Listen to this podcast when futurists John McElligott and Ira S Wolfe discuss why robots, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and other advanced technologies probably won’t destroy occupations and jobs as quickly as many experts forecast. But exponential technologies will certainly disrupt and change how work gets done.

You might find this optimistic forecast odd coming from the guy whose company just created Robo-Rista to serve up coffees and lattes and Vincent van Gogh-Bot to draw sketches of customers.

But York Exponential CEO John McElligott believes the immediate future features a collaborative interface between technology and human workers. “We don’t automate,” he insists. “We augment. We want to make sure that our robots are not taking people’s jobs; they’re saving jobs.”

While many companies are struggling to recruit, hire, and retain Millennials and Generation Z, Generation R(obots) will likely be the real story.  “We’re creating the 1st generation of humans and robots working together,” McElligott shared during my podcast.

But unlike the computer revolution that helped make humans more productive, humans will now be expected to return the favor and help advance the productivity of technology. That’s good news for workers as the jobs they do won’t be 100% automated but augmented.

But for those expecting to sit back and pick up a paycheck while Mr. Robot does all the work, you’re kidding yourself.  Augmentation means new and better skills will be required. McElligott has got that covered too by launching what he calls “the 1st generation of responsible disruptors.”

Listen to the full podcast here!

The post Meet Generation R | Are you ready to hire a collaborative robot? appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

The answer is pretty simple—it’s going to be a humdinger!

If there was any doubt that a shortage of skilled workers exists, 2017 extinguished it.  A combination of economic growth, falling unemployment and the lowest labor participation rate since 1978 is creating a “perfect labor storm.” Despite lots of rhetoric, neither government nor academia can provide an education/retraining to employment solution fast enough to fill all the open positions today. C-Suite frustration and anxiety was revealed in a recent Mercer Talent survey when 92 percent of employers believed the competition for talent will be fiercer next year.  Nearly 8 out of 10 staffing and recruiting professionals revealed the same during a recent webinar I presented—recruiting in 2017 was more difficult than past years.

What’s a company to do?  Despite this gloomy and challenging outlook, many companies make the situation much worse than it needs to be by using antiquated, cumbersome, unfriendly recruiting practices, processes, and applications. There are a number of quick fixes that most organizations can implement to attract and hire more qualified workers faster.  They won’t solve the long-term problem but for the time being, they can give some breathing room. Here are just a few trends and recommendations.

Think talent network.  Most companies start from scratch each time a new position is opened. Why not build a network of potential candidates?   According to some pretty impressive research about candidate behavior done by CareerBuilder, 80 percent of candidate visitors will join your network if asked. And 85 percent of them will leave a resume. Since more than 80 percent of candidates are passive (they already have a job), a talent network gives those not-yet-ready-to-switch-my-job candidates time to get to know you.  Careerbuilder research found that candidates apply 63 days after they join!  Building relationships doesn’t happen overnight but it’s well worth it. Having the ability to reach into your network can significantly reduce time-to-hire.

First impressions matter.  Many companies are finally getting serious about leaving the dark ages of recruiting and designing and branding career pages that engage candidates.  Unfortunately most of them do not extend the same attention to their job posting page. That’s a massive misstep because only 7.5 percent of candidates come through the “front door” (aka the company career page.)  Most applicants are directed straight to the job details page from another source and these pages are often dull, boring copy-and-pasted job descriptions.  Like the content on the customer-side of a website, even the job posting pages must include content that grabs attention, engages the candidate, and encourages them to apply.

Obsess about the candidate experience.  Ninety-three percent of applicants don’t make it past the job description. Ninety-five percent will abandon the application if it is more than 2 pages, especially if viewing and completing it on a mobile device. Jobvite found that the abandonment rate jumped from 16% with 10 or fewer questions to nearly 50 percent with 20 questions. If it takes more than 15 minutes to complete an application, rates drop by a staggering 365%! Create a candidate friendly application. Ask only for the information you need to qualify (or disqualify) a candidate.  When he or she meets you minimum basic qualification that is the time to ask them to complete the multi-page application and/or submit a resume.

Long live people analytics. Analytics isn’t the holy grail but it’s game over for companies that attempt to acquire and manage talent without it.  More importantly real-time reporting is a critical. Companies capture ridiculous amounts of people data but deny and ignore the predictive intelligence that lies within it. Tracking the number of career site visitors and completion rates for applications are two simple and yet essential metrics that few companies have at their fingertips. Time to fill open positions is increasing dramatically and it is made much worse by unnecessary recruitment pipeline delays and inefficiencies. When seeking difficult-to-find top talent in the proverbial jobseeker “haystack,” frequent marketing and recruitment adjustments are essential; doing it without real-time reliable reporting is like playing “recruitment roulette.”

With best candidates gone within 10 days after they hit the job market, companies must create a great first impression, engage and stay engaged with candidates (even those that don’t fit today), and build a robust talent network.

Did you download you free chapter from Recruiting in the Age of Googlization?  Click here!

The post 4 Quick Fixes to Jump Start Recruiting in 2018 appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

Ira S Wolfe’s new book Recruiting in the Age of Googlization acknowledges the shortage of skilled workers is very real. But he places some of the blame for under-performing talent acquisition squarely on the shoulders of management. He cites the lack of evidence-based recruitment and employee selection, the unfair bashing of Millennials, and a job application process that is completely out of touch with today’s labor and jobs marketplace.

***Listen to this interview!***

In Recruiting in the Age of Googlization, ($19.95, Motivational Press, December 2017) Wolfe first paints an authentic yet terrifying picture of how technology and demographics is disrupting jobs and work as we know it … and as a result is transforming how organizations will attract, acquire, and retain talent. He writes, “it’s just like science fiction is jumping off the pages of reality.” Wolfe deftly describes how automation and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3D printing will revolutionize the way we work, live, and play. It is within this new world that Wolfe dissects the traditional recruitment pipeline and offers a step-by-step guide to improve talent acquisition and job search.

Throughout the book Wolfe offers compelling examples and key point summaries. He suggests three trends that he believes will blindside many businesses and workers within the next five years: 

• Jobs will be automated faster than anticipated.
• Automation will not be limited to low-skill jobs.
• The impact from automation will disrupt work, careers, and jobs greater than expected.

Consequently, Wolfe forecasts massive disruption in the ways businesses acquire top talent and workers seek jobs. To help anticipate and navigate the disruption, Wolfe offers a library of provocative strategic questions each organization or individual must be asking.

“When speaking and working with clients, I’m continuously shocked by how many organizations perpetuate common recruiting blunders,” says Wolfe. “The world of work is changing exponentially faster than most people realize and that in turn will intensify and accelerate the competition for skilled workers.”

Recruiting in the Age of Googlization; When the Shift Hits Your Plan ($19.95, 250 pages, paperback, ISBN:978-1-62865-464-6) is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at many independent and online booksellers or by calling 800-803-4303.

Wolfe is available for media interviews and speaking by calling 484-373-4300 or visiting his company website at http://www.successperformancesolutions.com.

Ira S Wolfe has more than 20 years’ experience helping organizations recruit faster and hire smarter. He has passionately covered shifting job and labor markets since the late 1990s, a period he called The Perfect Labor Storm, through what he now describes as the Age of Googlization. He’s a popular expert for journalists and podcasters, an avid blogger, TEDx speaker, and president of Success Performance Solutions (Lehigh Valley, PA).

The post New Book Warns Companies to Get Their Recruitment “Shift” Together appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

The days when video games were for kids are over. According to the ESA, 27% of gamers in the US are over 50!  Older adults are embracing games because they both fun and cognitively beneficial. A study from the International Journal of Disability and Human Development showed that the older adults who played video games showed markedly less cognitive decline than the control group. So if older people are reaping the benefits of playing games, surely it stands to reason that they can also try their hand working in the video game industry? The US unemployment level for over 55s is 3.1%, showing that this demographic are either unwilling or unable to give up work just yet. Instead of retiring, many people in middle and old age are opting to change careers. If you are an older gamer and want to make your passion your profession, here are a few ways to break into the gaming industry.

Gaming Education
Going back to school is not essential for a new career in gaming, especially if you already have experience in a related industry. However, taking a course will benefit you not only by teaching important skills but helping you make contacts. Many of the top US schools for game design recommended here have connections with top gaming companies, helping you get your foot in the door. As an older adult, you may already have a degree so a short course or a Masters could be a better option for you.

