Coping with Digital Transformation in the Workplace

Written by iMaven

iMaven provides a dynamic platform enabled by machine learning and matching algorithms to provide employers access to vetted, specialised recruiters to help them fill crucial jobs in an increasingly poor candidate market.

The ongoing evolution of digital technology at every level of industry is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Disruptive? Absolutely. Disastrous? That all depends on your point of view.

Although the 2015 CEDA report (Committee for Economic Development of Australia) claims that technology could make almost 40% of Australian jobs, including highly skilled roles, redundant in 10 to 15 years, the reality is that the digital age is less about displacing jobs, and more about enhancing those positions, by replacing specific aspects of them.

Threat or Opportunity?

Consider your response to the following question.

I see digital transformation in the workplace as a:

  • Threat
  • Opportunity

If you’re onboard with the notion that digital transformation paves the way for new types of creativity and innovation to bear fruit in the workplace, then you probably view the current advances in big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence as an enormous opportunity. If you’re more the status quo type of employee or employer, maybe not so much.

In either case, our future success as professionals hinges largely on our willingness to adapt. The vital qualities represented by innovating thinking and creativity are already creating roles on both sides of the corporate desk that require us to:

  • embrace change,
  • recognize the bigger picture, and
  • cultivate an ability to spot trends and opportunities

And while many of these roles, especially in the IT environment, revolve around an ability to transform data into the kind of practical intelligence that can benefit our very human lifestyles, are the qualities discussed here really any different from those of any other industrial revolution?

Calling All Optimists

The question for many is, should we panic about the fact that widespread automation is sweeping the nation’s industries – from healthcare to driving?

Despite expert financial and economic feedback on both sides, the answer for many job seekers and providers comes down to a matter of opinion.

One thing, however, is certain. The drive to maintain – and even increase – profitability inside the changing business landscape is amplifying the need for unique skill sets that combine the best of reasoning and logic, with an understanding of how the human mind works.

And that’s why we can all remain enthusiastically optimistic about the new professional horizon. Progress has always demanded invention, inspiration, and an intimate understanding of the human condition – and these elements will always be driven by people. So, even if you can’t completely get behind Aristotle’s belief that “change in all things is sweet”, you might just find it easier to embrace the rapidly evolving digital workplace if you keep these words from George Bernard Shaw in mind:

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

Now, it’s your turn. Are you excited or concerned about the changes you see affecting your future professional role?