Workforce: Make people and culture the heart of your automation strategy

The new wave of automation is less specialized and more democratized than ever before. While smarter automation does require more IT specialists, simpler automation will change ‘how we do things around here,’ so you’ll need to give people reasons to feel confident and try something new. Working with “no code” and “low-code” automation tools is a big change that empowers departments to solve their own problems one at a time, rather than relying on big waves of IT-driven implementations.

Leaders will need to put energy toward addressing the people issues that arise with automation, so everyone can get accustomed to being part of an organization that is constantly evolving. Business people can lead by playing to the strengths of their corporate culture and by tying the automation agenda to the reasons why people are at the organization in the first place—to provide great customer experiences, have the most efficient shop, or be the most innovative. Linking automation efforts to what already makes teams strong can tap into energy, pride, and motivation.

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Don’t overlook automation’s impact on employee engagement

Automating rote tasks wins converts quickly; imagine how gate agents or healthcare professionals could spend more time personally interacting with travelers or patients, rather than typing on computer keyboards. People will need to learn new skills and have time to adapt to new routines, and leaders must arm them with the tools to be successful. Leadership should also be supportive as employees spend time focusing on different activities, even if their job descriptions don’t change. Leaders should also acknowledge that some employees will be anxious about automation eventually replacing their jobs.

Indeed, PwC does not have blinders on about the eventual impact of automation. Transformation inevitably includes changes to the workforce, and clerical work is most at risk. But the wholesale transformation of the structure of the labor force is still many years away, according to our research. And even in a more advanced autonomous wave of automation—when intelligent automation replaces decision-making as well as rote tasks—humans should be in the loop to train and validate machine learning, as well as to determine which automation approach is best in a particular circumstance. Humans will also continue to monitor processes and fill in the gaps where automation still isn’t fully effective.