Hire Digitally Native Staff, Or Teach Current Employees New Tricks?

A bit of both might work well

Companies across the world are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology—in fact, according to a global survey by Deloitte, 31 percent of companies are in the process of implementing AI and robotics, and 34 percent are piloting the technology in selected areas of their business. However, while most companies are feeling the pressure to become more technologically advanced, many fear the time and resources they will need to make the shift. In fact, Sage’s “Sweating the Small Stuff’ report showed US businesses’ main concern around automating administrative tasks and digitizing systems is the time, energy and training it takes to make the change.
 

Not only is the idea of implementing the technology itself a bit daunting, but the impact new systems will have on the workforce raises an additional concern. The adoption of this technology has created what many are calling an “augmented workforce,” forcing business leaders to re-evaluate the skills needed to thrive in today’s workplace. As companies turn to technologies that increasingly automate employees’ day-to-day tasks, leaders must rethink what skills are needed for an employee to be successful in a redefined role.
 
This begs the question - should businesses invest time and resources into their current employees, fostering these newly needed skills or do they pivot and hire a new crop of people with the skills required by today’s digital workplace?

The Augmented Workforce - What are the Implications?

To get a better understanding of how to prepare for technological transformation, it’s crucial to understand how new tech will impact your workforce. Typically, new technology’s effects on employees manifest in two major ways. First, some employees who have not needed any level of technical skill or have not been computer-savvy will be faced with tasks that require substantial technological prowess. For example, a salesperson today is typically required to work with a number of sales enablement systems on a daily basis. This baseline level of computer skill was not required in the same role 10 years ago.
 
Second, many roles that were once very technical-focused, such as accounting, will become less about the number crunching, and more about less tangible “people skills.” Accountants who were once consumed by administrative tasks such as invoicing and calculations are now faced with more time and greater expectations from clients to provide higher-level business counsel.
 
This wide-range of employee impact makes technology adoption a complex challenge. Business leaders cannot simply look to one static solution to move towards the future.  

Retrain or Rehire? A Bit of Both

Companies that adopt a hybrid approach—both retraining their current employees and hiring new talent—will be the most successful with the transition. In regards to training, the approach must be two-fold: companies should identify the skills that are most valuable to each role, and provide existing employees with the resources to expand their knowledge.

A skills gap already exists in the workplace where the need for technical jobs far outnumbers the supply of those qualified to fill them. However, this skills gap is not only due to a lack of supply of talent, but also a demand-side factor: technology is outpacing our ability to learn and effectively utilize it. We now live in a world where our technology is teaching itself, from self-driving cars to machine-learning AI, and conventional education is not equipped to keep up—making it all the more crucial for business leaders to educate their workforce. Education starts with making sure employees are ready to learn new skills. From there, businesses must meet employees where they are and work closely with them to develop their skill set. This could be in the form of on-site training sessions, online modules or corporate certifications.
 
Additionally, companies must take care to invest in software that is user-friendly. By ensuring all software implemented is well-designed and intuitive, companies will lessen the learning curve for employees and save money on training. In choosing new business software, leaders should focus on “clicktivity” or the number of clicks it takes to complete a process using software—a relatively quick and easy way to measure a software's user-friendliness. Moreover, inviting employees to test out the new software is a great way to evaluate the software designs’ usability within your company.
 
To supplement retraining efforts, companies may also look to hire additional employees with strong soft skills—such as “people skills,” critical thinking skills and communication skills—as these talents are increasingly important in today’s workplace. While some roles within the organization may require a baseline of technical expertise, prioritizing candidates with strengths in these other areas is important in a time where necessary technical skills are evolving so quickly. It’s often easier to teach existing employees the technical skills needed, whereas it’s more difficult to develop employees’ intangible, less defined soft skills.  

Nicole Hardin is the Director of Product Management at Sage Software. She is an industry thought leader for businesses leveraging next-generation technologies. Nicole is presently leading innovation for one of Sage’s global accounting cloud products Sage Business Cloud Financials. Nicole has worked as a technologist for most of her career and, as a previous business owner herself, is passionate about helping businesses achieve their ambitions. Follow @nichardin Connect Nicole Hardin