We’re suckers for a good listicle, so when we stumbled across CBInsight’s “12 Tech Trends to Watch Closely” report, we dove right in. We have a feeling that we’re in for an explosion of new technologies and subsequent startups over the next few years, fueled by the pandemic and the behavioral shifts it prompted. There are several that have popped up already as a result of our extraordinary year, and there will be many others that follow. The CBInsight report is a big one, and we know not everyone is as nerdy as we are, so we thought we’d highlight a few of the trends they dig into in this report, especially the ones that could be considered tech hiring trends:
Creation of a CPO (Chief Prepper Officer)
There’s no doubt that COVID-19 threw even the more resilient companies for a loop — and businesses now want to do everything they can to steel themselves against similar disruptions. And, we know pandemics aren’t the only thing that fits into this category — there are extreme weather events, cyberattacks, and more that could halt the economy overnight.
Resilience is going to become a priority when it comes to corporate functions, and a Chief Prepper Officer will be tasked with both finding a diversity of options in order to keep a company running smoothly amidst another global crisis and maintaining a high level of redundancy. Many companies are starting to employ this kind of role as they rethink their supply chains (through bringing operations closer to home or broadening geographic distribution), while others are turning to tech (specifically AI) to gain a better understanding of their operations and how they can predict fluctuations in the market.
The Rise of “Emotion AI”
Over the last decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has gone from a buzzword to a must-have. One of the biggest hurdles AI has always faced, though, is emotion — recognizing and reacting to it. But, as political and social pressures continue to push tech companies to account for a higher range of human emotion, “emotion AI” will become a priority.
There are companies using emotion AI to analyze elements or speech to best match service agents and customers across a variety of industries. In healthcare, researchers are using deep learning techniques to capture facial expressions of pain to help detect discomfort. AI is being used for driver monitoring in the auto industry — accessing emotion could help improve road safety and the comfort of those in the car. In our own industry, AI has long been used to make the hiring process smarter and more efficient, so we’re eager to see how emotion AI could become a tech hiring trend, and influence processes like interviewing and company onboarding.
Exclusivity in Virtual Communities
On the surface, this might look like a marketing tech trend more than a tech hiring trend, but we think it’ll impact a lot of companies — and that’s this idea of digital exclusivity. We have a feeling that online communities are going to start trying to keep people out vs keep people in, and with that shifting tide, many companies might opt to build communities themselves, prioritizing the quality of their engaged customers rather than the quantity.
We’re already starting to see this phenomenon through Clubhouse, the invite-only, audio-based app where you can join book club discussions, debate politics, have an audio dinner party, and more. With Clubhouse, it’s not the themes that matter so much as who might drop into the conversation — and the fact that conversations and content aren’t saved. This kind of exclusive, private platform already has companies talking about building their own social networks, which means tech talent is going to be in even more high demand.
Repurposing Physical Office Spaces
As many of us continue to work from home, we know that we’ll never go back to utilizing our office spaces in quite the same way again. Companies are rethinking their spaces, prioritizing flexibility and versatility as many workforces showed they could do the same level of work (or a higher level!) by being remote.
This rethinking might come in the form of a large office decentralizing operations and opening more satellite offices, converting offices spaces into innovation hubs where small groups of people can come together in person or virtually, or even 100% commercial facilities turning into a blend of commercial, residential, and educational facilities. So, what does this have to do with hiring? Everything. Many workers are interested in continuing to work from home, whether that’s full-time or part-time, and being able to strike that balance of remote work and collaborative spaces will say a lot about a company’s culture for prospects, too.
Interested in the other non-tech hiring trends we didn’t have space for here? Download your own copy of the report to check it out.