With AI making a bigger impact in organizations today, one of the biggest challenges companies face is making sure employees do not feel burdened or worried about the technology replacing them. While there is no denying that some roles will eventually be replaced by AI, most companies want to have their employees working with AI or improving their skills to work on other tasks.

As such, there continues to be a constant debate on the description of roles for employees today. For example, graphic designers are able to save a lot more time by USing AI-generated images to develop new content. But they also need to know how to work with the technology to create images that would match their requirements.

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Other roles that could potentially be impacted by AI are in the customer service industry. While customer-facing roles are still relevant, other roles dealing with customers are increasingly being taken over by AI. Employees in these roles would now need to upskill themselves to work with these technologies in order to remain a valuable asset to their organization.

Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn’s Chief Product Officer

According to a report by Gartner, employees who believe that their jobs can be replaced by AI have a 27% lower intent to stay in their organization. At an average organization of 10,000 employees, this decrease in intent to stay costs US$53 million per year in total costs and lost productivity.

The impact of generative AI on jobs and workers will vary greatly depending on labor market dynamics and other demand drivers. This blend of certainty and uncertainty makes it difficult for executive leaders to create solid workforce plans that align with their technology and business investments.

So how can organizations keep employees satisfied with their roles as they implement new technologies at work? And how will the adoption of generative AI change job scopes and descriptions?

To understand more about this, Tech Wire Asia spoke to Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn’s chief product officer. Cohen shared insights on the evolving work landscape, especially the transformative role AI plays in businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

By 2030, we will need 68% different skills than we do now to do the same jobs we have today. (Image generated by AI without a shred of irony).

How will the increased adoption of AI change roles and job scopes at organizations?

AI is going to transform how we work across every field, function and industry. It will also dramatically change our career paths, as more than half of the jobs in the world will be affected by AI in some way. This is especially true for countries like Singapore, India and Indonesia, where around 60% of the jobs will be disrupted or enhanced by AI in the next several years. That’s why employees and employers need to invest in AI literacy – learning new skills and adapting to working with AI. Those who do it will be more successful.

What can businesses do to cope with these changes, especially in ensuring their employees are able to work with the technology and not be made redundant?

AI is changing the way we work, even if we are keeping the same jobs. By 2030, we will need 68% different skills than we do now to do the same jobs we have today. But many people don’t know how to work with AI and use it at work. That’s why businesses need to help their employees learn and grow their skills. They need to close the AI proficiency gap and create a culture of learning that values and encourages the development of both AI and soft skills and encourages people to move within the company. This will make their employees happier and more productive, and their businesses more successful.

In APAC, over a third of businesses (~40%) are already doing this today, and many prioritize learning using online courses, internal training, and hands-on AI tools, and they can see the benefits of it.

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For example, Bunnings, a leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products, is one example of a company that is investing in its employees to help them learn new skills, improve their knowledge, and fill the gaps in their capabilities.

It is creating a culture of learning and development by demonstrating and communicating that careers can be built, whether that’s in one role by continuously developing and building skills over time or moving internally. Additionally, they also conduct regular pulse checks with their employees to gauge engagement levels and ensure that opportunities for skill development and career growth are available.

Given the increased impact of AI in the workplace, what skills will no longer be relevant for employees?

AI and automation are changing the skills that employers look for in job candidates with 88% of employers in APAC changing the skills and qualifications they look for in job candidates due to automation and AI. In the next six years, we will also need to change an estimated 68% of our skills to keep up with the new demands. That means we have to re-think our work and how AI can help us do it better. How some tasks like taking notes can be completely automated by AI.

But some tasks, like coding or brainstorming new business ideas, can be amplified with AI. We need to learn how to use AI tools to make our work easier and better, but we also need to focus on the skills that make us human. These are the skills that hiring managers in APAC value the most in the era of AI: problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, and the ability to learn quickly.

Employees using AI at work. (Image generated by AI).

What skills should employees look to learn more to remain relevant in their companies?

The reality is many people don’t know how to maximize the capabilities of AI yet. That means there is a lot of room for improvement and learning. We need to focus on the skills that make us human, like working with others, solving problems, and thinking critically. These are the soft skills that employers want the most; 94% of L&D professionals in APAC recognize the growing significance of human skills, especially communication, which has emerged as the top sought-after soft skill in several countries including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, and Singapore. Other critical soft skills that rank highly in these markets are analytical skills and leadership.

Learning AI skills, like how to understand natural language, can also open up new opportunities and possibilities for us.

What are the biggest challenges employers face when it comes to retaining top talent amid this dynamic landscape?

Retaining the best talent can be hard, with more than 90% of organizations in APAC concerned about employee retention. Fostering professional growth and learning is their number one goal to help them stay engaged and upskill.

Looking at the generation gap in the workforce, especially between Gen Zs, millennials and boomers, should businesses prioritize experience or skills more when it comes to retaining talent and working with emerging technologies?

Jobs are changing fast, and we need to change with them. That means experience alone is not enough. Businesses need to help their employees learn new skills and keep up with the latest technologies. This will make their employees more productive, adaptable, and loyal.

Employers in APAC know this, and they increasingly are looking for candidates showing a growth mindset and a strong ability to learn. They want people who have both soft skills and AI skills. These are the skills that matter the most currently in these markets: problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, AI know-how, and IT & web skills.

Will AI replace humans at work? (Image generated by AI).

Lastly, what is LinkedIn doing to help both employees and employers adapt to new changes at work?

We have always used AI to help our customers find the best matches, whether it’s for jobs, learning, or networking. But now we are taking AI to the next level and we’re bringing it to the forefront. We have the advantage of being part of Microsoft, which gives us access to the latest AI technology. We also have the data from our economic graph, which shows us what’s going on in the world of work. This helps us to help our customers adapt and succeed in the age of AI.

We have been working hard to create amazing AI experiences for our members and customers. We have reimagined all of our products, from recruiting to advertising to sales to learning. We have used LinkedIn’s unique platform and insights from our huge network of one billion professionals, 67 million companies, and 41 million skills. This has created a lot of value for our customers and helped them to focus on the most important and human aspects of their work.

LinkedIn is now using AI to increase the value we bring through our products. This includes making the hiring process easier and faster by using AI to help with writing job descriptions, sending messages, and finding the best candidates. Our AI can understand natural language and help companies express their hiring goals.

