## How Technology is Shaping the Future of Work for Women
In today’s digital age, technology is reshaping the way we work and changing the skills that employers seek. While there are concerns that women may be underrepresented in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI), there are also unique opportunities for women to thrive in the evolving landscape of work.
### Overcoming Skills Gaps
Joseph Fuller, co-director of Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work research program, believes that technology can help women overcome skills gaps that have traditionally prevented them from entering male-dominated professions. For example, construction, warehouse management, and financial analysis have historically been male-dominated fields, but advancements in technology should reduce the importance of having specific technical training. Tasks like writing code and analyzing data can now be automated with generative AI, allowing women with strong analytical skills to excel in these roles.
### Unaffected Professions
On the other hand, some predominantly female professions, such as nursing and childcare, are expected to be largely unaffected by technological changes. The nature of this work requires human empathy and interaction, which cannot be replicated by machines. This means that these fields will continue to provide stable job opportunities for women.
### Shifting Hiring Trends
Hiring trends are also favoring women in certain areas. Companies are increasingly valuing skills like creative and analytical thinking, which are traditionally associated with women. According to a World Economic Forum report, companies believe that these skills are gaining importance in the future of work. Women, who generally have superior social skills, are well-positioned to benefit from this shift in demand.
### Skills-First Hiring Approach
A skills-first hiring approach can significantly improve opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women. LinkedIn conducted a study that found if companies hired based on skills rather than educational credentials, the pool of potential female hires in male-dominated jobs could increase eightfold. This approach not only levels the playing field but also ensures that the most capable candidates are selected.
### The Rise of the Gig Economy
The gig economy, where platforms connect freelancers with short-term contracts, is providing increased flexibility for women in the workforce. Online platforms like Catalant are allowing women to work remotely and on their own terms. Up to a third of fees earned by independent professionals on Catalant have come from women. This trend is contributing to a more inclusive and flexible work environment.
### Using Technology to Attract Skilled Workers
Employers are also leveraging technology to attract skilled workers and promote diversity and inclusion. US financial services company Prudential Financial, for example, has created an internal sharing economy platform to facilitate reskilling and has given teams autonomy over remote work. This innovative approach not only helps retain talented employees but also fosters a culture of inclusion.
### The Importance of Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion
Leaders who prioritize diversity and employee well-being, including measures to support women in the workforce, will reap long-term rewards. By taking action now, organizations can create a more balanced and inclusive workplace that will yield benefits for decades to come.
### Conclusion
Technology is transforming the way we work, offering new opportunities for women to thrive in emerging fields and empowering them to overcome traditional gender barriers. By leveraging their interpersonal skills, women can excel in a skills-based hiring environment. Additionally, the gig economy and technological advancements are providing flexible work options that enable women to balance their professional and personal responsibilities. It is crucial for organizations to prioritize diversity and create inclusive environments to attract and retain top talent. The future of work presents exciting possibilities for women, and embracing these changes will lead to a more equitable and prosperous workforce.
### Summary
The future of work is being shaped by technology, offering new opportunities for women to excel in traditionally male-dominated fields. Advancements in AI and automation are reducing the importance of specific technical training, leveling the playing field for women in professions like construction and financial analysis. Predominantly female professions like nursing and childcare remain untouched by technological changes, providing stable job opportunities for women. Shifts in hiring trends, such as a focus on skills rather than educational credentials, are favoring women who possess strong analytical and social skills. The gig economy is also providing increased flexibility for women through online platforms that connect them with short-term contracts. Organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion will reap long-term rewards by creating a balanced and inclusive workplace. The future of work holds exciting possibilities for women, and embracing these changes will lead to a more equitable workforce.
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As an independent private equity deal advisor, Katherine Feeney has discovered how to communicate with clients almost anywhere in the world. She has performed from locations including a mountain lodge in Canada and a surf camp in Indonesia.
Feeney started his one-man consultancy, which helps private equity funds perform due diligence on their investments, two years ago after leaving professional services firm Bain & Co. With a laptop and two portable monitors, he believes he can Work from anywhere that has Wi-Fi.
This has been possible, Feeney says, thanks to technological advances and “the way the pandemic made remote working in professional services much more accepted.”
New technologies are reshaping the way we all work, displacing jobs and changing the skills employers look for. In some ways, women lose out since they are They are underrepresented in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI). But women can also benefit from emerging technology.
Joseph Fuller, co-director of Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work research program, says it will enable women to overcome skills gaps that prevent them from entering many male-dominated professions, such as construction, warehouse or financial analysis.
“In many settings, technology-based jobs are supported by a predominantly male workforce,” she says, reflecting historical gender roles and biases in education. “New technologies should reduce the importance of having specific technical training.” One example is generative AI, which can automate routine tasks such as writing code and analyzing data.
Meanwhile, some predominantly female professions, such as nursing and childcare, will be largely unaffected by technological changes, as much of the work can only be done by a human being, say LinkedIn Economic Graph analysts (See table).
Hiring trends could also favor women. Creative and analytical thinking, for example, are the skills that most companies believe are gaining importance, according to a study. World Economic Forum Report, The Future of Jobs (See table). Fuller says women, who generally have “superior social skills,” will benefit disproportionately.
The value of, say, communication and problem-solving skills will be magnified by the increasing emphasis that hiring managers are placing on these skills over narrow educational credentials, such as a college degree.
A skills-first hiring approach disproportionately helps underrepresented groups, including women, according to a LinkedIn report, called Skills First. It says that in male-dominated jobs, the pool of potential female hires would increase eightfold if companies hired for skills rather than educational credentials: a quarter more than for men (see chart).
Global professional services firm Accenture is among organizations shifting toward skills-based hiring in a bid to fill new roles created by rapid technological change.
Joan Moore, its UK start-up talent director, says increasing non-graduate hiring overall is one of the reasons it now “comfortably” achieves gender equality in entry-level hiring.
Rethinking hiring practices is important at a time when employers say they are competing for workers with the right skills. The global skills deficit is This is projected to rise to 11 percent in 2030. 3 percent in 2020, warns organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry.
For women with caring responsibilities, Fuller predicts that skills shortages will force companies to adapt to their needs: “More flexible, remote and part-time work will drive innovations that allow women to not ‘have it all,’ but ‘ have more’ by enabling productivity from afar.”
A growing online gig economy, where platforms match freelancers with short-term contracts, is already contributing to flexibility. About a third of Feeney’s fees so far this year have come from Catalant, an online platform for white-collar jobs, up from last year.
In 2021, more than two in five sharing economy projects in the UK and US were carried out by women, notes the Oxford Internet Institute, which studies the effects of digital technology (see chart).
Employers are also finding new ways to use technology to attract skilled workers. US financial services company Prudential Financial created an internal sharing economy platform to facilitate reskilling and has given teams autonomy over remote work. This helps retention because it “promotes a culture of inclusion,” says Robert Gulliver, chief talent and capability officer. “Good talent is hard to find and keep.”
Fuller says leaders who prioritize diversity and employee well-being, including measures to help keep women in the workforce, will reap the rewards. “They understand that if they do it now, the rewards will unfold over the next few decades,” she says.
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