Everyone is getting with the times. Smartphones, wearable technology, and ride-sharing apps are yesterday’s news.
Here are some technology innovations that could affect the job market, to keep your eyes on.
Google Crushes the Language Barrier
There is power in numbers. Increasing the talent pool increases the chances of finding that perfect candidate — regardless of their native language.
Corporate giants who have offices in several different countries can communicate with their colleagues because of Google’s new Pixel Buds that translate 40 different languages in real time as you are conversing with that person.
Google debuted the earbuds this month. The earbuds decipher what the speaker is saying and translates it into the receiver’s language. If the wearer speaks English, they can respond in English and their phone will project a response in the correct language.
What could this do for the candidate and employee experience? Wonders.
Recruiters can interview virtually any applicant, with language no longer a barrier. Nothing beats two native speakers in a conversation, but the Pixel Buds are a close second.
Beyond the hiring process, managers can easily communicate with their employees. In turn, employees can communicate amongst their teammates if given the phone and earbuds.
One Small Step for Skype Interviews, One Giant Leap for Candidate Experience
Skype launched an integration of JavaScript’s code editor with its video conferences. Interviewers can instantaneously test a candidate’s coding skills while they have their video conference. Previously, interviewees had to sign into two programs: Skype and the coding tester to submit off to the hiring manager.
It might be a small improvement, but eliminating the applicant from having to go back and forth between video streaming and code editing is a development in the candidate experience.
Otto’s Self-Driving Trucks Reinforce Truck Driving Jobs
Otto is a self-driving technology company whose purpose is to increase self-driving vehicles so that companies can focus more on more pressing tasks. It was recently acquired by Uber.
Truck drivers shouldn’t despair though.
SDV technology doesn’t mean the downfall of the trade. Instead, while a SDV can handle the bulk of the trip, a driver is still necessary for where a computer fails to …
- Differentiate between a car on the side of the road and a road sign
- Differentiate between a pedestrian and a construction worker
- Recognize another driver’s face to predict their next move.
With a SDV, truckers can relax and even nap on long travels and intervene when needed. Further, there’s a lot of paperwork involved in a truck driver’s responsibilities. This allots time to multitask and get other business completed.
As of 2017, there are only a handful of these self-driving trucks on the road. The technology is still being tested and improved, but Otto is hopeful that with the safety data and improvement of truck driver’s working conditions, the government will authorize that all trucks incorporate the technology.
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