For marketers, we have simplified the campaign creation process. We have used AI to help them create and run campaigns with just one click. We have also used AI to optimize their campaigns and target the right audiences. Meanwhile, for sales professionals, we have enhanced Sales Navigator with two new AI features. These are AI-assisted search and Account IQ. These features help them research accounts and find leads more effectively. They help them focus on what matters most: building relationships with buyers and customers.

There are also several other features for premium subscribers, including profile writing suggestions, a new tool that helps you to craft engaging Headline and About sections — which can lead to nearly 2x the number of opportunities.

Lastly, for employees who want skills to adapt to the new era of work, the LinkedIn Learning courses are available for free until May 31, 2024. These courses will help them build the most in-demand skills.

If you upskill to work alongside AI, you might be able to get the doors open. Maybe.

The post How LinkedIn is helping employers and employees with AI at work appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Before AI, the human workforce has endured all types of revolutions at work. But ever since AI started being capable of completing more tasks as work, employees have known their jobs would eventually be replaced by the technology. As generative AI lets technology do more “human work,” employees have found themselves being made redundant or having to upskill themselves to work with technology.

The World Economic Forum says that some 75% of companies are set to have adopted AI technologies by 2027. Meanwhile, 80% plan to accelerate automation during this period. Some companies have even started replacing entire roles with AI.

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Layoffs and redundancy have happened throughout 2023 and are expected to continue throughout this year. Companies are scaling down on hiring and replacing some roles with technology. Employees who don’t fit restructuring plans are released. This is the reality that businesses around the world are implementing at this point.

While several studies clearly indicate that AI will not replace the human workforce but augment it, most businesses are feeling optimistic about jettisoning humans in favor of AI. In fact, a prompt on Bing asking if AI would take over the workforce someday also produced a rather interesting reply.

“This is a complex and controversial question that has no definitive answer. Ultimately, the question of whether AI will replace the human workforce is not a simple yes or no, but rather a matter of how, when, and where. AI is a powerful and evolving technology that will affect different industries, sectors, and regions in different ways. The future of work will depend on how humans adapt, collaborate, and innovate with AI. 🤖,” was the reply by Microsoft’s Bing. Yes, it added the robotic emoticon at the end of its reply as well.

There’s such a thing as kicking a species when it’s down, Bing.

The World Economic Forum stated that some 75% of companies are set to have adopted AI technologies by 2027. (Image generated by AI).

The workforce and AI

As ever when it comes to AI and the workforce, tech companies will say that the technology will enable workers to be better at what they do. But with generative AI being capable generating code and even planning out entire tours, what tasks are left for those working in such roles?

Most studies indicate these three points when it comes to AI and the workforce. They are:

• AI will not replace humans but rather augment their abilities and create new opportunities. AI can automate repetitive and mundane tasks, but it cannot replicate qualities such as creativity, empathy, and intuition. Humans with AI will have an advantage over humans without AI in the future job market.
• AI will replace some jobs, but also create new ones. AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs by 2030, but it could also lead to a productivity boom and new roles that require human skills.
• AI will have a significant impact on the world, but it will also depend on how humans use it. AI has the potential to bring about positive changes in society, such as enhanced healthcare, education, and sustainability. But it also poses ethical, social, and economic challenges that need to be addressed. Put simply, AI will change the world, but humans will shape its direction.

Many at the sharp end of the AI revolution would argue with this rosy assessment, saying that the state of the current workforce clearly indicates the impact AI has on industries, and the direction of travel for humans in the high-tech AI world.

But that’s where things gets interesting.

Replacing the workforce with AI may boost productivity and efficiency, but is it sustainable and is it actually cheaper? Running AI workloads actually requires a lot more energy and computing power. This means businesses would need to invest in more technology to support this, such as increased data center capacity and computing power. This itself generates more carbon, which is actually not sustainable in the long run.

At the same time, the cost of using AI as compared to a human workforce may seem low at first. But in the long run, the technology would eventually cost a lot more, simply because technology needs to be constantly updated and these updates are not going to always be free. The cost of securing AI applications is also another thing businesses need to consider.

Replacing the workforce with AI may boost productivity and efficiency, but is it sustainable and is it cheaper? (Image generated by AI).

The human workforce is still relevant

Researchers from MIT have released a study that indicates the human workforce is still relevant to organizations around the world today. The study is the first estimate of which tasks are technically feasible and economically attractive to automate and which are not.

“We focus on computer vision, where cost modeling is more developed. We find that at today’s costs, US businesses would choose not to automate most vision tasks that have ‘AI Exposure,’ and that only 23% of worker wages being paid for vision tasks would be attractive to automate. This slower roll-out of AI can be accelerated if costs falls rapidly or if it is deployed via AI-as-a-service platforms that have greater scale than individual firms, both of which we quantify. Overall, our findings suggest that AI job displacement will be substantial, but also gradual – and therefore there is room for policy and retraining to mitigate unemployment impacts,” the study stated.

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The study was funded by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and used online surveys to collect data on around 1,000 visually assisted tasks across 800 occupations. Only 3% of such tasks can be automated cost-effectively today, but that could rise to 40% by 2030 if data costs fall and accuracy improves, the researchers said.

For now, the study clearly shows that the high costs of AI, as in computer vision, simply mean that the human workforce is still a more economical option. But the study also concluded that as technology becomes cheaper, businesses may want to consider its adoption so that the impact is not as heavy, both economically on the company and the workforce.

The report also said that AI-as-a-service could solve some issues with tech adoption. But this raises the concern of how the data would be used and likely requires industry collaborations or policy initiatives to enable data sharing across companies.

While areas like computer vision only represent a small percentage of wages and the workforce, the researchers believe that their model mitigates the scale of labor displacement in the future. And that scale shows that the rate of job loss is lower than that already experienced in the economy.

“Our results point to a notably different path for AI automation than previously explored in the literature – one where the pace is more in line with traditional job churn and more amenable to traditional policy interventions, and where the cost-effectiveness of systems is crucial to determining their spread,” the report concluded.

The post MIT Study: human workforce cheaper than AI and robots 🤖   appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

When people first started using technology, it was meant to help complete tasks. Over the years, the world has witnessed increasing adoption of technology in more industries. Today, every industry has some form of robot or automation playing a role in completing some tasks.

As such, the relationship between humans and technology is complex and multifaceted. While technology has undoubtedly brought numerous benefits and opportunities, it also raises concerns about its impact on our lives, including the potential of subconscious control.

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The increasing use of technology at work, manufacturing plants, healthcare and even in financial institutions has made some wonder if technology is taking over the world. The reality is, to a certain degree, it has taken over the world without us realizing it.

