Future-Proofing Your Career: Job Skills for Success in the AI Era

Despite a few exaggerated projections, it’s clear that AI and AI skills will have a transformative effect on many industries and career paths. It’s irresponsible for employers to ignore the growing potential and applications of AI, but that doesn’t reduce the importance of human staff.

For professionals with the right skills, AI is a force multiplier that leaves open plenty of opportunities for uniquely human strengths. Workers should strive to future-proof their careers by developing various skills to succeed and thrive in the era of AI technology.

Adaptability & Flexibility

Technology is changing more rapidly than ever, and AI is kicking innovation into an even higher gear. Some fields will be more affected by AI than others, but everyone needs to have a degree of flexibility for changes coming around the bend.

Like other types of software, AI is limited by its programming and design. As AI solutions automate repetitive tasks, it will be up to human workers to fill in the gaps in processes. Clever lines of coding and text won’t be able to replace human expertise anytime soon, but it may take a while to identify exactly where humans are most needed.

Creativity & Innovation

Creative work tends to be unique, imaginative, independent, and non-routine. AI is better suited for repetitive tasks and familiar routines. Generative AI is most powerful when guided by creative, discerning humans.

• One study found that workers who used Chat GPT 4.0 completed tasks 25.1% faster and with 40% greater quality, compared to colleagues working without AI.
• Chat GPT 4.0 helped those workers complete 12.2% more tasks, but it would be wrong to give AI all the credit for creativity and task completion.

When professionals utilize mature AI skills, it’s only one step in a draft that’s still being heavily edited and fact-checked by a knowledgeable human.

Emotional Intelligence

The people at your company aren’t robots, and neither are your customers. When algorithms inform management decisions and policies, human decision-makers need to use empathy and emotional intelligence to consider the impacts of different choices.

Badly handled layoffs can feel cold and calculated. AI can crunch the numbers on staffing levels and profitability, but it cannot weigh the personal and emotional toll that comes with those business decisions.

Even when AI makes helpful recommendations for decision-makers, it lacks the basic requirements for leadership. For the foreseeable future, humans will need to point AI (and the whole company) in the right direction.

Cybersecurity

Because AI can be used to develop bigger, scarier malware and other nefarious cybersecurity schemes, cybersecurity may be the most important AI skill of all. HR has an obligation to protect sensitive employee information, and that means being careful about AI threats, as well as new vulnerabilities. 

However you plan to implement AI solutions, make sure to use careful vetting with potential vendors. Use encryption and strict access protocols to protect data privacy. Before using generative AI for HR, make sure you learn how to manage security risks.

Critical Thinking & Analysis

AI is a powerful tool, but it needs to be given the right parameters and guidance. With insufficient training data or flawed inputs, documented AI “hallucinations” include nonsensical answers and complete fabrications. Human oversight is necessary to keep AI from going off the rails. Using AI skills, human staff can look at the available data and identify gaps and inconsistencies.

Experienced professionals are better equipped for problem-solving, whether you’re troubleshooting a new aberration or tracking new KPIs for manager effectiveness. Management strategies may be shaped by company values, but they can’t be calculated exclusively by AI.

Social Interaction & Leadership Skills

Even with remote work and online transactions, it’s hard to overstate the importance of human relationships in the business world. Employee engagement, a huge driver of productivity, depends on personal connections and communication, not just graphs of performance metrics.

AI can help collect and organize data, even processing the information within given parameters, but AI can’t replace team leaders. Important company initiatives like one-on-one meetings and professional development cannot be lost in the shuffle. Human supervisors can make employees feel valued and appreciated. Additionally, it is critical for all workers to make similar connections with co-workers and customers. 

Active Learning & Training Skills

Employers can (and should) help staff adapt to the growing role of AI and AI skills in the workplace. Upskilling is key to retention because it means that employees aren’t stuck in a dead-end job. Invest in a Learning Management System (LMS) with a library of remote courses on different subjects.

If your employees actively continue learning, then they’ll be more adaptable when they encounter new challenges in the future. Cross training and mentorship builds connections for a more resilient and collaborative workforce.

Discover how Netchex can help your HR department explore the power of AI and develop necessary AI skills: