Systematic Review of Human Resource Management Demand in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era: Implication of Upskilling, Reskilling and Deskilling

Human resources are essential to an organization's performance, competitiveness, and sustainability in any industrial revolution era. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) integrates advanced technologies and the convergence of physical, digital, and biological systems, offering HR professionals opportunities and threats. This study examines the implication of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on upskilling, reskilling, and deskilling of Human resource management. The study adopted a systematic review of relevant literature on the various issues addressed in the research. The study critically analyzed 38 relevant research journals, articles, publications, opinions, and editorials on human resource management demand in the fourth industrial revolution era. The study revealed that 4IR technologies, such as AI and robotics, could accomplish jobs more effectively than humans, leading to deskilling. Adopting 4IR technologies will also require HR personnel to upskill in digital literacy, data analysis, programming, cyber-security, HR software analytics, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. The study also revealed that HR personnel would need to reskill to acquire proficiency using 4IR technologies. The study concludes that adopting 4IR technologies will result in upskilling, reskilling, and deskilling of human resources. The study recommends that organizations invest in training and development programs to upskill and reskill HR personnel, regular skills assessments to identify obsolete skills, implementing training programs that meet the changing needs of the job, and developing a comprehensive workforce development strategy to consider alternative approaches to job design that prioritize the development of new skills and knowledge.