ChatGPT, AI and 'Great Realization': Austin's Indeed CEO explains evolving work culture at SXSW

One of the first sessions of South by Southwest 2023 dealt with a topic that's been top-of-mind in the tech industry as COVID-19 concerns have waned: How is labor transforming amid huge tech and culture shifts?

Fortune senior editor-at-large Ellen McGirt interviewed Chris Hyams, the CEO of Austin's homegrown job-market company Indeed on Friday, attempting to cover a huge amount of ground in the hourlong featured talk. Among the topics they touched on: what technologies are disrupting employment, how the "great resignation" is shifting jobs, and whether equity and inclusion are improving.

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How ChatGPT and self-driving cars might affect jobs

Hyams began by suggesting that the word "disruption" gets thrown around a lot, but, from his vantage point, he is seeing technologies that will quickly change some industries. Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT will make it harder to get a job as a starting copywriter, for instance, and self-driving cars will not only put about 4 million drivers out of work, the technology will also likely decimate the auto insurance industry.

But as the CEO points out: "Technology does create new jobs in the long run. These shifts are good for society … every time those things happen, there are shakeups, and individuals who are the collateral damage of that?" Indeed, Hyams said, is trying to help those people as well as employers who are seeing changes such as a million restaurant workers leaving their industry and not coming back. The question the company asks, he said, is what kinds of transferrable skills do these workers have for other types of jobs.

Some of these shifts might get so big and happen so quickly, such as with the rise of artificial intelligence tools, that they will cause societal upheaval, Hyams predicted. Some workers might be unemployed for much longer than in past work shifts. It's a problem, he said, his company is working to address.

Don't forget about the human factor when designing new tools

As far as tech leadership, Hyams said he advocates for techies to build and adapt new tools in human terms, not just throw new tech at problems without thought to their impact. He thinks computer science students should be studying philosophy, history and poetry, too, to have a more well-rounded understanding of the morality and impact of disruptive technologies.

Hyams joined Indeed in 2010, six years after it launched, and the company serves about 300 million people in more than 60 countries every month. It got a huge boost during pandemic lockdown when companies suddenly became interested in video interviews. "In April 2020, requests for video interviews went up 1,600%," Hyams said.

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'The Great Realization' and connecting with others with a different worldview

As for the much-discussed Great Resignation, Hyams said he calls it "The Great Realization," with workers seeking out more jobs that might not include their core skills. "People are seeking meaning in new ways, and that's causing disruption," he said.

Hyams said he has tried to broaden his point of view and views on equity as a leader by connecting with marginalized groups. For instance, he said he meets regularly with a group of Black female employees to gain more understanding.

Where Hyams said he sees future opportunity is serving communities that are either being underserved or aren't being served by companies that better understand their audience. He cited singer Rihanna's makeup company Fenti as a great example of an entrepreneur creating a new market. "She had this lived experience. She was not a marketer looking at focus groups," Hyams said.