Building a team used to mean job listings, resume stacks, interviews, and costly recruiters. all before a single task got done. Today, AI is changing how work gets done, how teams are built, and how talent gets deployed. While it will eliminate some tasks, it will also open up opportunities for skilled, hands-on work.
Joining us on this episode of Business Trends Today is Tim Fung, Co-Founder and CEO of Airtasker, a global marketplace connecting businesses and individuals with skilled workers.
"I think anyone who is sort of saying, AI's going to take every job in the next three months, you know, I think you're probably over-indexing to a bit too much excitement."
AI is changing how businesses hire
Fung believes in the power of AI. Not as a way to replace workers, but as a force that frees people and businesses to move faster and do more. His company, Airtaker, uses AI to optimize operations and the customer experience.
Fung’s advice for other business owners centers on speed. Move fast in AI implementation and in hiring.
“If you’re sitting there wondering what you’re going to do next, spending too much time trying to ponder the future, you’re going to get left in the dust,” he said.
Smart businesses are rethinking how they staff up. Many are ditching lengthy recruiting processes in favor of more dynamic staffing solutions. Platforms like Airtasker let owners find skilled workers, get a job done, and evaluate the fit before making any deeper commitment.
How AI is fueling demand for physical work
AI is doing something unexpected. It is driving more demand for skilled, hands-on trade workers. As white-collar tasks become faster and more automated, the person who shows up and does the physical work becomes the bottleneck.
“If you can design more homes, that’s all done very quickly by agentic AI, you still need someone who can use their hands to fix your fence,” he said. “The person who can come and fix your fence now is really the constraining factor to economic growth.”
Trade and service business owners should take note. AI is not threatening skilled physical work. It is making those skills more valuable.
"Humans are always going to be able to elevate up and do more," Fung says. "We can only make tools and machines that do the things that we once knew how to do."
The on-demand work revolution
Rising costs and tighter labor markets have made the traditional full-time hire a gamble many owners can’t afford. Fung sees it play out daily on Airtasker.
“You would have to say, am I up for another $50,000 per year expense in hiring a person full-time? And then I’m sort of stuck with that, with that one piece of skill that comes from that,” he said.
Businesses are shifting toward flexible, on-demand work. Owners want the right skills at the right time. They don’t want the long-term commitment that used to come with it.
Small business owners who move quickly and embrace flexible staffing will have a real advantage. Those still deliberating may find themselves outpaced before they realize it.
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