'If you ask me how you succeed in your career, I'd be in the office four to five days a week'
The chair of accounting giant PwC UK has shared some advice on how to have successful careers in the wake of artificial intelligence.
"If you're asking me my opinion on how you succeed in your career, I'd be in the office four to five days a week," Kevin Ellis said at the World Economic Forum as quoted by Bloomberg.
Ellis made the remarks amid the rapid rise of AI across workplaces, prompting concerns among the workforce of AI-triggered layoffs as more tasks become automated.
Previous research from the International Monetary Fund and the Goldman Sachs have also revealed that millions of jobs are at risk because of AI.
Face time important
Ellis has confirmed that generative AI has indeed been eliminating tasks where junior employees used to train or gain initial practice or experience, Bloomberg reported.
The absence of such tasks underscores the need for younger employees to be in the office more to move further in the career faster.
"It's a lot more face-to-face time being important and a lot more developing," Ellis said as quoted by Bloomberg. "So, you have to get people in the office more working together."
The remarks came amid strong resistance from employees last year over office return mandates from employers, even prompting some staff members to walkout of their jobs just to keep some flexibility at work.
Younger employees more likely to come back
But there are research suggesting that younger employees don't mind coming to the office for work.
A 2022 Unispace poll revealed that despite the "digital-only" stereotype among Gen Z employees, majority of them would be encouraged to return if it meant getting access to training (80%) and if their full team would be there with them (80%).
"While younger workers generally have access to technology and the digital skills to work remotely long-term, our research suggests that this group values the opportunity, collaboration, and support that a physical office provides more than any other age group," said Stuart Finnie, head of design at Unispace, in a previous statement.
This 2024, nine in 10 employers in the United States said they will have implemented some form of a return-to-office policy by the end of the year, according to ResumeBuilder.com.
"It remains to be seen if businesses will follow through on their RTO plans, especially when taking into account the recent backlash against major employers who have forced employees back to office," said Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com, in a previous statement.