3 hours ago
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Name: Empathy engineer.
Age: New.
Appearance: Sporadic, bewildering.
Empathy engineer? What’s that? It could be you.
Maybe, but I think I would know. Are you a proactive disruptor with excellent communications skills and a world-class library of proven frameworks?
Not that I’m aware of. Are you ready to earn up to £110k per annum?
Why, yes. Yes, I am. How many other applicants are being considered for the position? It’s just you so far.
How can that be? Because nobody knows what an empathy engineer is.
I don’t know what an empathy engineer is! It’s someone who considers the social, cultural and emotional factors that influence how society interacts with technology, and focuses on blending the human perspective with tech-driven problem-solving.
And now I still don’t know. According to new research from the business financial platform Tide, you’re not alone. British job applicants are missing out on lucrative tech sector careers because they don’t understand the roles, or even believe the jobs exist.
Are they right? In this case, yes: LinkedIn isn’t advertising any openings in empathy engineering at the moment.
So no one is applying for the job because there’s no such thing? There is one listing – expired, sadly – for an empathy engineer in gaming.
What does that entail? “Implementing game mechanics, narratives and experiences that foster empathy, emotional intelligence and social awareness among players, promoting meaningful connections and understanding within virtual worlds.”
I’m gutted to have missed out on that one. Empathy engineer is just one of a number of confusing new job titles, such as prompt engineer and belonging manager.
Belonging manager? Never heard of it. Again, you’re not alone: 80% of 2,000 participants surveyed had no idea what a belonging manager was or did.
What do they do? “The role of a belonging manager is to embed an inclusive culture at the heart of the organisation, ensuring employees feel valued, included and heard,” according to a spokesperson from Tide.
How much? Up to £80k.
I accept. What are the qualifications? Just experience.
In what? That’s the problem – as the job market adapts to rapid growth and changing needs, new roles emerge that have no previous parallels in the workplace.
Isn’t the real problem that employers are coming up with silly, off-putting names for their pretty ordinary jobs? Possibly. Other titles include skills architect and augmented intelligence officer.
You wouldn’t want to admit to being any of those on a blind date. No – just say marketing.
Do say: “As someone experienced at building consistent frameworks that are supported, accountable and impactful, I am the very model of a modern empathy engineer.”
Don’t say: “Can I empathise from home?”
