12 Jun HR and Industry 4.0

The fourth industrial revolution is underway. Thanks to, among other things, AI, the workplaces of the future may look completely different and machines will take an increasingly large place. So what does this mean for the HR function and how will it change?

The first industrial revolution began in Great Britain in the middle of the 18th century and meant, thanks to the steam engine, going from an agricultural society to an industrial society. The second industrial revolution came when electricity began to be used more and more in industry. The third is characterized by computer development and digitization.

In 2011, the term “industry 4.0” was coined by the German government, which wanted to strive for smart workplaces where everything in production is connected using the “internet of things“. Now we are approaching the fourth industrial revolution by leaps and bounds, and this also means great challenges for the HR function, which needs to change in some ways.

According to an article recently published in The Economic Times, it is primarily about the following three important trends that HR must catch on to:

Focus on Competence Development

Automation and AI have already begun to replace many manual tasks, and manpower needs to be spent instead on things that have become relevant in pace with development. In the future, HR will have to focus more and more on investing in good programs for skills development and further education, in order to prepare employees for the workplace of the future.

Foster the Culture

Industry 4.0 enables more and more people to work remotely, which means many opportunities for companies that can recruit specialists regardless of where they are in the world. Here the HR work is very important, because the culture plays a big role. Cross-border collaborations must be encouraged and trust built for effectiveness to last.

Man and Machine Combined

Among other things, new technology enables new ways of analyzing data, which leads to better decision-making. To succeed in this, it is important that both human and machine intelligence are combined. HR’s role here is to define new roles and ensure that computers handle the repetitive work that requires precision, while humans can focus on tasks that require creativity, empathy and judgement.

The fourth industrial revolution will change the way we work again – and right now there are many opportunities for the HR function to be involved in shaping the workplaces of the future.

Level Recruitment – ISPA Partner in Sweden