Why Automation is Great, Until It Isn’t

Automation is a hot topic nowadays. The theme of automation seems to be everywhere. While there are some people who feel that automation is a good thing, there are also quite a few people who feel that automation is a scary thing because it could mean that there will be less jobs for humans. In my opinion, we can rest easy at this point in time. 

These days we see automated kiosks in places like the grocery store, banks, and airports. At first glance they look advanced and they look like they are taking away jobs from humans who would normally do those jobs, but in reality they are not that great. 

The kiosks that I have come into contact with, especially in grocery stores, are horrible. They can’t always recognize items, they give error codes, they make the process longer, and people have to manually enter information. It really takes at least 2 people just to monitor a handful of machines. 

Just because the machines look advanced and high tech on the outside, doesn’t mean that they are at the level of humans at this point in time. I really don’t think they will be jeopardizing human jobs quite yet. I actually find that less people are using kiosks to begin with now than when they first came out. People find them frustrating and they find that the process takes a longer time with a kiosk than with a human being. 

Automation is a great concept in theory, but in reality we have a long, long way to go before it is actually a threat to human jobs. Have you had a bad experience with an automated kiosk? Do you think human jobs are at risk? Use #AskTheFuturist on Twitter to share your stories. You can also use the hashtag to ask me a question for a future episode. 

Let me know what you think, comment below to share your thoughts! You can subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos.

Jacob Morgan is a speaker, author, and cofounder of The Future of Work Community. Subscribe to his newsletter or visit TheFutureOrganization.

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Many organizations believe they are in a war for talent with just their direct competition. This is not true anymore. We are seeing a global talent war, not only with a particular industry or location, but with employees around the world. If you’re Pepsi you aren’t just competing with Coca-Cola, you’re competing against LinkedIn, Airbnb, Cisco, Whirlpool, and every other company out there including those in the sharing economy space. A great example of this is Uber. Next time you decide to take a ride with Uber, ask your driver what they did previously. Many Uber drivers I have spoken with have a background working in a corporate environment as attorneys, strategy consultants, and marketing or sales executives. They have made a conscious decision to work for a company like Uber, making similar money to their previous positions, and enjoying the freedom and flexibility much more.

What can an organization do to retain and keep top talent? Focus on employee experience and create an environment where employees want to show up, not necessarily where they need to show up.

Let me know what you think, comment below to share your thoughts! You can subscribe to the YouTube channel for more videos.

Jacob Morgan is a speaker, author, and cofounder of The Future of Work Community. Subscribe to his newsletter or visit TheFutureOrganization.