Automation in the workplace – there’s no running away from it. Some people believe it to be a boon for employment generation, while others argue it will create fewer opportunities. Seeing the multiple benefits of automation in the workplace, it seems probable to redefine the future of work. Organizations must therefore start thinking about questions like ‘how automation will affect them specifically’, ‘what will jobs in the future be like’; and come up with an automation strategy that would best suit their specific needs.
It may sound intimidating, but incorporating the following tips in an automation strategy, will make the whole process much easier for companies and their workers alike.
The first step is always to determine which task or job-role per se, is going to be automated. Different types of automation in the workplace (see below for details), help to make traditional tasks easier as job roles can get more fluid. For instance, parts of the recruitment and hiring process that tend to be long and tedious, can be automated; wherein a computer program can sift through hundreds of job applicants by searching for relevant keywords, skills etc; to filter out the best ones that fit in with the required position.
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This way, humans don’t need to put in long hours going through hundreds of resumes, as they will only need to interact with the shortlisted ones, and the whole process of hiring can be narrowed down easily. This can be deemed as the perfect example of a human-automation interaction. Where humans and automated technology work in conjunction to achieve a particular goal.
Once the specific tasks to be automated have been decided, the next step will be selecting the right type of technology. Understanding automation processes is crucial for companies to help them deconstruct and redefine certain tasks and job roles. There are 3 types of automation that artificial intelligence technology supports: social robotics, robotic process automation (RPA) and cognitive automation. Each of these can be used to automate different types of tasks that can help to reconfigure how humans have been working up until now. A good example of social robotics is a self-driven car, where the robotic technology effectively interacts with other humans and bots. The above example of recruitment automation fits the robotic process automation bill successfully; whereas cognitive automation goes beyond that to mimic human behavior.
Such decoupling of ‘work’ from the job, is what will redefine traditional jobs as AI technology will integrate better human-automation interaction. This change will happen gradually and eventually in organisations. As engineers discover more & more human-automation combinations that will help to take further steps towards the future of work, the global workforce needs to get ahead of its game at quickly adapting to a technology driven workplace.
Automation in the workplace will redefine traditional jobs and significantly empower the global workforce, but we need to be better prepared to address the situation so as to avoid any potential disruptions that are uncalled for. Having a good strategy will help reap the benefits that come along with it and allow organizations to get a deeper understanding of the integrated human-automation interactions.
Reference:
“Thinking Through How Automation Will Affect Your Workforce,” Ravin Jesuthasan, John Boudreau, 20th April 2017
