In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are increasingly turning to robots to boost their career development. According to a study conducted by HR research and advisory firm Oracle and Workplace Intelligence, the pandemic has left a majority of people feeling lonely and disconnected from their own lives. The study saw the participation of over 14,600 employees, managers, HR leaders, and C-level executives from across 13 countries including the UAE. The study found that people from various countries experienced difficulties in their personal and professional lives, but have shown readiness in taking control of their futures.

Pandemic-induced lockdown and uncertainties left several people across the world in emotional turmoil over their personal and professional lives.

According to the study, in the UAE, 91 percent of the people have been negatively impacted by the pandemic in 2020. Notably, about 42 percent of people struggled financially, while about 26 percent of people suffered from declining mental health. Furthermore, 26 percent of the participants from the UAE experienced lack of motivation in their career while 22 percent of them felt disconnected from their own lives. 77 percent of the people found the year 2021 to be the most stressful year at work. About 66 percent struggled with mental health issues at work more in 2021 than in 2020.

The number of people who felt losing control over their personal and professional lives has also doubled since the start of the pandemic. In addition, 57 percent of people stated that they lost control over their futures, 58 percent lost control over their personal lives, 52 percent on their careers and 46 percent of them lost control of their relationships.

At the same time, 87 percent of people stated that they feel stuck in their personal lives, 32 percent feel anxiety about their future, 30 percent feel trapped in the same routine and 28 percent said they feel lonelier than before.

Shifting to technology for learning new skills

It has become important for employers to pay attention to the needs of the employees more than ever before in order to retain their efforts and boost top talent amid the changing workplace dynamics. In this regard, employers are leveraging the use of technology to provide better support.

In the UAE, 96 percent of people want technology to help in strengthening their future goals by identifying their potentials (42 percent), recommending new ways to learn new skills (42 percent), and providing further steps to fulfilling career goals (38 percent).

Moreover, 87 percent of the people said they would make life changes based on robot recommendations. 91 percent indicated their trust in robots to support their careers better than humans as they would give unbiased recommendations (38 percent); rapid response about their career (39 percent); or find new jobs to fit current skills (39 percent).

Nevertheless, people have also expressed confidence in humans for playing a critical role in career development and providing support with advice based on personal experience (49 percent); identifying strengths and weaknesses (47 percent); and suggesting appropriate roles to fit their personalities (41 percent).

94 percent of people said they believe their company should do more to understand their needs while 74 percent of them have expressed to stay with a company that uses advanced technologies like AI to enhance career growth.

According to Dan Schawbel, managing partner, Workplace Intelligence, the last few months have changed the work culture, including where we work and who we work for. Even as it has been challenging for both employees and employers, there have been some opportunities to induce positive change at the workplace.

“The results clearly show that investment in skills and career development is now a key differentiator for employers as it plays a significant role in employees feeling like they have control over their personal and professional lives. Businesses that invest in their employees and help them find opportunities will reap the benefits of a productive, engaged workforce," he added.