Network offline and online
As an older adult, one of the advantages you many have over your younger peers is confidence and social skills. While younger people may be unsure of themselves you have many more years of experience managing social situations, whatever your first career has been. Use this to your advantage. Attend gaming networking events in your area and showcase your people skills and professionalism. Whilst you may not have contacts in the gaming industry itself, you may well know people in related industries such as computer programming who can advise you or introduce you to their contacts. In addition, make your online presence stellar; unfortunately some people hold the mistaken presumption that older people can’t use social media so you have to prove them wrong! As expected of this industry, most gaming professionals are active on Linkedin and Twitter so try to make connections through these channels. The great thing about the internet is that it’s equalizer: there are no gatekeepers, and age is not a factor in how well you can make use of it.

Consider the Indie Game Industry
It’s an illogical prejudice but the fact remains: the gaming industry has frequently been accused of ageism. Hopefully this attitude will lessen as companies recognize that hiring older people is the best way to make games that appeal to the increasingly older player demographic, but for now there is no doubt that prejudice exists. If you are encountering barriers, perhaps consider the indie gaming industry. This is where much of the most interesting innovation in gaming is happening and smaller companies may well have more progressive attitudes towards diversity. It’s also now easier and cheaper than ever to make a game yourself. Whether you do it solo or with a small team, making and promoting your game is not only a wonderful creative outlet but a great boost to your resume. 

While some things may be more difficult for older adults breaking into the gaming industry, it should be clear that your life experience will give you the edge in other areas. Ageism will only prevail if no one stands up to it, so let’s challenge preconceptions and show people it’s more than possible for older people to have a successful gaming career! 

Submitted by Guest Blogger – Jess Walter, Freelance Writer

The post Never Too Old to Break Into the Video Game Industry appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

There’s an old story that has made its rounds: To succeed, you don’t need to outrun the bear, you just need to outrun your nearest competitor. The problem in a VUCA world is that your biggest competitor today may be invisible—not a known competitor from within your industry. It’s just as likely to be a start-up company that threatens to disrupt an industry, challenge conventional business models, or democratize a service. It pops up out of nowhere, and seems to change everything almost overnight.

Failure to adapt or respond is often not due to a lack of opportunity. In a world that demands immediate gratification, organizations feel compelled to deliver fast results to shareholders. Many disruptive innovations like Kodak’s digital camera never get to see the light of day even though the convergence of technology, fast changing consumer trends, and globalization creates unexpected and boundless new pathways and possibilities. (For more on how fast our world is changing, click here!)

Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” What drives some of us to see doors of opportunity when so many others see walls? They all share one thing in common —a mindset that says “our journey is only 1% complete.”

Those words —“our journey is only 1% complete”—lie behind the success of Facebook. They are not just motivational words plastered on walls, but embody the internal motto at Facebook.

Facebook takes its motto seriously. You should too. It’s a constant reminder that everyone is on a journey and in spite of the phenomenal success Facebook enjoys, it doesn’t believe it has arrived yet. It doesn’t even believe it’s a quarter or half-way there.

Facebook is not alone on this journey. Tom Ashbrook, host of NPR’s OnPoint, in  a recent interview exclaimed “Oh My God” when his guest Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s Head of Global Policy and Communications, stated

“What we see now in terms of disruption [referring to Airbnb, Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple, Uber and a few others] are just the lemonade stands in front of what’s to come.”

Learning to deal with “change” in a VUCA world takes on a whole new meaning. It requires us to become comfortable with volatility and uncertainty, to navigate through complexity, to deal with ambiguity. Consequently, the skills that got many of us to our current level of success will be wholly inadequate to keep the momentum going. This is not a future vision of some distant threat or opportunity. It is reality today.

VUCA readiness requires shedding old assumptions and acquiring new mindsets. It mandates organizations to take leadership development, succession planning, and talent management seriously. Behavioral change, rather than just acquiring more degrees, competencies, and skills, must be emphasized. Emotional intelligence has become more important than general intelligence. To succeed going forward, business leaders must be transformative.

Of course, transformative change is, by its very nature, overwhelming. When overwhelmed by stressful circumstances, the higher order “executive” functions of our brains literally shut down. Our ability to function becomes impaired. That makes it easy to use VUCA as the rationale for poor performance and an excuse for failure. After all, you can’t prepare for a VUCA world, right?

Actually, you can. Fortunately, the power of exponential change can work for you too, not just against you. VUCA-savvy leaders embrace VUCA and seem to navigate through the disruption and complexity and come out ahead. How do they do this?

They “flip” the VUCA model. Bob Johansen calls this, VUCA Prime. Think of VUCA Prime as the silver lining lying within the darkness of VUCA. He proposes that the best VUCA leaders are characterized by Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility. HR and talent management professionals (as well as all leaders and individuals) can use VUCA Prime as a blueprint for success in a VUCA world.

