficiencies and learnings.

Recruitment organisations should gain awareness of the impact that AI has on the industries they serve, as clearly this will influence “their own future growth potential, the type of roles they will recruit for in years to come, and the most sought after skill-sets.”

During the SIA Executive Forum in Phoenix, Barry Asin, President of Staffing Industry Analysts, claimed that: “Mobile, big data and video are technology change impacting the staffing industry in the near term, but more automation is coming, including the possibilities of bots and artificial intelligence and cognitive computing applications”.

Neil Jacobstein, who Co-chairs the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Track at Singularity University on the NASA Research Park campus in Mountain View, addressed this issue in a keynote session on the rise of artificial intelligence and the next revolution impacting the world of work. Jacobstein provided his view on how modern developments in artificial intelligence will create fundamental shifts in the workforce of the future, and temporary work will be hit the hardest.

Rachel Moss believes that staffing organisations that identify the new key skills and roles early on will win out, as they gain a head start on their competitors becoming recognised for their market authority and talent pool. Furthermore, Moss claims that contingent workers may be the ones who become more sought after than their permanent colleagues, as they move from one company and assignment or gig to another, constantly updating their skills as they go. Whether it falls to the individual or the employer, continued learning and exposure to emerging technologies and the new world order will be key to ongoing employability.

Three key skill attributes that are being (and will be) truly sought after: perception and manipulation, social intelligence and creative intelligence. Understanding this is vital, particularly given the advance of AI in the labour world, which means that lower skilled and repetitive jobs are most at risk.

Most recruitment companies already use some form of automated technologies to strengthen their service delivery and improve efficiencies. However, the question remains on how many have begun to consider what AI could mean for their own organisations, or how could they further augment their human capital in a increasingly competitive margin-driven industry.

Staffing agencies must be open to change and eager to educate themselves about the possibilities afforded by emerging technologies and experiment integrating AI alongside the humans who will continue to be employed throughout the recruitment industry.

Source: UK Recruiter