Latest news with #TomasChamorroPremuzic
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
AI won't kill all jobs but it's hiring faster than you think
PARIS, June 15 — Predictions of imminent AI-driven mass unemployment are likely overblown, but employers will seek workers with different skills as the technology matures, a top executive at global recruiter ManpowerGroup told AFP at Paris's Vivatech trade fair. The world's third-largest staffing firm by revenue ran a startup contest at Vivatech in which one of the contenders was building systems to hire out customisable autonomous AI 'agents', rather than humans. Their service was reminiscent of a warning last month from Dario Amodei, head of American AI giant Anthropic, that the technology could wipe out half of entry-level white-collar jobs within one to five years. For ManpowerGroup, AI agents are 'certainly not going to become our core business any time soon,' the company's Chief Innovation Officer Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic said. 'If history shows us one thing, it's most of these forecasts are wrong.' An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report published in May found that around 'one in four workers across the world are in an occupation with some degree of exposure' to generative AI models' capabilities. 'Few jobs are currently at high risk of full automation,' the ILO added. But the UN body also highlighted 'rapid expansion of AI capabilities since our previous study' in 2023, including the emergence of 'agentic' models more able to act autonomously or semi-autonomously and use software like web browsers and email. 'Soft skills' Chamorro-Premuzic predicted that the introduction of efficiency-enhancing AI tools would put pressure on workers, managers and firms to make the most of the time they will save. 'If what happens is that AI helps knowledge workers save 30, 40, maybe 50 per cent of their time, but that time is then wasted on social media, that's not an increase in net output,' he said. Adoption of AI could give workers 'more time to do creative work' — or impose 'greater standardisation of their roles and reduced autonomy,' the ILO said. There's general agreement that interpersonal skills and an entrepreneurial attitude will become more important for knowledge workers as their daily tasks shift towards corralling AIs. Employers identified ethical judgement, customer service, team management and strategic thinking as top skills AI could not replace in a ManpowerGroup survey of over 40,000 employers across 42 countries published this week. Nevertheless, training that adopts those new priorities has not increased in step with AI adoption, Chamorro-Premuzic lamented. 'For every dollar you invest in technology, you need to invest eight or nine on HR, culture transformation, change management,' he said. He argued that such gaps suggest companies are still chasing automation, rather than the often-stated aim of augmenting human workers' capabilities with AI. AI hiring AI? One of the areas where AI is transforming the world of work most rapidly is ManpowerGroup's core business of recruitment. But here candidates are adopting the tools just as quickly as recruiters and companies, disrupting the old way of doing things from the bottom up. 'Candidates are able to send 500 perfect applications in one day, they are able to send their bots to interview, they are even able to game elements of the assessments,' Chamorro-Premuzic said. That extreme picture was not borne out in a survey of over 1,000 job seekers released this week by recruitment platform TestGorilla, which found just 17 per cent of applicants admitting to cheating on tests, and only some of those to using AI. Jobseekers' use of consumer AI tools meets recruiters doing the same. The same TestGorilla survey found almost two-thirds of the more-than-1,000 hiring decision-makers polled used AI to generate job descriptions and screen applications. But a far smaller share are already using the technology to actually interview candidates. Where employers today are focused on candidates' skills over credentials, Chamorro-Premuzic predicted that 'the next evolution is to focus on potential, not even skills even if I know the skills you bring to the table today, they might be obsolete in six months.' 'I'm better off knowing that you're hard-working, that you are curious, that you have good people skills, that you're not a jerk — and that, AI can help you evaluate,' he believes. — AFP
Fast Company
13-05-2025
- General
- Fast Company
You don't have a culture, you have a clique. 5 ways to work with people who aren't like you
BY and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Humans, for all our intellectual sophistication, are still tribal creatures at heart. We tend to gravitate toward people who are like us —individuals who look like us, think like us, share our values, and even mirror our quirks and tastes. On the surface, this makes intuitive sense. It explains the evolutionary origins of empathy: we feel the joys, sorrows, and struggles of others more deeply when we perceive them as part of our own 'in-group.' But here's the catch: What feels good for individuals can be disastrous for diversity. If left unchecked, our biological instinct to seek sameness undermines one of the core ingredients of high-performing organizations—diversity of thought, experience, and identity. When everyone around you shares your values, it creates an echo chamber, rewards conformity, and inhibits innovation, which emerges when different perspectives and conflicting ideas transition from a state of tension to a state of harmony. Likewise, homogeneity of values and thoughts blinds us to the talents, ideas, and perspectives of people who might see the world differently—even when they are the key change agents that can help teams and organizations evolve. Diversity is a survival strategy Even amid today's backlash against DEI initiatives, smart companies understand that removing barriers for historically marginalized individuals isn't just a moral imperative—it's a strategic advantage. Meritocracy is only possible when individuals are evaluated on what they can do, not how much they conform to the dominant culture. That means hiring for 'culture fit' —a euphemism for 'people like us'—is fundamentally flawed. If you only let people in who mirror the existing values and norms, you don't have a culture—you have a clique. The goal should be to allow cultural outliers and diverse thinkers not just to join but to thrive. And that introduces a practical challenge: working with people who don't share your values, including your way of thinking and working. This isn't progress—it's a stagnant loop. You're building your team, your circle, with people who are just like you, which means you're all stuck on the same wavelength. The result? Predictable outcomes and a whole lot of missed opportunities for innovation. You've got a room full of mirrors, not windows. You love others' ideas because they are just like yours. Success today is less about being true to your own values and more about being open to others' values—even, and arguably especially, when they conflict with yours. Indeed, the ability to question your assumptions, see the world through others' eyes, and remember that just because someone is different doesn't mean they are wrong, or that you are right, which will boost your social skills, and in turn your employability and career success. The more perspectives we add to a system, the denser its cognitive landscape becomes. Each new viewpoint introduces a different angle, a fresh interpretation—yielding more ideas, more possibilities, and inevitably, more complexity. This complexity isn't a flaw; it's the cost of a richer, more textured understanding of the world. But it also demands greater mental flexibility—the ability to hold opposing ideas in tension, to think in shades rather than absolutes, and to make decisions amid uncertainty. So how do you work with people who challenge your most deeply held beliefs? 1. Professionalism over authenticity For centuries, people have gotten along in professional settings by pretending to like each other, or at least by pretending not to despise each other. This time-honored tradition of civility still works. You don't have to like everyone. You don't have to agree with everyone. You certainly don't have to invite them over for Sunday brunch. But you do have to work with them respectfully and constructively. This means biting your tongue, smiling when necessary, and keeping your grievances to yourself. Authenticity sounds great—but in a workplace setting, professionalism trumps it. 2. Find common ground Even if you clash over politics, religion, or lifestyle choices, chances are you can find some common ground. Maybe you're both passionate about the same industry trend. Maybe you both enjoy dark roast coffee. Maybe you both root for underdog sports teams. Think of it like being stuck at an airport bar during a layover. You might sit next to someone who is your ideological opposite—but after 45 minutes and a shared frustration over delayed flights, you find yourselves bonding. Finding common ground is about building bridges of human connection that can support collaboration, even across a chasm of differences. Seek those bridges. They are there. 3. Respect process over outcomes You won't always agree on what the 'right' answer is. But you can agree on how to get there. Focusing on process—asking questions, debating ideas, testing hypotheses—can depersonalize disagreements. Instead of framing it as 'my values versus your values,' it becomes 'let's figure this out together.' In healthy organizations, the best idea wins —not the loudest voice or the most popular opinion. Respecting the process ensures that diversity of thought isn't just tolerated—it's leveraged. 4. Get comfortable being uncomfortable Most personal and professional growth happens outside your comfort zone. Working with people who reject your values forces you to examine your beliefs, sharpen your arguments, and sometimes even change your mind. That's not weakness; it's wisdom. Instead of viewing discomfort as a threat, reframe it as a sign you are learning. Be curious, not defensive. Ask questions, listen actively, and try to understand—not to convert or convince, but to expand your own cognitive tool kit. In a world where the pace of change is relentless and the problems we face are increasingly complex, intellectual humility isn't just a virtue. It's a competitive advantage. 5. Practice rational compassion Psychologist Paul Bloom argues for rational compassion—the idea that empathy alone can lead to biased, shortsighted decisions, especially when working with people who don't share your values. Instead of relying on raw emotional reactions, rational compassion demands a more deliberate, reasoned approach: recognizing others' needs without being overwhelmed by them, and acting in ways that are fair, sustainable, and strategic. When faced with ideological differences, practicing rational compassion helps maintain respect and effectiveness without slipping into resentment or moral grandstanding. It shifts the focus from feeling good to doing good—even with those we disagree with. In a tribalized and polarized world, the future belongs to organizations—and individuals—who can collaborate across differences, not despite them but because of them. Working with people who don't share your values is not just a skill; it's a superpower. It requires maturity, empathy, curiosity, and a dash of tactical faking. It forces you to confront your biases, question your certainties, and grow beyond your tribal instincts. And ultimately, it makes you not only a better colleague, but a wiser, more resilient, and more open-minded human being.
