Originally published on LinkedIn on August 24, 2019

An acquaintance on LinkedIn recently asked me to refer her for a job.  While I barely knew her, she had extensive experience, and had grown in her roles.

After receiving her resume, I wrote her a glowing referral then forgot about the matter until she contacted me a few weeks ago. She was out-of-the-country and asked if I could contact the recruiter. I obliged and a week later, she sent a quick note, saying she got the job. I was happy for her since the employer is a top-notch consultancy.

Earlier this week, the hiring manager said the woman quit after three days, citing the job was “beneath her.”

I was mortified.

My reputation had been sullied. The hiring company was upset, having wasted their time and resources, bringing her on-board. Even worse, she told the consultancy’s client she was quitting, tarnishing their good name, and resulting in their having to scramble to find another consultant.

The repercussions of the woman’s arrogance, in believing she was too good for the job, will be felt for a long time. I certainly can’t refer anyone to the company again. And the company is going to be more wary of hiring younger people who don’t understand the dynamics of a consultancy.

There’s another issue at play. A tsunami with some of the waves having already struck, but larger ones forming, primed to strike.

The seismic disturbance which precipitated the tsunami is artificial intelligence, robotics, and the ability to harness big data. These technologies turn the outwardly impossible into the everyday. They enable diagnostic systems – using artificial intelligence and simulated expert human reasoning – to detect subtle, yet tell-tale signs of disease before any symptoms manifest, enabling clinicians to immediately start treatments.

According to Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies,  since 2001, the cost of DNA sequencing has dropped more than 100,000x from $100 million per human genome to less than $1,000 today. And what used to take years, can now be done in hours.”

Conversely, the use of artificial intelligence, along with robotics, can make humans obsolete. The recently released documentary “American Factory,” showcases how a shuttered GM plant is turned into a Chinese-owned factory to make automotive glass. The clash between the two cultures, resulted in the American workers slowly being replaced by robots.

While over 2,000 Americans continue to work at the plant, a statement at the end of the film shares 375 million jobs – around 15% of the workforce – may be automated by 2030.

It’s natural to jump to the reassuring conclusion that one’s skills makes them invaluable. However, the speed of technologies that mimic human behaviors like speech recognition, computer vision, cognitive and contextual reasoning, and conversational bots point in the opposite direction.

Given time, jobs that don’t require uniquely human traits like empathy, creativity, judgement, planning, and intuition will be replaced or scaled down with the value of workers tied to their ability to perform non-repetitive physical or mental tasks.

The way to remain relevant and invaluable isn’t by bouncing from job-to-job until you find one that matches your ego. Instead, it hinges on exceeding expectations, taking creative approaches to solving challenges, and engaging in life-long learning. These proficiencies are especially relevant given employers can now choose from a large pool of qualified individuals. Indeed, the woman I referred will be quickly replaced by someone who recognizes the opportunity to showcase their capabilities, and then move into a more challenging role.

Thank you to h heyerlein on Unsplash   for the wonderful photo