Most
managers will tell you that one of the things that drives them nuts is
when an employee says "That's not my job." Or, "That's not in my job
description".
It is a mentality that, thankfully, is becoming
less prevalent; especially as technology continues to blur the lines
between job functions, even rendering some obsolete. And, if you are
still using old methods of measuring productivity, you may soon be
changing those as well.
The
Boston Consulting Group holds an annual breakfast, at which they bring
together an assortment of thought leaders to discuss major issues, such
as productivity, in the face of today's digital transformation; in other
words, how technology and automation are changing the way we measure
productivity.
What
is amazing, of course, is the fact that we are now talking seriously
about self-driving cars and robots, not as futuristic phenomena, but as
deliverables! Of course, those technologies still lie on the outskirts
of our day-to-day management lives. But things are changing. And,
regardless of what business you are in, these changes are set to rock
your world, in terms of your goals, your business plans and, most
importantly, the kind of employees you hire.
Below is graphic created by the Future of Jobs Report,
from the World Economic Forum. It's interesting in that it spotlights
the shift in importance of the key employee attributes, known to link to
higher productivity. 
Note
how "creativity" has moved from last place to third place. And, there
are a few new ones added, such as "emotional intelligence". As for the
demise of "quality control"; well maybe technology will have that
covered by 2020.
You can look up what all these terms mean, but
the point is that the business world is changing to one where creativity
is highly valued and negotiation skills; well, maybe not so much.
The
bottom line is that technology is rapidly changing the characteristics
of what we deem an ideal employee. But the good news is that if
employers can begin to hire people who, instead of moaning "That's not
my job" can deploy technology to handle more rote tasks and use their
creativity and emotional intelligence to help reach new business
heights, then the old jobs of the past are really "Not anyone's job"
anymore.
Are you
ready to hire a new generation of young, tech-savvy workers to help you
find creative new ways to solve a new generation of challenges?
Let us know what you think. After all, we're all in this "brave new world" together!
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