How automation can ease the impact of the Great Resignation
Office workers are feeling more bogged down than ever by monotonous tasks.
The way we work is not working anymore. The pandemic has caused employees to reevaluate not only their lives but their careers, too, leading to the highest rates of employee turnover in history. As organizations operate with limited bandwidth, process inefficiencies have never been more prevalent—spurring employers to turn to automation to improve operational efficiency, worker productivity, and satisfaction.
The number of workers voluntarily leaving their positions has never been so great, leaving a trail of assignments for remaining employees to take on in addition to their own workloads. According to a recent survey from UiPath, more than half (59%) of office workers are feeling increased pressure at their job due to coworkers leaving their positions within the last year—and that number jumps to 67% in the U.S.
Related: Burnout, job satisfaction & resilience: A dynamic relationship
The pressure that employees are feeling is only compounded by the fact that global office workers are feeling more bogged down than ever by monotonous tasks. Ninety-four percent of respondents say they feel exhausted at the end of a workday—perhaps explaining why 48% are interested in resigning from their jobs in the next six months, and why nearly one-third are currently applying for another job. How can businesses create more opportunities for employees to be engaged, productive and satisfied at work? One answer: automation.
Labor shortages are blurring office workers’ responsibilities
As the labor shortage persists, workers are taking on more and more tasks previously managed by co-workers. In fact, UiPath’s survey found that 83% of global respondents have had to take on up to six new responsibilities outside of their job description due to their coworkers leaving. More alarmingly, more than two-thirds (68%) of employees say they don’t even understand their responsibilities anymore because their jobs have changed so much.
Business leaders need to realize the amount of extra work that is being added to their employees’ plates because of staffing shortages is not sustainable. Forty-eight percent of global respondents reported interest in resigning from their jobs in the next six months due to workplace frustrations, amplifying the need for employers to solve this issue before they lose more employees.
To help address employee stress and confusion, leaders ought to turn to automation to take on tasks that will alleviate employees’ workloads. Automation has been proven to not only increase employee productivity and satisfaction, but also job performance. UiPath found that of the 44% of office workers who trained on automation in 2021, 91% believed it improved their job performance by saving time, increasing productivity and creating opportunities to focus on more important work.
Office workers are frustrated by monotonous tasks
The current staffing shortages are only compounding an existing issue: workers are frustrated by mundane tasks that could be automated. Fifty-seven percent of global respondents (67% in the U.S.) agree that the majority of their workday is eaten up by doing monotonous tasks that can be automated. Business leaders should not want their employees dedicating precious time to monotonous work as it’s not only not productive, but also leads to employee frustration and discontent.
Instead of entering numbers into excel or reviewing datasheets, automation actually takes the robot out of the human and creates bandwidth for more creative, problem-solving work. Automation enables workers to focus on the things they do best and enjoy more, like interacting with customers and collaborating on innovative business projects.
UiPath found that 71% of respondents agree that they could focus on more creative—and less mundane—work with the help of automation. The good news is that business leaders, responsible for implementing automation, are even more optimistic about how the technology will enable their employees to focus on more creative work.
Automation technology has proven to help solve the challenges caused by the labor shortage. But automation can also help businesses solve the workforce gaps they’re experiencing and support retention efforts by creating a better experience for employees and an environment that attracts and retains top talent. Companies are starting to incorporate more automation and AI, and employees believe it can help with retention and attracting new talent—thereby offsetting the labor shortage and pressures at work. Nearly three-fourths of office workers (73%) agree that incorporating automation—including training on automation—in their organization will help the organization attract and retain new talent. Employers need to empower their employees with automation or risk losing them—their best asset.
Bettina Koblick is chief people officer at UiPath.
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