The 5 Biggest Jobs Trends of 2017 - CareerEnlightenment.com

3) AutomationChamberlain doesn’t just refer to automated drivers, though he does say transportation will undergo phenomenal changes, especially around taxis and truck drivers. The impact will be felt in other sectors too including white-collar work.What is needed is for workers to ‘up skill’ he says, with more focus on training programs to help employees develop new skills.Futurists have been warning about automation for a while now. Accusations that machines destroy jobs have been around as long as machines. Research shows that large-scale job losses due to automation are unlikely, though no one’s job will escape automation in some way.The continued growth of mobiles, cheap data storage and innovations in machine learning, will bring about the biggest changes in 2017. Those most affected will be in routine, mostly manual jobs â€" those that don’t require creative judgement such as long-haul trucking and taxi driving.In the same way, white-collar jobs will not be immune to these trends. For financial analysts, Tableau and other dashboard analytics tools are already radically reshaping roles in this sector.The key is to keeping your job safe, says Chamberlain, is to build your skills to ensure you are complementary to technology: ‘learning to run the machine, not doing the same work the machine automates,’ is the trick.4) Mind the pay gapOther areas to come under scrutiny will include a welcome approach to ‘employers taking action against the gender pay gap’.In the same way that 2016 revealed a more transparent approach to pay, 2017 will see more employers taking even further action to reduce gender pay disparities.5) A move away from flashy benefits packagesThings like free lunches, dog-friendly workplaces, on-site acupuncture, games pods and even paid leave to go travelling will become outdated, suggests the report.It says these perks may have reached a tipping point. In 2017 employers will pull back on flashy benefits in favor of traditional ones like pension plans and health care coverage.“In many ways, 2016 was a landmark year for hiring,” said Chamberlain. He adds: “However, technology and automation are changing the way we work forever, creating both opportunities and challenges for 2017 and beyond. In this environment, the future of jobs, employer branding and recruiting is top of mind for job seekers, employees and employers.”