Feature topic - automation
JoyceMaroney, executive director, TheWorkforce Institute at Kronos, discusses the human competencies that can’t or shouldn’t be replaced by automation The human touch
A utomation is a hot topic amongst professionals at every level and in almost every industry today – from the chief executive officer to those working at the coalface. Everyone is seeking its promised benefits, meaning we’re seeing an increasing number of processes – think manufacturing production lines, or email marketing campaigns – reliant on some degree of automation. On the flip side, the ubiquity of emerging technology often leads to apprehension among employees who feel that their current and future roles may be threatened by machines or computer software. With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning becoming more sophisticated, it’s a hot debate, and one that won’t be going away any time soon. However, there are a number of unique and essential workplace skills that only humans can provide; capabilities that are well-beyond anything that machines currently possess. When we consider these competencies, it becomes clear that the human touch won’t be going away any time soon. It is difficult to deny that automation works well in many areas of the workplace. Innovations such as workforce management and human capital management technology have been instrumental in relieving managers and employees alike of time- consuming, mundane administrative tasks such as shift scheduling, shift swapping, and holiday planning. In essence, automation is good for tasks that have clearly measurable and predictable outcomes, as software can be coded to manage most possibilities and ensure consistency. For example, scheduling shifts, so that each employee’s individual circumstances and requirements are met, is something that can be effectively managed with software and combined with elements of AI and machine learning to ensure processes are streamlined on a continuous
basis. When these repetitive tasks are taken out of the hands of managers and employees, and handled by automated software, workers have more time to focus on activities such as spending time with customers, mentoring other teammates, growing their personal skillsets and truly making a difference to the way the organisation is run. In short, automation is the facilitator that enables people to be innovators.
needed to foster a productive, collaborative environment now and in the future. Outside of the working environment, automated assistants have become a fixture of many people’s homes. While these devices are helpful and are acquiring increasingly human attributes, loneliness remains a key issue in many cultures, so much so that the UK government launched its first ever loneliness strategy (http://bit. ly/2ReJ3mf) in 2018. We’ve managed to map the entire human genome, but we still haven’t mastered the uniqueness of human behaviour. Technology can do many things, but empathetic insight is still best developed and delivered from within the human brain. We should, though, remain open to the value of incorporating data-driven insights into our decision-making. Technology’s continued expansion in the workplace is inevitable. Employees will shed many of the cumbersome tasks and processes of old, bringing a degree of freedom to create and innovate in a way that they hadn’t been able to do before. That said, the adoption of any new automation must be accompanied by thoughtful change management. The successful adoption of any new programme begins with effective communication. It’s crucial to make it clear to employees that automation is there to complement them, not supersede them. Training and providing ongoing support for their questions after the launch of a new product is mandatory. Where technology will replace jobs, employers can play a leading role by developing displaced workers for alternative positions. In the best case, automation liberates people from drudgery while challenging them to invest their uniquely human capacity for innovation and collaboration in your organisation. The puzzle isn’t to figure out human v automation, but rather to set the stage for them to each do what they do best. n
...the human touch won’t be going away any time soon
When it comes to tasks, however, which require more nuanced decision-making, technology and automation are unable to match the power of human input. These are the absolutely essential but often undervalued ‘soft skills’ (http://bit.ly/30jt0Yl) that any business needs. The more intricate, non-technical aspects of HR (human resources) provide some great examples of this: people’s thoughts and feelings are nuanced and unpredictable, so understanding the complex needs of employees and what makes them tick can only be truly achieved via interaction with another person. The same goes for recruitment: a candidate might have all the required skills on paper, but they need to be assessed by a human member of staff to make sure they’re a good fit for the organisation’s culture. Automated tools can tell you what a person has done in the past but may not be as adept at sussing out their resilience and potential for development and growth within the organisation. Without this, a business will struggle to build a workforce that contains the blend of skills and characteristics
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 57 | February 2020
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