What is VUCA Prime?

Vision mitigates volatility.  Vision instills a powerful motivation to create a better future. The speed and turbulence of change won’t go away but fear and anxiety do fade when your strategy is guided by a clear vision. With vision, you see past the small distractions so that you’re able to stay focused on the bigger picture. Vision doesn’t only benefit you but it helps you serve others better. It helps align your decisions with your values. But beware—a vision isn’t just a statement or poster you hang on the wall. It’s something you feel. Don’t B.S. yourself or others. It won’t work. For a vision to become possible, it must be realistic and you must be authentic.

Understanding defuses uncertainty. It sure seems like the only thing in life that is certain is that uncertainty will continue. But that doesn’t mean moving forward requires that you take a blind leap into the unknown. There is a huge difference between change leading you and you dancing with it step by step. To be effective in a VUCA environment, leaders must learn to dance with change. Ask challenging questions. Teach and coach others. Accept and welcome feedback. Develop, build, and manage networks of teams.⁴⁴ Make sure you’re open to and getting fresh perspective, no matter how outrageous the source or idea. (You’ll read more about a tool called “info-sponging” later.) Understanding also requires that decisions are based less on tradition and anecdote and made with more data-driven evidence. (Evidence-based decisions are discussed in more detail in the chapter on People Analytics.) Recognize your limitations but don’t let them cripple you.

Clarity helps simplify complexity. Articulate and communicate clearly. To reach clarity and make better decisions faster, make it a practice to seek different perspectives. Ask the question: What is the most effective way to meet the needs of the market, not the business? Be deliberate in your attempt to make sense of the chaos. Don’t forget that communication is a two-way street and collaboration is a key. Actively observe and make sense of what you see. But don’t dismiss perplexing and unusual answers. Set realistic expectations for yourself and communicate them to others. Strive for perfection and think of mistakes and failures as a resource you’ve already paid for. Accept that “permanent” fixes and solutions in a VUCA world have a short shelf-life.

Agility tames Ambiguity. A quick search for a description of agility on Google brings up 10,500,000 results in half a second. Here’s my capsule version: the ability to see around corners, connect the dots, and respond quickly and effectively whenever the situation changes. Most organizations do pretty well at what they do today. It’s what they need to be doing tomorrow that is missing. The same can be said about individuals too. Agility shifts the mindset from “I don’t see how change will affect me or the organization” or “I don’t see how I/we can do anything about it?” to “I know change is coming and this is what I’m/we’re going to do to respond.” Disruptions will happen but the element of surprise is lost when you anticipate the subtle changes and respond with agility.

The post VUCA Prime: An Antidote for Exponential Change? appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

For most baby boomers, the time is coming to transition to retirement. Of course, with the unemployment rate for people over 55 years old well below 5%, it’s clear that not working is not an option for this generation, particularly with the lack of benefits available in some states. For baby boomers who aren’t ready to call it quits in their professional life, here are a few jobs to consider.

Consulting

Baby boomers have a world of knowledge and a lifetime of experience, so why not put it to use as a consultant? If you’ve been a successful professional in a field for a long time, the odds are you still have a few good ideas and will be able to offer guidance to companies in that industry. If you still want the challenge of solving problems, consulting gives you the outlet to do so without having to commit to a full-time job.

Teaching

You probably don’t want to spend your time teaching K-12, but there are plenty of trade schools and community colleges that would welcome instructors with real-world experience in their chosen niche. Teaching may require some certification, but if you want to teach, it should be easy to make that happen. Most teaching jobs in trade schools or community colleges probably won’t be 40 hours per week, so it’s a good chance for baby boomers to ease into retirement.

Parks & Recreation

Both state and national parks offer a lot of seasonal jobs which are perfect for baby boomers trying to put off retirement. Some people may be qualified to become tour guides at certain parks, while other jobs are simpler like food prep or maintenance. Either way, it’s decent work for a retiree and a great opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy some great scenery while at work.

Non-Profit Sector

The non-profit sector is another place where a baby boomer’s wisdom and experience can be useful. A lot of non-profits depend on volunteer workers or part-time employees, which makes it a perfect fit for baby boomers forgoing retirement. Moreover, the jobs in this sector involve organizing and fund-raising, and so life experience can count for more than their professional background. Working for a non-profit is also a way for baby boomers to spend their golden years making the world a better place.

