Strategic HR Entry-level L&D
Bridging
the skills gap
Not too long ago almost all
conversations about automation
would be reduced to talk of robots
stealing our jobs. But as we’ve settled
into the ‘fourth Industrial Revolution’
that conversation has become more
nuanced. From journalism to law,
manufacturing to customer service, AI
is transforming the way we work. But is
AI also affecting how we develop staff?
The jobs hit hardest by AI and
automation are those at the entry-level
low-skilled end of the spectrum. A
recent report by the McKinsey Global
Institute examining automation of
work across 315 US cities found that
entry-level workers were the most at
risk of being displaced by AI. While the
Office for National Statistics’ chatbot
‘told’ HR magazine that 45% of roles
performed by those aged 20 to 29 are at
risk of automation, primarily because
they are entry-level positions that
require little skill.
So it seems that being a trainee no
longer means spending hours on more
menial exercises. Instead these tasks are
now the remit of chatbots and robotic
process automation (RPA) software.
While many see this as a positive
thing, freeing up time for junior staff
to take on more strategic tasks, it also
means that the ways new joiners learn
the ropes must change. Those ‘boring’
junior roles are often seen to be the
very experiences that make people
work ready and able to bridge the
gap between entry-level roles and
senior positions.
So in reassigning these routine
tasks do employers risk removing an
essential part of the training process for
new employees? And if so, what can
they do to ensure that entry-level
workers are still learning the critical
skills they need to rise up the ranks?
With automation touching most
sectors to some extent, the challenge is
not unique to any one industry. On the
face of it accountancy and hospitality
might not have much in common, but
both industries have seen automation
affect the structure of entry-level and
training roles. RPA software such as
Inflo has become a common tool in
auditing. While in hotels around the
world chatbots and self-service kiosks
have replaced concierges and
receptionists. Here’s how employers in
these sectors are rising to the challenge
and bridging the gap between entrylevel
and more senior roles.
Hospitality
Edwardian Hotels London introduced
its virtual host Edward to its 12 hotels
in 2016. Edward is programmed to
perform more than 900 interactions
and uses a Natural Language
Understanding interface, meaning
guests can have a normal conversation
with him as they would with any
human. The chatbot can take a
room-service order, tell you what
time check-out is and even
recommend local bars and restaurants.
Now 69% of all guest requests come
through Edward.
“Our prime reason for Edward was
looking at how we could make our
processes as efficient as possible, as well
as increasing guest satisfaction,”
comments Caroline Marais, general
manager for human resources across
the group. “What we are trying to do is
free up time for employees around the
basic tasks, so that we could really focus
on the service part of the job.”
But with chatbots creating more
distance between the customer and
staff, are junior employees getting
enough exposure to the customer
service experiences that the industry
relies upon?
Marais acknowledges the concern
that automation could affect how basic
skills are acquired. But she says
Edwardian Hotels’ approach ensures
valuable experiences are retained
by staff.
“The basic tasks that we’ve
removed are important but not
memorable. A guest isn’t necessarily
going to remember ordering room
service for example, unless the
experience is particularly bad,” she says.
The way Marais sees it, the
ability to create memorable guest
experiences is far more valuable to
those wanting a career in hospitality
than an in-depth knowledge of menial
tasks and procedures.
Automation of entry-level tasks in
hospitality is good for career
progression, agrees Iis Tussyadiah,
professor of intelligent systems in
service and head of the department of
hospitality at the University of Surrey.
“Often people go from one department
SARAH RONAN questions whether when firms
automate low-skilled tasks, entry-level employees
miss out on vital learning opportunities
36 HR November 2019 hrmagazine.co.uk
/hrmagazine.co.uk