Upon researching this article, I stumbled upon a book titled Humans Are Underrated by Geoff Colvin, who argues that while technology is rapidly becoming more powerful and faster than human beings, what sets us mortals apart from these electronic entities is our ability to connect with people through creativity, collaboration, and empathy.
As employers stare at huge layoffs from companies like Amazon, Intel, and UPS, the conversation around skills has taken on a different turn… for both worse and the better. For the worse, because we are living in an age of uncertainty. But for the better, we must ask ourselves: What can we humans do that machines can’t?
Of course, technical skills matter; there’s no denying that. But the time has come to improve the only abilities that have remained immortal even after (even before that) AI’s attempts to “replace” us and rule over the world: soft skills.
Automation and AI may rule the world, but soft skills still reign supreme. While AI is faster and more efficient, it is, at the end of the day, robotic. It has no feelings, emotions, or perceptions of its own. It relies on data created by human beings to generate content that sounds human-like but without the human touch behind it. It lacks the warmth and the understanding of human relationships. As a result of that, AI falls way short in the emotional quotient scale.
This is where human beings continue to shine. Companies are turning to people who not only use technology to their advantage but also can connect with other human beings at a level that machines simply cannot replicate. In the age of AI and automation, technical skills are not enough. Creativity, collaboration, leadership, communication? Those are the skills that will keep your job secure.
Colvin states that while technology handles the grunt work once done, we must seize the opportunity to strengthen our social skills, which AI can’t touch. We create AI to perform repetitive tasks so that we humans can focus on work that is creative, thoughtful, and strategic.
The future belongs to those who can lead conversations, manage teams, and build trust, skills that matter even when technology continues to evolve.
With the help of emerging technology such as AI, we now have the bandwidth to focus on tasks that are imaginative, innovative, and collaborative. Instead of fearing it, embrace it.
I echo the same sentiments I highlighted in my article regarding AI in the Indian workplace: the future economy will reward those people who not only adapt, but also engage in meaningful relationships with co-workers and clients. These qualities cannot be reproduced by ChatGPT or Gemini, no matter how many billions of data points it is trained on.
Let me enlighten you with a case study that demonstrates how social skills beat automation any day.
Hindustan Unilever Does Good By Doing Good
In a 2023 study research paper on Hindustan Unilever Limited, Puducherry, they observed that there was a positive correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and quality of life (QOL) among employees.
They observed that those employees who improved their emotional intelligence and communication, their quality of their work increased significantly. They reported better job satisfaction, improved work relationships, and a healthier work-life balance.
HUL really stands by its slogan, “doing well by doing good.” Unilever’s mission is to support and uplift the people of India, not just employees.
The company provides employees with programs and groups that support and help them. For example, their Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offers 24/7 support to those who need counselling, stress reduction, and life coaching.
HUL’s objective is to build emotionally healthy and energetic teams. Within their branches, they have Mental Health Champions (MHC), a network of more than a thousand volunteer employees who extend support to colleagues suffering from mental health issues and guide them to the path of recovery. It shows how Hindustan Unilever understands the importance of human beings.
Academic research and organizational culture research confirmed these measures. Employees felt more supported and more connected. Their workplaces became healthier and their performance improved. Machines are efficient and fast, yes, but only humans can create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
So what can we learn from this?
AI is amazing at efficiency, speed, and scale, but humans dominate in fields of empathy, meaning, and connection. As automation and AI become increasingly common in a developing world, social skills remain indispensable. If technology keeps evolving, we must evolve too. Working as human beings, not robots.
Now, start working on your skills, my future workers. Show the world that you care.
References
- Rahman, Parvejur, and Sagufta Mehnaz. “A Study on Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Work Life Among Employees in Hindustan Unilever Limited, Puducherry.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2024. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org
- “Employee Health & Wellbeing.” Unilever, https://www.hul.co.in