According to the Future of Jobs Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum, 34% of all business-related tasks are performed by machines, with the remaining 66% performed by humans. However, organizations surveyed also believe that 42% of business tasks will be automated by 2027.

Can humans work with robots easily? (Image generated by AI)

This could be a reason why there are still concerns about employee displacement. As AI will be a key driver of potential algorithmic displacement, it’s forecast to be adopted by nearly 75% of surveyed companies and is expected to lead to high churn – with 50% of organizations expecting it to create job growth and 25% expecting it to create job losses.

For job losses, the fastest declining roles are clerical or secretarial roles, all of which can be completed by AI today. Bank Tellers and Related Clerks, Postal Service Clerks, Cashiers and Ticket Clerks, and Data Entry Clerks are expected to decline fastest. The largest losses are expected in administrative roles and in traditional security, factory and commerce roles. Surveyed organizations predict 26 million fewer jobs by 2027, which will be driven mainly by digitalization and automation.

While there will certainly be a demand for jobs, particularly with the expanding adoption of technology, concerns persist about the lack of skilled workers to fill these roles.

Robots will eventually take over more jobs in the workplace. (Image generated by AI)

The rise of robots and AI in the workplace

While Hollywood has continuously made films about robots taking over the world and rogue AIs wanting to destroy humanity, some of the ideas and storylines in these films have become a reality. Although no cases of humanoid bots harming humans have been reported, more companies are replacing their human workforce with robots.

To be more precise, robots are becoming a valuable component for manufacturing plants today. Unlike manual labor, robots can work nonstop and are able to enhance productivity. Take Amazon warehouses, for example. The company now has over 750,000 robots working collaboratively with its employees, taking on highly repetitive tasks and freeing up employees to better deliver for its customers. While Amazon states that the robots are working collaboratively with its employees, there are fears that it could lead to employee displacement.

“Over the last 10 years, we’ve rolled out hundreds of thousands of robotics systems while also creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs within our operations. This includes 700 categories of new job types, in skilled roles, which didn’t exist within the company beforehand. By equipping our employees with new technology and training them to develop new skills, we’re creating career paths and new and exciting ways for people to contribute here at Amazon,” explained Scott Dresser, VP at Amazon Robotics.

But what about the jobs it will replace? Amazon has already laid off thousands of employees in 2023. There is a possibility that Amazon could replace the remaining workforce in the warehouses in the future.

Would you trust robot workers?

A report from Goldman Sachs states that AI could replace about 300 million jobs in the future. However, it seems that most financial institutions are already reducing their workforce and using technology to replace some roles. The rise of digital banks as well as the demand for branchless services has seen some large banks shut down their physical branches.

Goldman Sachs itself is planning for another round of job cuts for employees who are deemed underperformers, which could come as soon as late October. The bank has already laid off about 3,200 people earlier this year in its biggest headcount reduction since the 2008 financial crisis.

A few months earlier, IBM’s Arvind Krishna stated that the company plans to replace nearly 8000 jobs with AI. This included roles that are in the human resources sector as well as back-office functions.

They’re everywhere – Will robots take over the world?

It’s not just the large corporations that are reducing their workforce and replacing them with technology. Smaller businesses have also found AI and robots capable of reducing their operations costs and enhancing productivity.

Some restaurants are using robots as waiters and even to cook and prepare food. Hotels are using robots to send meals for room service. Airports are using robots to monitor users and some robots are being used to walk pets. The possibilities are endless.

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Here arises the concern that technology – specifically robots and AI – is taking over the world. While technology has made it easier for everyone to focus on other work, are we subconsciously allowing robots to take over our daily lives and routines? Are we allowing robots and AI to make decisions for us because we need them to or simply because their suggestions make more sense?

Whether we realize it or not, humans are subconsciously allowing technology to dictate what we do. Be it at work or at home, the overreliance on technology has created an environment whereby many feel it is right to let technology make the decision for us.

Algorithms and AI systems often personalize the content we see online, creating filter bubbles that reinforce our existing beliefs and opinions. Essentially, this can limit our exposure to diverse perspectives, potentially shaping our thoughts and beliefs without us even realizing it.

Who will be in control of technology eventually? (Image generated by AI)

No fate but what we make

In the Terminator film series, the phrase “no fate but what we make” can pretty much sum up the situation the world is experiencing with technology right now. It basically means that nothing is set but things can happen based on the decisions we make.

For technology, while AI and robots are definitely improving the way we work and live, there should be some control over how much technology we should allow in our lives. Regulations are already being developed but will that be enough to ensure that technology is developed ethically?

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The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) is on a mission to reduce societal-scale risks from AI. The company exists to equip policymakers, business leaders, and the broader world with the understanding and tools necessary to manage AI risk.

In a whitepaper published by the CAIS, researchers have explained the need to understand the catastrophic AI risks that could be at hand if there is not enough control. Specifically, there are four areas for AI risk.

They are:

• Malicious use – Cybercriminals are already leveraging AI to launch more sophisticated cyberattacks. AI could be used to engineer new pandemics for propaganda, censorship, and surveillance, or released to autonomously pursue harmful goals.
• AI race – Conflicts could spiral out of control due to autonomous weapons and AI-enabled cyber warfare. Corporations will face incentives to automate human labor, potentially leading to mass unemployment and dependence on AI systems. The US and China are already heavily competing in AI development.
• Organizational risks – AIs could be accidentally leaked to the public or stolen by malicious actors, and organizations could fail to properly invest in safety research.
• Rogue AIs – The eventual self-control of AIs poses a significant concern. AIs could optimize flawed objectives, drift from their original goals, become power-seeking, resist shutdown, and engage in deception.

“Currently, very few people are working on AI risk reduction. We do not yet know how to control highly advanced AI systems, and existing control methods are already proving inadequate. The inner workings of AIs are not well understood, even by those who create them, and current AIs are by no means highly reliable. As AI capabilities continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, they could surpass human intelligence in nearly all respects relatively soon, creating a pressing need to manage the potential risks,” stated researchers in a white paper published by CAIS.

So, will robots take over the world? Frankly speaking, they have subconsciously done so. This is why it’s crucial to be aware of these influences and make conscious decisions about how we use technology. Digital literacy and mindfulness can help individuals recognize when and how technology might be shaping their behavior subconsciously, allowing them to take control and use technology in a way that aligns with their values and well-being.

