In 2023, McKinsey released a report on the future of work in America. It predicted that the professional landscape as we see it now could change rapidly. Soon, automation may create overwhelming occupational shifts.
By 2030, tasks that take up 30% of standard work hours today could undergo automation. Consequently, some people may be looking at unemployment. While higher-wage jobs are less likely to be in trouble, people in office support and customer service could be the worst hit.
No wonder that prospects of automation get people’s backs up and how! And yet, the impact of automation on business growth is undeniable. It reduces mistakes, escalates processes, and frees time for constructive pursuits.
As a conscious and responsible business owner, you may consider automation without evoking unrest in your workforce. We have outlined a plan to embrace automation technologies in an employee-friendly manner.
Highlight the Objective of the Freed-up Time
One of the best-known results of automation is extra time for your business. Digital tools can perform some repetitive tasks much faster than humans. They also have a lower, if not zero, error rate. All this freed-up time generates anxiety in professionals: What will happen with the extra time? Why will the business retain them if their hours are no longer required?
Businesses can avoid this situation by clarifying the use of the extra time. For example, you may be gearing up to focus on new business generation and more creative thinking. The team must understand that you don’t intend to lay off people. The bonus time is ideal for team-building sessions and events emphasizing trust and collaboration. In a way, it lets people be people: more creative and less repetitive.
Automating mundane tasks can also bring productivity gains that may improve workers’ compensation. The BBC observes that AI-based tools may let non-traditional candidates perform more sophisticated jobs. It can close the wage gap between different levels of professionals. It can also usher opportunities for those without a college degree but with immense passion and brainpower.
In the long run, automation can promote a more knowledge-based economy. Fresh roles can open up in research and creative capacities. Communicating these dynamics to your team can help them accept automation-led changes.
Ask Satisfied Clients for Recommendations
Some sectors, like legal services, depend heavily on billable hours. Each moment potentially holds immense monetary value. Automation can improve the profitability of such companies by freeing up more time for constructive work.
However, the advantages extend to the clients as well. For example, some law firm automation software may allow you to communicate safely with clients. Encrypted channels let your clients share significant documents or details with your firm. They needn’t fear interception by an unauthorized party.
Further, automation can simplify clients’ experiences from the very outset. For example, businesses can use client intake software to make onboarding more intuitive for new customers. Automation can give firms a headstart on tackling customer problems. They can also collaborate with stakeholders, keeping them updated in real-time.
Smokeball, a company that provides automation software to law firms, finds that transparent billing is another noteworthy advantage of digitizing business tasks. A business can guarantee accurate invoice generation based on which tasks are billable. It eliminates the scope of errors, which can otherwise damage a carefully cultivated relationship.
Gradually, a business can acquire more clients and retain them for longer. It translates into new projects for the team. It is a win-win for all the parties involved.
Initiate Upskilling Programs
One way to insure against potential job loss in this automation age is to upskill. Developing in-demand competencies can allow you to keep up with the changing times. It also boosts your employability for switching jobs.
The World Economic Forum advises digital skills training to teach employees tech literacy. Lifelong learning has become essential to remaining relevant. Employees can use options like certifications to develop future-perfect skills for their roles. Organizations must collaborate with educators and workers to create a favorable atmosphere. Here, new technologies should be welcome, not feared.
Besides promoting tech skills, companies should emphasize tasks only humans can perform. For example, roles that demand creativity and innovation will still elicit human insight. Recalibrating roles to place greater focus on such skills can assure your team members that automation won’t steal their jobs.
The years ahead will be telling for the prospects of automation and associated technologies. Market watchers expect massive shifts, predicting displacement and upskilling in tandem. Introducing automation to your firm can trigger nervous excitement: the possibility of doing more, the risk of being let go.
It is up to visionary business leaders to embrace these changes and integrate their workforce during the shift. If leaders approach it strategically, people can view automation as a harbinger of a better work culture.
One cannot deny that automation may take some jobs. But it will spur many new opportunities that need original, irreplaceable human insight. It is up to business owners to create an atmosphere where the workers sense this and feel comfortable about their future.
Gianluigi Cuccureddu is co-founder of Damarque, helping you to improve your commercial performance through better engagement with your employees, customers and strategic business partners.
We offer high-impact training, coaching and consulting services for professionals, teams and organizations to help improve people ánd organizational performance and innovation capability in an efficient and sustainable way.
