Size wars | A large headcount isn't a sign of success anymore, and it's because of AI

Most business founders and executives would agree that a key indicator of company growth is the size of a business. Execs fight tooth and nail to attract and retain the best talent, grow their business’ headcount and be the most cutting-edge firm in their sector.

Not having an attractive employee offering, having a poor company culture and high employee turnover have historically been main obstacles for companies in increasing the number of people who work for them. Recently, businesses have resorted to innovative tactics to attract talent, including allowing staff to work from anywhere in the world, enticing employee benefits such as healthcare and child support, and more long-standing schemes such as free lunches and beer taps in the office.

Indeed, an increased headcount has long been a sign that your firm is flourishing, but as AI become ever-more present and integrated into the working world to drive efficiency, experts agree that redundancies will see an increase and job roles will become augmented with AI, streamlining companies and making headcounts smaller. With the AI tide turning quickly, can we expect to see small headcounts and streamlined companies becoming the new sign of success?

More automation, less people

Experts are suggesting that redundancies and complete wiping out of job roles altogether are likely to happen over the next few years as a result of AI. But more than this, most technologists say that the majority of roles will become dependent on and heavily integrated with AI technology.