Forbes published my article this week on how knowledge workers are being empowered and equipped by emerging technologies. Originally published here.
Rapid advances in technology have changed — and continue to change, often with unpredictable results — the way workers and industries function. In the next five years alone, economists predict over five million jobs will be replaced by new technologies like artificial intelligence and robots. While industries like manufacturing and retail will see huge numbers of workers replaced by technology, skilled workers in industries such as construction and office management also risk seeing their jobs replaced by automation.
The struggle for modern workers and companies is staying relevant in a world where entire industries can be rendered obsolete within years.
Gaining The Upper Hand With Tech Training
Modern workers are aware that, while job-specific training may quickly become obsolete, an ability to learn new skills will be valuable in a market that proves capable of drastically overhauling itself each year. LinkedIn data showed that millennial workers have an average of 2.85 job changes during their first five years out of college — nearly twice as many as Gen Xers. These workers are increasingly making their names as knowledge workers, while traditional agricultural and manufacturing industries have seen labor forces decline.
Fortunately, advances in technology aren’t eradicating opportunities — instead, technology augments options available to workers. Rather than relying on costly and time-consuming degrees, knowledge workers are using the tools already at their fingertips — take the rising popularity of coding boot camps among both job seekers and employers, for example.
Many employers are also getting into the game by endorsing broad learning and multidisciplinary skills (as opposed to specific job training) as the best tools for career success, according to a report by the Association of American Colleges & Universities.
Workplace Automation Equals More Innovation
Technology endows today’s knowledge workers with a real-life superpower: the ability to process enormous amounts of data in real time, increasing productivity while cutting out time-consuming manual labor. The elimination of many repetitive jobs empowers workers to do things that only humans can do, such as provide contextual information or target specific audiences.
The combination of biological skills such as critical-thinking abilities with vast banks of decision making data has already completely changed what work life can be. For today’s worker, technology like smartphones, computers and other digital systems are already an essential part of day-to-day labor.
Managers of the future must learn how to use technology intelligently and prudently to train and retain workers. Massive industry upheavals are already causing some employers to seek methods for “reskilling” workers, but leaders need not — and should not — wait for industries to crumble before they provide workers with workplace learning and growth opportunities. Leaders must make every worker knowledge workers.
A Better Model For Turning Workers Into Learners
The standard model of on-the-job-training — neatly packaged modules and tests that workers can complete in chunks and then check off their to-do lists — is a thing of the past. While this instruction method may seem the simplest way to get training out of the way, it often proves to be a waste of time for both workers and managers. An employee survey found that one-third of employees say current training programs aren’t a productive use of time, while another third say materials aren’t interesting or engaging at all. That’s a bad sign.
Fortunately, we are seeing a profusion of new technology allowing workers to stay engaged and learn in real time. New technology also keeps training relevant in constantly evolving modern workplaces. Some of the best innovations in workplace educational tech employ strikingly simple solutions:
Mobile Devices
Workers can access revolutionary learning tools simply by using a device most of us have in our back pockets at any given moment: the smartphone. Aside from their convenience and familiarity, mobile devices also enable workers to access location-specific information, putting learning in context.
For example, mobile training games that allow workers to learn product locations by physically walking to the right spot make learning more engaging — and create behavioral changes in a real-time process.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality can provide valuable workplace learning opportunities. AR devices, like displays installed in safety glasses, allow information that would usually sit in a dusty binder in the backroom to move right in front of a worker’s eyes.
Some manufacturing industries are already experimenting with using AR helmets and lenses to increase safety on the manufacturing floor and provide workers with immediate access to crucial information.
Collaborative Learning Platforms
Collaborative learning platforms allow team members to work with each other on tough problems and key business objectives, shortening the time they might spend on these issues alone. Social platforms allow employees to create and share learning solutions with each other and learning management systems can now utilize machine learning to advance the experience of each employee through personalized learning objectives.
According to a recent study, high-trust companies — businesses where employee input and communication are encouraged — are 2.5 times more likely to be high performing than companies that disincentivize open communication. The lesson? Make it easier for employees to share. Providing access to collaborative technology sets up the expectation for company-wide knowledge sharing.
One thing these technology-based techniques have in common is they allow workers to learn in the moment when new information is most relevant and most crucial. They also provide opportunities for bite-sized education. Instead of being expected to absorb all necessary job training in huge chunks, workers can absorb content in smaller bites by watching short videos or answering questions one at a time in context.
And for leaders, technology-based learning provides attributable data that can track the effect of knowledge on specific workers. Managers can tweak learning experiences for individual users or whole teams with the touch of a button.
In a rapidly churning job market where top industries are unlikely to stay the same from decade to decade, every worker is a knowledge worker. Workers will find ways to utilize technology to increase their skills and make themselves more marketable to future employers. Why not provide innovative learning opportunities to employees while they’re on the job? Smart companies respond to marketplace trends — it’s time for better learning technology.