Submitted by Guest Blogger – Jess Walter, Freelance Writer

The post Jobs for Baby Boomers Who Aren’t Ready to Retire appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

Age discrimination is hopefully becoming a thing of the past. As 10, 000 Baby Boomers every day cross the 60 years old threshold, more and more of these older workers are finding technology offers them another career… and with good reason. Jobs are in high demand, and salaries are often competitive.

But breaking into the technology sector as an older adult can be challenging too. Fortunately the misconception that seniors and technology don’t mix is finally starting to fade.  Whether you’re an aging Baby Boomer or Generation X struggling in your career, there are plenty of ways you can help yourself to stand out from the competition. Here are a few steps you can take to get your foot in the tech sector door.

Learn HTML

In just about every tech field that you might encounter, you’ll be expected to know how to code HTML. There’s no shortage of free online courses that can teach you HTML coding, allowing you to learn at your leisure. You can also find affordable tech courses taught by professionals at your local library or community college.

Learn to Program

HTML is not enough. Learning a programming language is essential if you want to forge your own career in the technology sector. You can find free online courses that teach the basics of various coding languages, or you can head down to your library and check out a computer programming book. Many startups use Ruby, but you may want to learn a language such as JavaScript instead, as it will give you a better understanding of web applications.

Build a Portfolio

A solid portfolio is particularly important for self-taught programmers who are seeking a job within an established company, no matter what their age. You need to prove to your potential employer that you’re the tech-savvy employee that they’ve been seeking.

You can create a website, develop your own app, or volunteer to help local nonprofits or religious organizations with your tech expertise. You can also collaborate with others by heading down to your nearest hackerspace or by contributing to an open source project over the web.

Be Flexible

When looking to start a career in the tech industry, you need to remember to keep your expectations realistic. You may need to fill a role that is below your skill or experience level, particularly if you’re just transitioning into the technology sector.

Older workers looking to begin a career in the tech field often land jobs that require a limited level of technical proficiency, such as helpdesk and IT support roles, before climbing to more complex positions. There’s plenty of room for growth within tech-based businesses, and the best way to move up within a company is to show the boss that you’re able to learn, listen, and adapt to new situations.

The post Baby Boomers Breaking into the Technology Sector appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

Within a 24 hour period I received a flurry of text and email alerts accentuating the change-or-die outcomes delivered by exponential change.

A text alert went out about the impending doom of one-time retail powerhouse Sears. Its stock reached an all-time low recently as it announced plans to sell iconic brands Kenmore and Diehard.

Then, just a few minutes later, former technology titan IBM announced its 19th consecutive quarter with declining revenue.

Both institutions are case studies about how myopia blinds management to market disruption and how executive hubris asphyxiates innovation.

Next came an email exposing how not all companies are standing still.

Complex trading algorithms, some with machine-learning capabilities, have replaced nearly all of the equity traders at Goldman Sachs.

This isn’t a futurist’s prediction. It’s present day reality.

In its heyday, circa 2000, the Goldman Sachs cash equities trading desk was packed with traders – 600 of them, to be exact. In 2017, though, four traders can be replaced by one computer engineer.

Job loss isn’t only a threat to low-skill blue collar jobs but high-profile professional careers, too. And job extinction is not just the result of outsourcing, a fragile economy, or regulations, but automation.

Today, there are just two equity traders left, replacing 598 of their brethren with 200 computer engineers, a drop in the bucket compared to the 9,000 computer engineers on Goldman’s staff. That’s nearly one-third of all employees.

Goldman already set its sight on investment bankers. It mapped the 146 specific steps taken by this group and plans to transfer these job responsibilities to automation.

Goldman Sachs isn’t the exception.

Another text announced Bank of America’s plans to launch peopleless branches and a virtual assistant like Siri within the year. Its strategy includes “literally automating every single thing.”

FedEx followed with plans to launch an autonomous delivery fleet demonstrating the convergence of autonomous vehicles, sensors, artificial intelligence and robotics.

These technologies could revolutionize the multitrillion-dollar logistics market, affecting everything from the way people send and receive parcels to the global movement of large fleets of vehicles.

Executives and small-business owners often tune out these announcements when they are focused on day-to-day business, or they rely on their industry associations to protect them.

But the long-tail effect of exponential change extends its impact deep into nearly every supply chain. In a world connected by the internet and globalization, everything we do is interdependent.

