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We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Emerging technologies are transforming the way enterprises are run across sectors. AI, IoT, cognitive computing, augmented reality, robotics, are each extending a significant influence on not just business but also the nature of the workplace and workforce dynamics. Amidst fears of machines replacing human workers, the clarion cry for change has united us all. There’s no denying the need for complete transformation of the workplace, if it is to keep up with the rapid march of technology. But,at this juncture,it is important to consider if workforce transformation is just about implementing digital technology within the workplace and whether the same technology might actually be hindering a complete transformation.

It is true that technology is at the core of the current digital transformation. New technologies have led to new customer demands and made it possible for businesses to deliver creative solutions to meet those demands. But this is not a new phenomenon. Every industrial revolution in history has been about new technology changing the way work was done. The advent of steam power ushered in an era known as the First Industrial Revolution with impressive machines improving efficiencies. The Second Industrial Revolution saw electric machines coming in to make mass production possible. It is worth noting that both revolutions were ultimately more about the way people responded to new technologies and innovated with it than the technology by itself. The same holds true even today. In fact, as Harvard Business Review article points out, despite the tremendous impact of technologies like AI,

there are some quintessentially human skills like emotional intelligence, intuition, instinct, empathy and ability to read and adapt to changing situations that machines can never replicate The truth is that workforce transformation has to be a comprehensive strategy that aims to empower human talent in this digital era. The key to success today lies not in the bare technology but in innovation. Mobile apps and taxis have both been around for a while. The combination became a phenomenon when Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp put the two together for Uber and a phenomenon was born. Cloud technology existed, but it was up to us to leverage it to deliver a unique primary healthcare solution in Vizag. Technology without human innovation, creativity and imagination is not of much use. Which is why, the workforce transformation strategy must look at using technology to drive not just business success but also human progress. A narrow focus on just introducing technology into the workforce without training, retraining, upskilling and empowering individuals to work creatively with it will hinder true workforce transformation.

Technology has the power to isolate people, and it is up to organizations to ensure a good mix of online and offline processes for comprehensive workforce transformation

If true workforce transformation is about people as much as it is about technology then it must also include a comprehensive focus on collaboration and cross team functioning to be truly effective. The picture of a group of friends sitting together and staring at their respective mobile phones is a cliché today. Technology has the power to isolate people, and it is up to organizations to ensure a good mix of online and offline processes for comprehensive workforce transformation. If innovation is the key to success in the digital era, then make it easy for teams to come together and collaborate for innovation. Crowdsource ideas, facilitate conversations, enable cross-team functioning and allow your teams to experiment and bring their ideas to life within or outside of workplace. This is why some organizations have innovation labs that give employees the tech infrastructure to bring their ideas to life. Sometimes these ideas become part of the company’s product roadmaps, sometimes they don’t, but they definitely help foster creativity and goodwill. We believe that collaboration makes everything easier and better. Our crowd sourcing software development platform ‘CrossRoads’ helps people from different teams to come together to take ideas to the next level and incubate projects. Collaboration, innovation and new age technology skills are ingrained in our teams.

Workforce transformation has a lot to do with technology. But it is important to remember that it has more to do with the people who form the foundation of any organization. Learning technology skills is comparatively easy. The millennial talent base is a digital native who understands technology anyway and is keen to learn and use new skills. The bigger challenge lies in fostering innovation and helping teams think beyond their defined roles to come up with tech-enabled solutions that address real challenges. That, to me, is the kind of workforce transformation that is required to thrive in this 21st century Industrial Revolution.