Task automation potential

What is task automation potential?

Task Automation Potential is a straightforward assessment of how much of a job can be handed over to technology like software, algorithms, or bots without disruption. This involves dissecting a job into its individual tasks and identifying those that are repetitive, rule-based, high-volume, or could be digitally handled. Think of it as a lens you use to spot repetitive work like basic data entry, routine email follow-ups, or compliance checks, that a machine can handle faster, cheaper, and with fewer errors. The core question is simply: "Does a human really need to do this, or is it just a habit?"

For HR professionals, understanding this potential is your wake-up call to redefine the future of work. By measuring and leveraging automation potential, you gain the power to stop wasting valuable time on low-value, administrative tasks and instead focus on strategy, creativity, and human connection. This metric should drive every conversation about future roles and job design, transforming HR from a reactive, administrative function to a strategic leader that boosts overall productivity. Embrace this potential, and you'll be the one setting the pace for how work gets done.

Tasks ripe for automation in HR

• Financial and administrative processing: Tasks like payroll processing are perfectly suited for automation. There is no longer any need for manual number-crunching, as dedicated software can handle these intricate calculations efficiently and without human error.

• Recruitment and candidate screening: The process of screening resumes is an ideal task for algorithms to take over. Algorithms can quickly and effectively sift through documents, searching for specific keywords or qualifications, freeing up HR staff from this repetitive and visually tiring activity.

• Performance tracking and reporting: HR can stop "drowning in spreadsheets" by automating performance tracking. Specialized tools can continuously collect data, rapidly generate detailed reports, and immediately flag potential issues or discrepancies, performing these tasks significantly faster than any manual human effort.

‍

• Scheduling and logistical juggling: The complex and time-consuming work of scheduling can be handed over to AI. