Automation in the workplace normally brings about negative connotations. Everyone is hearing about how automation in going to replace the living workforce and reduce the number of jobs available. It’s honestly kind of scary and intimidating. People wonder if a robot is going to take over their job. Others mourn the fact that someday their children may walk into a restaurant only to be served by a cold, calculating machine.
How could automation possibly have a positive effect on our society and the workplace? Is it really helpful or is greed the main motive behind the need for efficiency? Yet, despite all the negativity, many companies are finding automation making a drastic, beneficial difference in the workplace. Here are a few reasons why automation is thought to positively impact the workplace.
Automation in the workplace is positive by decreasing the amount of repetitive work.
Although machines are replacing factory workers and welding robots are replacing welders, companies are not cutting jobs. In fact, they are increasing their workforce. Through July 2018, manufacturing has added the most jobs in a twelve-month period since 1995, adding 327,000 jobs. That’s quite an increase due to automation!
Why? The increased efficiency of the technology is creating a spike of productivity. Rather than people losing their jobs, companies actually need to hire more employees to maintain and manage the robots. No more repetitive work, but more job opportunities? That sounds like a positive outcome!
Automation positively affects the workplace by creating time for more engaging, judgment based tasks.
It’s true. With the increase of automations, employees are spending way less time doing tedious tasks. Instead, employees can now focus on doing the jobs that require judgment and critical thinking skills. Rather than spending inordinate amounts of time drudging their way through tasks that can be quickly taken care of by automation, employees can apply that time to working toward company objectives.
Despite what some may say, people can achieve things that machines cannot. People are capable of original, creative thoughts and this sets them apart from the automation industry. Make time for your employees to use their judgment by leaving the monotonous jobs to automation and clearing more time for your employees to engage in judgment based tasks.
Automation in the workplace helps employees feel valued and happy.
Imagine day in and day out you show up for work unrecognized, doing a job in which you are easily replaced and unrecognized for the work you do. It is so utterly monotonous that you feel as though you could disappear and you are completely miserable. Now think about a scenario where everyday you show up to work where you are absolutely, one hundred percent certain that you are necessary and valued. Your work makes a difference and knowing you are achieving something only adds to your happiness.
This is the sense of achievement that automation brings to many people in the workplace. With automation replacing monotonous work, employees are needed for the more valuable jobs that are fulfilling and that desirable to employees. These types of jobs are no longer just a way to sustain a family and to keep people’s heads above water, but rather jobs that inspire passion and value. Consider incorporating automation into your company to increase employees’ feeling of value and happiness.
Automation in the workplace helps us to do our jobs.
Contrary to popular belief, automation is not coming to take our jobs. In fact, it’s helping us achieve more in less time. Do your employees find themselves spending large amounts of time building reports, tracking updates, or sending recurrent invoices? Companies have found that employees spend at least 10 hours per week doing routine tasks that could be easily transferred to a machine.
This is where automation comes in extremely handy. Automation isn’t just about robots twisting on toothpaste caps in a manufacturing line. In addition to simplifying factories, it can take care of core processes that are necessary yet repetitive. So many people find themselves multitasking or getting caught up in routine tasks that take up the majority of their day. Automation brings about an easy solution to time-eaters and workflow problems, leaving your employees more time during their workweek to get creative. Want to increase productivity, efficiency and creativity? Try to find places where automation could simplify and save your employees time.
Want to learn more about automation in the workplace?
Check out the links below to learn more.
- The Upside of Automation: New Jobs, Increased Productivity And Changing Roles For Workers
- Automation Could Make the Modern Workforce More ‘Human’ – Here’s How
- 6 Benefits of Automation in the Workplace
- 4 Ways Automation Makes a Difference in Your Employee Benefits Strategy
Copyright TIGERS Success Series, Inc. by Isabela Zagorski
About TIGERS Success Series, Inc.
We specialize in assessing your group performance and training your managers and project team leaders in group leadership skills that build workforce cooperation and high performance project team outcomes. Scaled to grow as your organization and leadership performance improves, our proprietary TIGERS Workforce Behavior Profile and Micro-Training technology that compliments your assessment results is a quick way to transform low performing teams into exceptional ones. Schedule a consultation to learn more. You don’t have to be a huge company to reap remarkable results.
