As Craig Freedberg, Regional Director of Technology at Robert Half, explained, now is a prime opportunity to use AI to help fill ever-expanding skills gaps that are threatening the economic stability of the UK:

“The notion of AI and automation replacing jobs is not a new concept, the topic has been at the forefront of the media and within talent management conversations for many years. And while I certainly don’t disagree that some process-orientated roles have been replaced by machines, in today’s talent short landscape, this is in fact an opportunity for both employers and candidates alike. 

“Rather than looking at the negative implications that so many are reporting, the use of AI and automation technologies should be viewed as a prime opportunity for the upskilling and redeployment of workers who are impacted. Removing repetitive tasks creates new higher spec roles that add value, while deepening interpersonal experiences that further help brand differentiation. It is worth noting that the skills shortages we are seeing in the UK, particularly in the tech arena, aren’t going away and talent management strategies need to be geared towards not only capitalising on the tech available to free up tasks and speed up processes, but also to evaluate what professionals can be upskilled and redeployed to other areas of a business rather than, as the headlines would like us to believe, be made redundant. 

“Employers are struggling to deliver against the demand they are experiencing and the longer roles go unfilled, the greater the risk of firms having to strip back services due to a lack of resources. This only puts other roles and future skills in further jeopardy. It’s crucial that businesses develop talent management strategies that take into account the ever-changing skills landscape and ensure that those professional roles that may be ‘lost to robots’ are not exiting the workforce, but rather moving to a different area where skills are in critically short supply.”