The Josh Bersin Company

The End Of The American Dream? How Automation Works To Your Advantage (or Not). E204

Dec 7, 2024

The podcast dives into the challenges of the American Dream amid rising automation and income inequality. It highlights the growing role of employee activism as people demand better work conditions. The concept of 'Superworkers' emerges as a solution for businesses to adapt and thrive alongside technology. Concerns are raised about the backlash of cutting jobs for cost savings, warning that companies risk losing valuable talent. Adventure into the future of work as leaders are urged to reengineer jobs to harness the potential of AI without sacrificing employee livelihoods.

15:55

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Quick takeaways

The American Dream is increasingly unattainable for non-college-educated workers, who face stagnation and decline in income and opportunities.

Effective integration of AI requires a shift towards building 'Superworkers' to enhance job functions and improve customer experience.

Deep dives

Healthcare Discontent and Employee Activation

The recent shooting of the CEO at UnitedHealth Group highlights significant dissatisfaction with healthcare services in the U.S., reflecting broader societal unrest. This incident serves as a symptom of a growing trend where individuals, empowered by the concept of employee activation, are responding to their frustrations in drastic ways. Employees are increasingly expressing their discontent through various means, including social media and even 'rage quitting.' As trust and engagement levels remain low, many employees are concerned about their job security, especially in light of advancing AI technologies that threaten their positions.

Intro

2min

The Struggle for the American Dream in an Automated World

2min

Navigating the Future of Work: The Rise of the Super Worker

11min

What do we do about the American Dream? This week I discuss the explosion of employee and citizen activation (NYC UHG CEO, for example) and how the US economy has not been delivering for 2/3 of the workforce.

And in that discussion I challenge HR and business leaders to re-engineer jobs and work around what we call Superworkers, all with a goal of using AI to increase customer service, scale, quality, and value. I try to warn and give examples of what happens when companies use technologies like AI to eliminate jobs and simply reduce labor costs.