Has the workplace in Singapore really evolved?

Forty years ago, people were rifling through research books in public libraries to search for answers to their questions. Forty years ago, people could only call their friends on local landlines. Forty years ago, people were going to work with paper and pen, and there was no such thing as email.

The technology revolution
Today, technological advancements have changed the landscape of the workplace into a setting that is almost unrecognisable. The proliferation of smartphones, computers, and the Internet has made communication much easier, revolutionising business on a global scale. Local companies are also eagerly evolving to maintain a competitive edge in Singapore, which was just recently named one of the top seven tech-ready economies by the World Economic Forum.

As a city that has been thriving on this technological explosion, many plans and infrastructures are constantly being redesigned to keep up with the rapid and dynamic technologies that are churned out every year. This is evident as SPRING Singapore launched its first of 23 Industry Transformation Map (ITM) in early September this year – beginning with the Food Services industry. The initiative aims to innovate and boost industries which rely heavily on manpower, providing technological alternatives in order to grow the industry without the need to increase labour.

Professions are increasingly being done by machines, jobs such as cashiers, librarians, and travel agents. Soon, even taxi drivers may find themselves unemployed, with our Prime Minister announcing a test run of driverless taxis in the 2016 National Day Rally.

A digital-friendly world
The digital age is also changing terrains elsewhere. In the traditional office, evidence of such advancements in Singapore is everywhere, with new software and mobile apps constantly finding their way into operations in every industry.

While being a Smart Nation propels us to the frontlines of the tech-race, it can also be tiring, especially for employees. Requiring competence in the latest and most advanced skills such as coding, Big Data, or even the everyday Microsoft Office tools shows that the workplace is increasingly favouring young people.

This can be a hard pill to swallow for the older generation, many of whom are obliged to update their skill set to stay relevant in the workforce. These programmes can be time-consuming and expensive, and often have a high turnover rate. Remember when CDs were the new alternative to floppy disks? Today, even USB thumb drives are getting the boot in favour of the cloud – and they only started to be fashionable less than ten years ago.

Upgrade and evolve
But in the face of constant change, don't be discouraged. There are still many skills that have seen the test of time, especially soft skills such as leadership, creativity, and good social skills, as noted by SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer. Capability and work experience still trump in most industries, and a good work ethic is always in demand. Furthermore, while these technological advancements may seem daunting, the power of the Internet can help you with upgrades.

Attend online classes from the comfort of your home with a simple search on Google or YouTube, and stay up-to-date with your online footprint to ease your way into future technologies. Maintaining a well-managed and clean social media presence is also worthwhile. In fact, many companies are increasingly turning to platforms such as LinkedIn for recruitment, so maybe it's time to create or refresh you online résumé.

Whatever the case may be, changes in the Singapore workplace are here to stay. Instead of dreading it, we should evolve with it and look forward to the next big thing!