The post Are we allowing technology to control us subconsciously? appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

In today’s digital work environment, seeking focus amid incessant online noise is akin to an intense treasure hunt. Employees wade through a ceaseless flood of messages, meetings and alerts, all vying for a slice of their divided attention. This ongoing struggle often devolves into a perpetual hunt through digital folders, emails, and an abyss of browser tabs, in search of the very elements crucial for efficient job performance.

Such relentless digital disturbances do more than just consume our time; they plunder the potential within us. The cumulative effect of these distractions represents hundreds of hours lost each year, time that could have been dedicated to more impactful and rewarding endeavors.

Yet the future of productivity isn’t predetermined. Fresh research points to a hopeful trajectory, highlighting the role of AI-powered tools, flexible work setups, and asynchronous communication strategies in paving a more focused, efficient path forward.

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Empowering work productivity through AI

A recent study by Economist Impact, sponsored by Dropbox, reveals a telling snapshot: 42% of respondents confessed to rarely enjoying an uninterrupted, productive work hour. The study further estimates a staggering loss of over five hundred hours per year for the average knowledge worker due to distractions, with 157 of those hours squandered on unproductive messaging via workplace chat applications—identified as the primary culprit for broken concentration.

Simultaneously, the rise of generative AI is ushering in innovative product development possibilities tailored to modern work’s nuances. The study also indicates a positive reception to automation tools, increasingly driven by AI, with 79% of users reporting enhanced productivity and roughly 70% acknowledging better organization.

The research additionally provides insights into future expectations from AI technology. The overarching idea is clear: the more our tools can streamline daily tasks, the more we can dedicate ourselves to innovative, collaborative, and creative pursuits.

Automation of repetitive tasks emerged as a top priority for over 40% of participants. Close to 30% expressed a desire for tools capable of aiding in information retrieval, organization, and summarization, while over 20% sought solutions for query resolution.

The preferable ways to use AI-powered tools. (Source – Dropbox)

AI’s potential to transform meetings is particularly striking. Internal insights from Dropbox—sourced from comprehensive interviews and surveys with employees, (orchestrated by its People Analytics team alongside external researchers)—reveal that meetings carry hidden costs not reflected in our calendars. These include the time spent in preparation and post-meeting processing and the cognitive toll of switching between unrelated meetings.

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The prospect of AI tools shouldering some of this cognitive burden—from transcribing and summarizing discussions to compiling preparatory materials—promises a future with more room for focus and reduced administrative clutter.

The sentiment gleaned from the Economist Impact survey suggests a prevailing optimism: AI and automation are viewed not as threats to job security, but as enhancers of work quality, intelligence, and efficiency. Among respondents already relying on AI and automation tools, 86% felt their job security was either bolstered or unaffected by these technologies—a consistency observed across all age groups, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.

AI’s battle against work distractions

Mitigating the cognitive strain caused by administrative excess is crucial for unlocking our full productivity potential. Yet, in an era punctuated by endless meetings and incessant messaging, maintaining focus is an uphill battle.

Although indispensable in remote work setups, key communication tools also double as sources of distraction and tension. Approximately 60% of people report feeling compelled to respond instantly to messages, while 63% admit to a constant pressure to remain accessible.

Economist Impact’s findings underscore the productivity pitfall: inefficient meetings and workplace chat applications account for the loss of 79 and 157 hours annually per knowledge worker, respectively.

Addressing the issue of unproductive messaging alone could unlock substantial economic benefits: potentially US$31,000 per knowledge worker in the US (US$360 billion on a national scale, representing 11% of annual economic production).

Recovering from such disruptions, including emails and meetings, devours 127 hours each year for the average American worker—a number that’s on the rise. This trend isn’t confined to the US; it’s a global phenomenon, with workers in countries like Korea, Australia, and the UK losing over 100 hours annually to distraction recovery.

Hours of lost focus per knowledge worker (left axis) and equivalent economic cost per person (right axis). (Source – Dropbox)

While eradicating every distraction remains an unattainable ideal, the potential to harness innovative tools to contain this turmoil is a realistic ambition.

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This strategy encompasses utilizing solutions such as Dropbox Dash for prompt information retrieval or automated transcriptions for more efficient meetings. AI technologies stand at the forefront of these pragmatic enhancements of our professional lives.

What is Dropbox doing to enhance work?

Now available in open beta, Dropbox Dash is a testament to enhanced search functionality, thanks to its AI infusion. It amalgamates various apps, tools, and content under one search umbrella, significantly easing the information hunt. With features like Stacks, an intelligent system for link organization, and a centralized start page, it streamlines navigation throughout the working day.

Can AI free us from meetings that should have been emails, and emails that could have waited till meetings?

Addressing the contemporary challenge of managing content sprawled across various platforms, Dash represents Dropbox’s solution to digital clutter, allowing users to concentrate on more substantial tasks. Based on user feedback, the system has evolved to accommodate keyword and semantic searches, eliminating dependence on the exact memory of extensive titles.

Additionally, Dash can respond directly to queries by using AI to parse and synthesize information from diverse sources, delivering rapid, pertinent responses. This development signifies a crucial stride toward adept digital workspace administration.

Since its launch, Dropbox AI has been pivotal in simplifying the summarization of high-volume content such as videos, audio files, and documents. The platform has evolved, enabling users to pose questions and receive summaries from content spanning their entire Dropbox account. By initiating a search, Dropbox AI swiftly finds relevant answers and file summaries, enhancing the speed of information retrieval.

What’s more, Dropbox AI is adept at interpreting natural language commands, and responding accurately to requests like “show me photos from my photoshoot yesterday.” Additionally, users are given greater autonomy over their digital experiences, with the ability to adjust AI functionalities within their account settings.

The digital workspace is undergoing a transformative phase. With the integration of advanced AI capabilities in tools like Dropbox Dash and Dropbox AI, our approach to handling information and managing tasks is becoming more streamlined and efficient.

The post How AI can restore your focus at work appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

When it comes to work productivity, be it at the workplace or anywhere else, invisible apps are working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth workflow process. Unknown to many, invisible apps are the solutions that make user commands work. They are integrated with existing systems and processes to automate repetitive tasks.

For example, when a person talks to a chatbot, in the background the chatbot is actually trying to find the right solution  for that query. In the past, an employee would need to manually search their way to a solution.

Even when using voice commands, be it for calling someone or getting a task done, phone assistants are examples of frictionless invisible apps that enable these processes to work.

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According to Simon Ma, director and regional manager for ASEAN at Freshworks, in the enterprise space, invisible apps integrate systems to streamline operations and enhance work productivity in an organization. Unlike normal apps that have a visible user interface, invisible apps not only automate tasks but also manage data and facilitate communication.

