Spoiler alert: Fictional storylines of dystopian futures where machines evolve beyond human capabilities to enslave mankind is not imminent. However, what is firmly based in our current reality is that machine involvement in the workplace has already begun and is showing no signs of slowing down. Machines and humans working together is quickly becoming the new normal as businesses around the world are reaping the tangible rewards of automation. But it’s not a case of ‘move over human’, but rather ‘let’s work together’.
Getting humans on board with workplace machines
For businesses looking to undergo digital transformation by deploying RPA as a chief driver for disruption, there are thoughtful considerations to embrace when planning new RPA initiatives. Most importantly, industries leveraging RPA need to help cultivate a seamless transition for employee-RPA cooperation, building bridges between human ingenuity and machine efficiency.
Here are proven approaches we have found to work in driving successful human-machine initiatives in the workplace:
1. Be clear
The first and perhaps most important task businesses need to accomplish is providing assurance to all employees that the intended goal of RPA in the workplace is not to automate them out of a job. Employers must encourage their people to view the intervention of technology not as a replacement but rather as a partnership, with the primary goal to achieve superior efficiency.
Recent data shows that only 17% of respondents faced employee resistance when piloting RPA, and this dropped to only 3% with respondents who were implementing or scaling RPA. This demonstrates that when organisations communicate effectively, resistance naturally diminishes.
Be clear here: RPA is designed to work for humans, not against them, by handling the mundane and repetitive tasks to free up their time to devote to high-end cognitive duties. Promoting RPA in a positive and exciting light will help eliminate any stigmas and doubts employees may have and will lay the foundation for continual cooperation.
2. Communication is key
It is important to gain complete buy-in from your entire workforce to make your RPA implementation a success. This is achievable by providing continuous communication and transparency between management and employees through reinforcing the vision of a better workplace thanks to automation’s capabilities and efficiency.
Consider explaining how each employee’s buy-in is vital to the success of this new business approach and how employees’ roles will evolve in driving change. Try to establish a working atmosphere which drives employee ownership over how their roles will interact with RPA. Let employees come up with ideas of how their role will best be aided by the introduction of automation in the workplace.
More than 90% of C-level executives using intelligent automation say their organisation performs above average in managing organisational change in response to emerging business trends, underscoring the importance of strong change management practices.
3. Train and educate employees
Resistance to RPA-led business approaches may come in the form of employees not feeling like they have the required skills to tackle the new digitally automated landscape. As 75% of industrial organisations acknowledge, the importance of reskilling the workforce for success has never been more crucial. Employers can smooth over this unease by providing the necessary training programmes and tools to help ease the transition and improve understanding of the RPA process.
This investment in people is not merely an operational necessity; it represents a commitment to human potential and a belief that every team member can thrive in an automated future.
4. Early adoption is crucial
The success of implementing new digital systems and tools into traditionally human-centred enterprises hinges on galvanising employee buy-in from the beginning. It is crucial to get employees involved and actively engaged early in the digital transformation process. Start by asking them for suggestions as to how RPA can assist them in their daily tasks. This creates a dynamic of employees and management working together to find the best solution, which bolsters employee satisfaction and, ultimately, complete buy-in.
Current research indicates that 64% of respondents on the RPA journey report it as a strategic or enterprise-wide initiative, a figure that has grown significantly from just 15% a year prior. This demonstrates that organisations are increasingly recognising RPA as a fundamental element of their broader transformation strategy.
The promise of collaboration
Studies show that 85% of respondents report that RPA met or exceeded their expectations for benefits such as accuracy, timeliness and flexibility. Furthermore, expected ROI from RPA adoption can range from 30% to 200% in the first year, with potential long-term ROI of up to 300%, demonstrating tangible business value alongside human benefit.
By 2025, organisations are expected to lower operational costs by 30% by combining hyper-automation technologies with redesigned operational processes. Yet perhaps most inspiring is the finding that in a Future of Jobs report, 97 million new roles may emerge as a result of adopting automation, revealing that technology doesn’t eliminate opportunity; it transforms it.
Summary
Whilst the advancement in capabilities of RPA is certain to enhance aspects of office work, particularly in administration and data-entry areas, AI is nowhere near bettering the sophisticated intricacies of human judgement, creativity and emotional intelligence. Employers must actively work to dispel and debunk the myths and stigmas associated with the inclusion of RPA in the workplace. Machines are not here to take over but rather to help us become far more efficient at a dramatically reduced cost.
The future isn’t machines and algorithms; it’s not even completely human. It hinges on the successful collaboration between the two of them. Without one, you cannot have the other, and this symbiotic relationship is what will drive society to explore the exciting uncharted territory of the future.
As we stand at this intersection of human potential and technological capability, the organisations that will thrive are those that view RPA not as a replacement for their workforce but as an amplification of their collective capability. By fostering environments where humans and machines collaborate seamlessly, we create workplaces that honour both innovation and humanity, driving towards a future where technology serves to elevate rather than diminish the human experience.
