Anniversaries often give cause to reflect on years past as well as on the possibility of things to come, Quay Appointments is celebrating 22 years in the recruitment business.
In that time our economy, our technology and our processes have seen great change, and as a consequence of all 3 factors we have seen substantial change around the sorts of roles that we have been working with as recruiters. Jobs like Secretaries and Typist have all but disappeared. Positions for computer operators are now also gone, with computers having become part of the daily reality for all of us in our working lives.
Other roles have changed status. Buyer and purchasing manager positions (traditionally held by mature males often approaching retirement) are now pretty hip, and “Procurement Advisors” now attract emerging professionals who even have their own conferences. The dated title “Personnel Officer’ is now “Head of People and Culture”. The “Driver” has now been glammed up and has become an “Uber Driver”. There is this other new role of “Change Manager” that is now often attached to HR. In a dynamic environment with constant change that’s got to be a big job.
There is also a whole raft of new positions that weren’t around at all a decade ago; Digital Marketing Specialist, Blogger App designer, and Big Data Analyst. Also on the rise is the small start-up providing highly specialist personal services.
In June 15 CEDA released a major report focusing on the future of Australian workforce. It said 40% of the Australian workforce – some 5 million people – could be replaced by automation within the next 10 to 20 years. And futurist Graeme Codrington sees 25% of today’s employees working on demand, with freelancers increasingly replacing workers in companies where the job can be done from a digital distance. So the pace of change in the workplace will only increase.
What are some of the roles that might be in demand in the next few years? One hot job by 2025 would be an end of life planner. Health workers and carers for the elderly will also certainly be in demand; there isn’t an App for that yet.
Winsome Bernard
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