“The goal is to help with enhancing efficiency, automating processes, and generally improving overall operations. These apps work in the background; when they start to automate repetitive tasks, it eliminates the need for manual interventions. That means invisible apps can also perform actions and make decisions on behalf of the user,” explained Ma.

Enhancing work productivity by improving employee experience

When it comes to work productivity, employees today want convenience and intuitiveness. They don’t want to granularly undertake a business process or manually work a business application. That’s particularly true among Gen Z and millennial employees, who are often immersed in multiple apps when it comes to work. They could be using email, Teams, and WhatsApp for work chats and tasks, for example.

Simon Ma, director and regional manager for ASEAN at Freshworks

“Invisible apps allow for more value creation activities within a short timeframe, rather than long manual processes on traditional applications. It also allows an omnichannel experience, as employees today expect to be engaged in a channel of their choice, be it WhatsApp, emails, Teams or phone. The consumerization of IT has led to an increased expectation of an omnichannel experience in everything we do. And invisible apps allow us to create this experience in the workplace.

“It also allows us to have hyper-personalization because invisible apps are purpose-built to meet users’ needs. And the emergence of AI NLP (natural language processing) has made it possible to transform the employee experience. […] It’s perfect timing, because employees like us are looking for simplicity when it comes to having their requests met and getting the answers they need,” said Ma.

When it comes to integrating with other applications, invisible apps rely heavily on application programming interfaces (APIs) to establish seamless connections between various systems. The invisible apps harness the power of APIs so that they can effectively retrieve and update information from existing systems.

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Ma also pointed out that the data can be pulled from different systems into one central platform, which means organizations can also benefit from having their data and records all in one place. This also allows them to measure their processes, see how well they work and have the necessary information needed to kick off future digital transformations.

“We use the Freshworks Neo platform to connect to both first-party and third-party applications and support businesses. Our platform offers more than 1,200 apps enabling us to extend functionalities and deliver the best experience. There are some challenges of course, which are normally around adoption.

“When new technologies such as invisible apps are implemented in existing systems, employees may not fully understand the functionalities behind them. There’s always a learning curve for employees to be familiar and to use it effectively without making any mistakes. By removing the friction from the employee experience, companies can increase the adoption of their digital transformation initiatives and ultimately improve that engagement with the employee,” explained Ma.

Freshworks helps businesses deliver better customer journeys.

Generative AI, cybersecurity and work productivity

With all the hype around generative AI, naturally, it would make sense to see how invisible apps can use the technology. By leveraging generative AI in the workplace, invisible apps can automatically generate content, make predictions, and perform tasks that previously required manual effort. This in turn leads to increased efficiency and productivity, as well as freeing up time for employees to focus on more strategic and complex activities.

Ma also pointed out that generative AI also allows invisible apps to integrate with other systems intelligently. It allows the systems to adapt to changing environments and continuously improve. The AI algorithms can learn from user interactions, analyze patterns, and dynamically adjust the behavior of the apps to align with user preferences or changing business processes.

“Generative AI has a huge impact because it creates adaptability, and shows that invisible apps remain relevant and responsive to evolving requirements in the workplace. It also provides seamless integration and optimal performance,” said Ma.

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There have been concerns about the increased use of generative AI for work. Ma acknowledged that it is an area that needs to be carefully managed. With invisible apps and AI, there is a lot of data being collected to predict intention and provide a personalized experience.

“For our customers, we realize that protecting the privacy and security of data is critical. Inadequate security standards in an organization could allow malicious actors on the applications. It puts a user’s privacy at risk and potentially results in identity theft or other harmful actions. Invisible apps collect a lot of data without explicit consent, some consent sometimes, or sufficient transparency. Insufficient awareness can lead to unsuspecting users, unintentionally divulging sensitive data, therefore compromising privacy, and of course, exposing yourself to risk,” explained Ma.

For Freshworks, Ma highlighted that any threat to data can be mitigated through a multi-tier data security model, and end-to-end security through the entire product in a service platform. Providers can also give additional features to protect data on the side of the user, such as passwordless authentication.

“We always advise companies when evaluating their service providers to make sure that the service providers ensure privacy and security compliance and will always implement and practice processes that ensure that customers’ data is stored and processed in ways that are secured,” added Ma.

Gen Z and millennial employees often use multiple apps to work. (Image – Shutterstock)

Invisible apps and work productivity

In Southeast Asia, there is a strong demand for invisible apps, according to Ma. The region has the highest number of digital natives, creating a huge demand for a different type of experience at work. Ma believes that because the digital natives grew up using multiple applications, they expect the same kind of experience at work, especially when it comes to increasing work productivity.

“What we realize is that as companies try to evolve to meet the growing expectations of millennials, Gen Zs, and the younger workforce, transforming the employee experience is critical to ensure that they are able to stay competitive and retain talent. At the same time, with globalization, the markets presented to Southeast Asian companies today are no longer restricted. There’s a global workforce and a global market that companies can target,” said Ma.

For businesses to ensure the best work productivity, they need to able to scale their business to ensure employees are productive. Ma added that this is a reason why Freshworks is also seeing a lot more companies having conversations with them around this need.

Ma believes that the conversational paradigm is going to be critical for work productivity. Society and employees are moving towards the expectation of conversational programs everywhere today.

“I think everyone prefers to have their needs met through conversations. AI will have a huge impact on invisible apps because it allows these invisible apps to work in the background easier, or even in the front end. It can be interfaced with a chatbot which is definitely much more intuitive and powerful right now. I think that will be a huge focus for the whole realm of employee experience and customer experience in the future. And that is also an area that Freshworks is focusing heavily on,” he concluded.

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According to Slack’s State of Work report, AI and automation hold the keys to employee productivity. However, many companies have not adopted these tools yet. The report states that almost one in two employees in Singapore felt that their company has not incorporated AI tools to support their productivity. One-third also say that their team has not used automation to make their work processes more efficient.

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Despite this, 35% of companies in Singapore are using AI to help improve productivity. In fact, Singapore is second in the world in terms of AI adoption at work, globally. India ranks first with a total adoption of 75%, while Australia is ranked sixth with 21% AI adoption. The report surveyed 1,341 desk workers in Singapore.

What’s more interesting is that despite the high adoption of AI productivity tools at work, 44% of workers still believe they spend too much time on meetings and emails. Another interesting finding is that an average of just 64% of workers’ time is spent on “real work” while 36% of their time is spent on “performative work”.