Disruptive technologies fuel accelerating change, which is making mincemeat out of tradition and convention. Time-tested business models are crumbling. Consumer markets are experiencing unprecedented flux, turmoil and evolution.

In response, many organizations throw up flailing strategies equivalent to hiring more window cleaners while watching their buildings burn.

At a recent summit on exponential change, there was a brilliant question that pretty much sums up what every executive and business owner should be asking:

“What technological disruptors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 3-D printing and sensors might bankrupt your business in the next two years?”

Who might be your Uber, Airbnb, Apple or Netflix that erupts seemingly out of nowhere to transform transportation, hospitality and entertainment industries?

Answering those questions is not an option. You don’t get extra credit or bonus points either. Leaders in manufacturing, banking, retail, law, accounting or any business must face the music or pay the piper. Because no industry is immune to the disruption of exponential change.

Ira S. Wolfe is president of Success Performance Solutions (www.successperformancesolutions.com) of Wind Gap, a consulting firm specializing in employee selection and talent intelligence analytics. He can be reached at iwolfe@super-solutions.com.

Have you downloaded your free white paper When the SHIFT Hits Your Plan yet?

A similar version was previously published  on March 13, 2017, Lehigh Valley Business Journal

Download a printable version here.

The post Exponential Change Makes Mincemeat Out of Tradition and Convention appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

It is not just jobs that will be lost. As many as 65 million people may be unemployable by 2025 due in part to automation but mostly because they will not have the skills to do the jobs that humans can do.

Recruiters will get squeezed hard from both sides. Technology like artificial intelligence will make many just about every current staffing function obsolete while others will not have the skills to meet the demands of the job.

Here are 5 trends that will disrupt the entire staffing industry as we’ve know it for nearly 50 years.

1. The labor market will shrink. The number of jobs that recruiters have to fill will fall dramatically once more machines replace humans and more jobs get automated.
2. To compete recruiters will need to up their game and find ways to add more value. Recruiters that rely only on a rolodex and “hard work” will become low-cost commodities.
3. Technology will cause massive disruption in work and jobs. Recruiters are at ground zero.
4. The change won’t be modest and incremental but dramatic and exponential.
5. Recruiting will not disappear but many recruiters will. The skills that will be required will extend far beyond who owns the largest rolodex and network.

To compete successfully in the future, what must recruiters do?

1. Recruiters who will succeed in the future will not just fill a role businesses can’t perform well but will be required to simplify the complexity of staffing.
2. Executives and managers will demand that algorithms and science replace hiring managers’ gut instinct when it comes to employee selection. Recruiters will need to provide evidence their candidate is qualified.
3. Recruiters will need to become labor data scientists with a sales personality.

In this age of acceleration there is always more to come! How little you think technology will impact recruiting, double or triple the impact. However long you expect it will take until recruiting is significantly changed cut the time in half.

The post 3 Things Recruiters Must Do to Stay Relevant appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.

But the economic need to improve productivity will throw fuel on the flames of disruptive innovation. And compared to the previous disruptive technology, automation is likely to be a doozy.

For example, productivity growth from the steam engine in 1850-1910 was a whopping 0.3% annually. Information technology fueled growth 0.6% from 1995-2005. In comparison, automation in the form of artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine learning is likely to propel productivity growth 0.8% to 1.4% annually through 2065.

With that said, there are a lot of myths, rumors, and “alternative facts” associated with
how automation will change the way we work, live, and play.  Here are 10 of the more reliable facts blended with a few predictions.

1. Good news! Less than 5% of all occupations include activities that are 100% automatable.
2. Bad news! 60% of all occupations have at least 30% automatable activities and more than 1/3 are at least 60% automatable.
3. From 1965 to 2015, productivity grew 1.8% and employment grew 1.8% annually.
4. In the next 50 years, productivity will grow 2.8% while employment will grow 0.1% annually.
5. About ½ of the activities people are paid almost $16 trillion in wages may be automated.
6. 60 million workers in the U.S. hold jobs with automatable activities.
7. China has 394 million workers and India 233 million doing automatable activities.
8. For the immediate future, mass unemployment won’t take place but the work that’s left will transform dramatically.
9. To get and retain a job, human work will need to be complementary to the work that machines do.
10. Automation will not happen overnight but it will happen.

For more information about McKinsey Global Institute’s “A Future That Works” click here or download a preview of my new book “When the Shift Hits Your Plan.”

The post 10 Things You Should Know about Automation and Jobs appeared first on Perfect Labor Storm.