Among the many questions that swirl around AI and its incorporation into white collar jobs are:
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What new skills are necessary for a business world that is increasingly incorporating AI into its processes?
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Will businesses compete for external tech talent that is skilled in AI use, or will companies be able to retrain their existing workforce?
The answers, like the adoption of AI technology itself, are evolving.
Addressing the question whether companies will look outside their company for skilled workers who can help incorporate AI into processes or upskill their own employees, Raffaella Sadun, a professor at Harvard Business School, said early adopters have made it a mixture of both. Sadun co-authored a recent Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Reskilling in the Age of AI.”
The article recommends training on the job through shadowing assignments, internal apprenticeships and trial periods, which studies show adults prefer over classroom-style learning. Moreover, it assuages the fear of middle managers that their reports won’t be able to keep up with their regular responsibilities while being reskilled.
As an example of how drastically AI is forcing leaders to innovate, Sadun, who has interviewed leaders at almost 40 organizations around the world that are investing in large-scale reskilling programs, explained in an HBR webinar that because the challenge of reskilling for an AI era is universal, some companies are pooling resources with competitors to achieve desired results. Pioneers in this area also partner with local colleges and training providers.
5 New Paradigms Among ‘Frontier’ Reskilling Organizations
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