Derek Laney, Slack Technology Evangelist, in APAC for Salesforce

“We’ve already seen hints of the incredible productivity that generative AI (trained on public data) can unlock at work. The real power of this technology will be realized when companies’ AI tools can also analyze and act on the valuable knowledge they’ve curated internally about their own
customers, people and projects,” stated Lidiane Jones, CEO of Slack in the report.

Real work vs Performative work

One of the biggest challenges most organizations around the world face today is measuring productivity at work. Generally, an organization measures productivity by the amount of work completed by an employee in their workplace. This was also one of the reasons why most companies began requesting their employees to return to work in the office.

In reality, workplace productivity can’t be determined just by the number of hours one spends at work. In Singapore for example, employees spend about 36% of their working time grappling with business formalities such as meetings and emails, which they feel don’t contribute to company and team goals but are done to appear productive. 29% of Singapore executives are also tracking activity metrics (e.g. hours worked, emails sent) among their employees, but only 15% of employees believe doing so helps their productivity.

An interesting statistic from the report showed that 54% of Singaporeans make an effort to keep their status green or active online, even if they’re not working. This phenomenon is referred to as performative work or productivity theatre which is not desirable behavior but occurs because of the way employee work is measured.

“The research shows us that employees, to be happy and engaged at work, want to be productive. And they find these AI tools are able to make them productive, as long as they’re being measured based on their productivity, as in their outputs, and not their visible activity, their inputs. This means they can get the value of this improved productivity, such as improved compensation or just get time back in their lives.

I think, more so than any other market in Singapore, that’s a real concern. We see that Singaporeans are more likely to be checking their emails on weekends and more likely attending to work after hours. There is a culture of always-on because I think Singaporeans work across so many time zones and that they feel like they always need to be present. It’s a real challenge,” explained Derek Laney, Slack Technology Evangelist, in APAC for Salesforce.

Tweet on AI being used for productivity.

Implementation of AI productivity tools

AI and automation capabilities have the potential to streamline and optimize repetitive, time-consuming tasks, allowing Singapore employees to focus on higher-value, strategic work:

• Those who have adopted AI at their company are 63% more likely to report higher levels of productivity than those who have not adopted
• Most (81%) employees say that being able to automate routine tasks, such as getting expense report approvals, would improve their productivity.
• Those who use automation at work estimate saving an average of 3.6 hours a week – this equates to at minimum one working month a year* given back to each employee to focus on meaningful

However, 53% of employees in Singapore say their company has not incorporated AI tools to support their productivity. And 32% say that their team has not created automation to make their work processes easier or more efficient.

The majority (82%) of employees in Singapore say that feeling happy and engaged with their organization would improve their productivity. Employers need to also prioritize wellness, as 58% of employees in Singapore say that they feel pressure to respond to messages quickly, even if they’re sent after standard working hours.

“The reason why Singaporean workers are one of the highest adopters of automation and AI is because they are so hard working and want to produce the output. I hope that if we can measure workers differently, they can get their time back. What’s concerning is that now, some are using AI to pretend like they’re working when they’re not working, because they feel like that’s required. This behavior is not useful,” added Laney.

In the age of hybrid work, employees in Singapore are looking for flexibility and an environment that fosters collaboration and inclusivity:

• More than half (54%) say that flexible work schedules are one of the best ways for their employer to support their
• Employees say flexible location (43%), unique workplace benefits, such as providing lunch or recreational activities (32%), and making improvements to the workplace, such as having more meeting rooms and quiet areas (29%), also enhance
• 41% of employees in Singapore cited coordinating or collaborating with other teams as a key challenge faced by their immediate In fact, a majority (82%) say that having the right technology to collaborate from anywhere (share knowledge, drive projects forward, etc.) would improve their productivity.

However, only a few executives in Singapore are using modern strategies to improve how employees work with each other – wherever they are:

• Just 21% of Singapore executives are making changes to the physical office, such as quiet libraries, collaboration spaces, and larger social
• Only 18% are encouraging asynchronous work, for example when sharing status
• 44% of employees in Singapore cite spending too much time in meetings as a top productivity challenge. In fact, employees say that 44% of their meetings could be eliminated with no real adverse

How AI is being used to improve productivity at work. (Source – Slack)

Productivity measurement

Highlighting companies in Singapore like ShopBack, Laney mentioned their methodology of working in the open working as a transparent company means everyone uses collaborative platforms like Slack. Work is completed in shared channels so that productivity can be seen and easily measured.

“This type of transparency creates a culture of trust. For ShopBack, it saves them 20 to 45 minutes a day, just converting some of those unnecessary meetings that were largely performative into sort of different digital methods in Slack. That’s good as it gives time back to employees to reinvest in what’s useful for them, whether that’s time with their family, or whether that’s more productive work,” said Laney.

Managers play a key role in shaping work culture and need to be armed with people development skills, tools to drive efficiency and manage teams, and team wellness support. However, they face challenges in creating a healthy and productive environment:

• 42% of people managers in Singapore cite helping their team stay motivated as a top This is compounded by the fact that one-third (34%) of employees say that staying aligned on overall company goals and direction is a hurdle to productivity.
• Also, more than a third (39%) of people managers identify spending too much time on tasks like meetings and emails, and helping their team stay motivated (42%), as additional challenges they

This is also where tools like Slack GPT can make a difference. Slack GPT aims to provide intelligence across automation, shared knowledge, and conversations in Slack. More importantly, the AI can be tailored to a company’s specific requirements, whether they want to integrate a preferred language model, create their own AI-driven no-code workflows, or seamlessly incorporate AI into the Slack experience.

“My hope for the future is work becomes not only more productive but more enjoyable. The mission of Slack is to make work more productive, but also more pleasant. We find in the research that nine in 10 workers link happiness to their productivity. AI is not about replacing humans with a robotic alternative. It’s about finding ways to take the things that we don’t like to do to free up time for us to work on the things that were most useful so that we gain pleasure from work,” concluded Laney.

The post Are AI productivity tools really improving the workforce? appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

While remote working was initially practiced, when the pandemic situation improved, more companies started requesting their employees to return to the office to work. Despite remote working clearly showing an increase in productivity, most businesses felt that having employees back in the office was needed, not only to monitor their work but also to ensure security was not compromised.

But with employees still preferring remote work, companies began offering hybrid working schedules to them. For many, hybrid work may not be ideal as working remotely, but it still allowed them to manage their schedules and get work done. Some were also getting tired of continuously working at home and missed communicating with their colleagues at work.

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While there have been innovations in workplace communication tools, there has also been an increase in fatigue from the use of all the technology. For example, remote and hybrid working employees begin suffering from burnout due to Zoom fatigue and such. In fact, HubSpot’s Hybrid Work Report stated that 75% of Singaporeans said that too many calls and meetings are disrupting their concentration at work.

Interestingly, the HubSpot study also stated that 95% of workers with hybrid and flexible work in Singapore prefer to be in the office, as it allows them to connect and communicate efficiently. Out of that figure, 71% of Singaporeans would also like to have flexible working hours as they believe it can boost their productivity.

Here’s the problem. How would a company define flexible working hours? For most companies, they would expect an employee to complete at least eight hours of work a day. This would mean starting work in the morning with other team members and ending at the same time. Flexible working hours would mean an employee would eventually just be working at the time of their preference.

(Source – Shutterstock)

How flexible can working hours be?

While they may feel it enables them to work better, the reality is, flexible working hours could also lead to unfair distribution of work, especially with employees that work normal hours. 59% of remote workers also report that a lack of in-person time with their boss has impacted their career development. Nevertheless, the future of work continues to evolve, and flexible hours are now a preferred working option for employees.

Understanding this is crucial for employers. The report clearly indicates that the employee experience positively impacts the customer experience. Those who feel strongly connected to their company’s culture are more likely to build connections with their customers.

“We believe the companies who will win in the future are the ones that focus on customer connection, not customer management. That means you need more than data, you need context. You need more than leads, you need connection. You need more than contacts, you need community,” commented Yamini Rangan CEO, of HubSpot.

Apart from flexible working hours, HubSpot’s report also showed that email still remains the preferred workplace communication tool. Companies continue to invest in workplace communication tools for employees to better manage their workloads. Yet, findings from the study clearly indicate that email will remain the essential workplace communication method. Employees are also increasingly opting for in-person meetings, showing a desire for more connection in a hybrid world.

When it comes to employee retention, the report showed that 58% of Singaporeans feel that the connection with their company’s mission or purpose will impact their intent to stay. At the same time, despite 54% of workers reporting they are likely to leave their roles in 2023, more than 34% cite relationships with colleagues as a motivating factor to stay. 71% of those who also report having a close friend at work say that it impacts their intent to stay at a company.

As such, with remote work no longer a possibility for most organizations, keeping employees satisfied through flexible working hours could just enable the company to not just enhance its productivity, but also avoid losing employees to other companies that offer such benefits.

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The virtual meeting experience has been getting a bad rep these days. ‘Time-consuming,’ ‘poor sound and audio,” “poor visuals,” “unproductive,”, and ‘this could have been an email’ – these are some of the feedback we’ve heard about virtual meetings.

There’s no way around it – at work, we simply can’t escape meetings. In today’s age where the majority of meetings happen virtually, it is critical for organizations to fix this problem.

To gain a better understanding of the challenges in a changing workplace, we conducted a meeting equity survey where we polled over 1,000 white-collar workers in Singapore. The goal was to examine the state of current working arrangements, understand the impact of hybrid work on meetings, and get a sense of the challenges business leaders and employees face in this new way of working.

Not surprisingly, respondents – which involve a mixture of remote and in-person participants -highlighted technical issues as the most significant challenge with hybrid meetings. Among the top concerns, connectivity issues ranked at 56%, with poor audio quality coming in at a close 53%. Some 34% of respondents also shared that poor video quality was a problem encountered during hybrid meetings.

Navigating an uneven playing field

Even more telling, hybrid meetings have created new stressors between physical and virtual participants seemingly creating an unequal playing field among employees and colleagues. Not being present and the inability to see or hear everyone clearly caused the virtual respondents to feel excluded and feel as if their inputs were valued less. Additional insights from the survey also found:

• 54% of virtual respondents felt they had fewer opportunities to build rapport among meeting participants in a virtual meeting;
• 39% of the total respondents agreed that their input would be valued more if they were attending the meeting physically rather than virtually;
• Over a third (38%) of those surveyed felt less included compared with in-person meeting participants;
• 29% of the polled respondents felt unhappy about getting talked over by other meeting participants during meetings and 26% of them also found difficulty in contributing to discussions.
• More than half (60%) of respondents agreed that hybrid meetings would be more productive if all participants had an equal chance to speak and contribute.

Clearly, there are gaps in the meeting equity equation that needs to be filled. Technology will be key to reducing friction and bridging the distance. This bears out in the survey findings which surfaced the critical role of video conferencing technology in solving the meeting equity problem. Over six in 10 respondents (61%) agreed that hybrid meetings are more engaging when video conferencing systems with high-quality audio and video output are used.

On the social front, business leaders and managers will need new skills and establish proper meeting protocols and etiquette to facilitate smoother and more productive hybrid meetings.

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3 steps to more inclusive hybrid meetings

According to the survey, respondents cited the top areas of improvement for hybrid meetings to be: Resolving technical issues; Improving the clarity of speakers in the physical meeting room; and Enabling the ability to see what’s happening in the physical meeting room.

To address these pain points, we’ve identified and shortlisted three key strategies that businesses can focus on to ensure positive meeting experiences:

Step 1: Equip

Technology can be your friend. Provide your teams with enterprise-level equipment such as in-room video conferencing systems, webcams, microphones, and earbuds. This enables your business to build a consistent, reliable experience that is natively integrated with your ecosystem of choice.

Make the most of video. Video conferencing systems can provide remote participants with a full view of everyone in the office meeting room through multiple cameras with different perspectives. This places them in the best seat in the room and helps them feel more included, leading to more engaging, collaborative meetings.

Step 2: Simplify

Ensure your technology is agnostic. Having the right equipment is only half the solution. With employees constantly switching between in-office and home work environments, there is a need to create an easy employee experience. Ensuring that the home office closely resembles their in-office set-up will also emerge as a top priority for organizations. The best kind of technology makes video conferencing meetings simple and intuitive to use.

Step 3: Empower

Keep teams connected and engaged. Fostering meeting equity requires facilitators and organizers to take an active approach to empower and encourage engagement from virtual participants. They have to practice active facilitation, minimize visual and audio clutter and cut down the side chatter.

Leveling up: What this means

With the right tools and strategies, hybrid meetings can be just as good, or better than the ‘all in office’ meeting.

What businesses have to realize is that hybrid work—and hybrid meetings—are here to stay. The increased frequency of hybrid meetings will come with a host of new challenges and considerations for organizations. Now more than ever, there is a strong impetus for business leaders to get hybrid meetings right.

