Harnessing AI for Positive Social Impact | Each new technology sparks debate about its impact on employment. There are two contrasting perspectives. Optimists view the new technology as alleviating workers from the most grueling tasks, freeing them to do more meaningful work. Pessimists, on the other hand, sound alarms about widespread unemployment, especially for those at the bottom of the career ladder.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest new technology that is the subject of this debate, and this is especially of concern in marginalized and underserved communities, whether in prosperous countries or developing countries. These communities face challenges getting the education and resources they need to climb the career ladder, especially with digital skills training. Opportunities that exist are often lower-skilled jobs—exactly the jobs that AI might automate. So, will AI take those jobs away and worsen the disparities in opportunities? We do not see it that way. Although automation will no doubt take away some lower-level jobs, we believe that AI can help marginalized communities grow and prosper by positively impacting education, employment, and entrepreneurship. This report outlines how this will come about. More »
PULSE: ScaleHub Harnesses “Collective Intelligence” to Help Solve Talent Shortage | IAOP's Center for Social Impact is your connection to the people and resources you need to excel at doing well by doing good through Impact Sourcing; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; ESG; Refugee Initiatives; Global Mentorship, and more. More »
PULSE: Getting Down to Business: Social Impact Working Groups Take Action | IAOP's Center for Social Impact is your connection to the people and resources you need to excel at doing well by doing good through Impact Sourcing; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; ESG; Refugee Initiatives; Global Mentorship, and more. More »
Seattle-area mentoring nonprofit with a global reach adds generative AI to toolkits for job seekers | A Seattle-area nonprofit helping disadvantaged job seekers around the world is adding generative artificial intelligence to the toolkit for its participants.
The Global Mentorship Initiative is teaching college students and recent graduates how to use digital tools that are powered by technology including ChatGPT and GPT-4 to more easily and successfully land jobs, starting with the job search and application all the way through the interview process to sending thank you emails. More »
2023 RE:WORK report | Businesses are facing a talent crisis. Shortfalls in key skills are limiting the potential for business growth and are leading to unfilled vacancies. The Talent’s expectations of the employment experience are evolving at pace, and they are prepared to move on if they think their employer is not doing enough. As businesses respond to changing markets and seek to seize new opportunities, they are struggling to build the agility they need to deploy their people effectively.
This report draws on two new global surveys—one of executives, the other of talent—to reveal a disconnect between these two groups’ perspectives on working life. It is a warning to employers: having made progress through the pandemic and the Great Resignation, they now risk slipping backward on engagement. More »
Let’s Talk About Intentionality in Impact Sourcing | When you’ve been around outsourcing and sustainability for as long as I have, you develop a complicated response to new buzzwords.
On the one hand, I’m thrilled by any new positive momentum towards a more sustainable future. On the other hand, I’ve seen a lot of exciting things slowly fade away. It happens.
Yet every so often, buzzwords become something much bigger than any of us.
Recently, at the IAOP's Outsourcing World Summit in Chicago, I found myself surrounded by a room full of people passionately exploring impact sourcing as a solution for businesses.
And all I could think was, “Wow. This is really happening. The time is now.” More »