Is Your Role “Bot-Worthy?” How Automation Can Be Your Secret Weapon

Grammarly checks your spelling and grammar. Spam filters keep your email inbox clean. Need a quick answer to your question? Ask Siri or Alexa. AI, machine learning and process automation are all over the workplace, and their usage is becoming increasingly more advanced.

We’re currently living in the renaissance of process automation. But the continued integration of automation into our jobs begs the question — is your role bot-worthy?

As businesses continue to digitally transform, a bot could become your virtual assistant — saving you time and allowing you to focus on more important responsibilities.

Here are a few industry-wide examples of the ways AI and automation have positively impacted various job roles.

●  Better bank tellers: In 1973, The New York Times published an article titled “Machines —The New Bank Tellers” that claimed “cash dispensers and automated tellers” (the term “ATM” wasn’t even used in the article) would replace “up to 75 percent of the sometimes friendly human tellers.” This prediction, while bold at the time, has not yet come to fruition in 2020 and there are still plenty of tellers at bank branches. Today, tellers leave simpler tasks like cash withdrawals and small deposits to ATMs and focus on higher-level work like preparing specialized funds and addressing account-related questions from customers. Although ATMs have transformed banking, they’ve also shifted a bank teller’s role to eliminate time-consuming administrative tasks, elevating the value a bank teller can provide.

● More efficient data entry: Spanning multiple industries, the task of data entry is another time-consuming process that has been completely transformed by AI and automation. By moving data entry from paper to digital records, and more recently from manual computer entry to software bots, AI and automation have simply made jobs more efficient. Doctors and nurses no longer have to spend time charting a patient’s status by pencil and can spend more time administering care. Accountants can automate the organization of their data and in turn, spend more time analyzing that data to generate financial forecasts and audit reports. In these and many other cases, automating data entry allows workers to use the data in a more efficient and effective manner.

●  Relevant customer service: AI and automation have evolved the customer service agent position — a role that requires workers to have an extensive knowledge base about their companies. With chatbots able to point to online resources like FAQs and product guides, customers can now find the answers they need without a lengthy phone conversation. This change reduces the high amount of customer requests agents face, allowing them to directly assist customers with the more complex issues that require human attention.

●  Human resource efficiency: In positions that require engaging both internal employees and external job candidates, human resources (HR) has seen a major shift in the past decade due to AI and automation. As the internet transforms the way we apply for jobs, the burden is on HR teams to sift through large numbers of applications and find the right people. AI and automation simplify the process by enabling hiring managers to post to multiple job boards and screen hundreds of candidates with ease. And onboarding new hires now takes hours instead of days due to more efficient digital forms and processes. Automating these responsibilities allows HR teams to evaluate serious job candidates, be more present with their internal workforces and put the “human” back in human resources.

In the end, automation works in tandem with humans. When we look back at the ways this technology has advanced our jobs, we see how much it has allowed us to work more efficiently and spend time on things that are more important.

Consider the potential for a bot to be your virtual assistant. If your work ends up being “bot-worthy,” it could redefine your role for the better.