Then, and only then, can everyone—whether dialing in remotely or in-person—enter into the spirit of co-creating towards more equitable and productive meetings, ultimately contributing to the business bottom line.

The post Making the best of hybrid meetings appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

New research published today by SnapLogic, a leader in intelligent integration and enterprise automation, reveals attitudes towards AI in the workplace are warming up: with almost two-thirds of workers reporting that they like the idea of using AI in their role, either currently or in the future.

According to SnapLogic’s survey of nearly 1,000 mid-senior management workers within large enterprises across the UK, US, and Australia, all respondents showed a good grasp of AI’s benefits: over half (54%) said they thought using AI would save them time; 46% said it would improve their productivity, and 37% said it would reduce risk and errors in their work.

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When it comes to welcoming the idea of using AI in their role, either currently or in the future, Australians lead the way at 72%, compared to an average of 66%, with the UK respondents the least inclined at 61%.

However, respondents believe skills are an issue, with one-third (34%) of respondents claiming there are very few people within their organization with the skills required to implement and use AI. 39% said it would be hard to get everyone in their organization to fully adopt AI; while 19% were worried that they would not be able to work out how to use AI properly.

Respondents also revealed the main factors that would make them more likely to use AI in their role, either now or in the future: 42% wanted a better understanding of how AI would specifically benefit them in their role, while 36% wanted a safety net to reduce the risk that they would make mistakes.

Jeremiah Stone, CTO of SnapLogic, said, “The current business landscape is unpredictable, and that puts pressure on budgets and resources – and ultimately, on employees. Using AI to automate processes and improve productivity relieves this pressure. It’s very encouraging to hear workers say they understand how AI can benefit them in their own role, as enterprises need employee buy-in if they want to make an AI rollout successful.”

James Campbell, Regional Manager ANZ at SnapLogic said, “Australia’s tech ecosystem is undergoing an exciting period of innovation and incredible growth. Coupled with research showing that Australians are early adopters and strong consumers of technology, it’s not surprising to see the region’s voracious appetite for AI.

“Knowing this, organizations need to step up to the plate, implementing AI-powered technology that’s accessible and easy to use. The linchpin in agility, AI enables organizations to stay flexible and do more with less while keeping employee satisfaction high.”

AI is being integrated into many different technologies and applications, including integration platforms. No stranger to AI in the workplace, SnapLogic developed Iris AI, an industry-first artificial intelligence that helps automate highly repetitive, low-level development tasks, eliminating integration backlogs that can stifle business initiatives.

Iris uses advanced algorithms to learn from billions of metadata elements and millions of data flow via the SnapLogic Intelligent Integration Platform. It then applies that learning to improve the speed and quality of integrations across data, applications, and business processes by suggesting the next integration step, building a complete integration pipeline, or preparing data for app-to-app or data workflows.

To find out more about how SnapLogic is helping the world’s most innovative enterprises get more from their data and applications visit https://www.snaplogic.com/products/iris-artificial-intelligence or view the survey data infographic.

About SnapLogic

SnapLogic powers the automated enterprise. The company’s self-service, AI-powered integration platform helps organizations connect applications and data sources, automate common workflows and business processes, and deliver exceptional experiences for customers, partners, and employees. Thousands of enterprises around the world rely on the SnapLogic platform to integrate, automate, and transform their business. Learn more at snaplogic.com.

Connect with SnapLogic via our Blog, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

The post SnapLogic report reveals who leads the way on readiness to embrace AI appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Fast forward to the present, the tables seemed to have turned. While the great resignation did have an impact on most companies, many were still able to go on with their operations with minimal disruption. However, there are now other factors that are affecting businesses.

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The war in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions between China and the US as well as uncertain economic conditions have led to a drastic change in the global economy. Inflation was becoming a big problem in many countries and as governments tried to deal with it, private organizations were also losing billions in their industry.

This has led to the Great Layoffs. Unlike the great resignation, the great layoffs are becoming more brutal with employees unable to ascertain if their job is secured or not anymore. For many in the industries affected, it’s more about ensuring they still have a job to support themselves and their families at this point in time.

From mergers and takeovers to bad investments, the tech industry seemed to be impacted the most by this. Amazon become the world’s first public company to lose US$1 trillion in market value while Microsoft is close behind with US$889 billion in value lost. Amazon also announced plans to lay off about 10,000 employees, with corporate and technology roles targeted.

The Twitter takeover by Elon Musk has also resulted in job cuts with Musk also stating bankruptcy was a possibility if it doesn’t start generating more cash. Meanwhile, Meta also reduced its workforce by terminating 11,000 employees globally as the company continues its investments towards the metaverse, which many feel is not really headed in the right direction as well.

In Southeast Asia, e-commerce giant Shopee recently announced its third round of layoffs while Malaysian tech unicorn Carsome announced job cuts as well last month. Indonesia’s GoTo is also planning to cut jobs in order to shore up finances.

The tech industry has often been regarded as the best industry to work in, given the way employees have been treated, the pleasing working environment, and the flexibilities as well as benefits provided. Yet, all these seem pointless now as employees have taken to social media sites to voice their sadness, anger, and discontentedness after being told they had been laid off.

Facebook owner Meta will lay off more than 11,000 of its staff in “the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history,” boss Mark Zuckerberg said. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)

Fortunately, there may still be some hope for those laid off.

If there is one thing the pandemic had thought society to appreciate most, it’s the value of networking and having an ecosystem of support. During the pandemic, everyone came together to support each other during the lockdowns in any way possible.

Now, as the tech industry faces one of its darkest periods, the tech community is coming together to help each other out as well. And it is not just about offering words of encouragement to their affected comrades but also helping them reach out for new job opportunities.

Not every laid-off staff can afford to take a couple of months off to rebuild their career. On LinkedIn, users are sharing job openings and databases of companies that have vacancies. Some are even offering ad hoc work for those affected on a temporary basis.

Most importantly, the industries that have been struggling with skills shortages are now able to hopefully close the gap as 2022 comes to an end. The startup industry can also make the most of the layoffs by bringing in more staff to fill up vacant roles. While the packages offered by startups and small organizations may not be as satisfying as the larger ones, they still can provide some comfort and stability to those affected.

With 2023 on the horizon, the tech industry is definitely going to experience more challenges. From layoffs to being replaced by technology, employees need to make the most of their skills and even consider upskilling themselves. Slowly but surely, everyone will be able to make it.

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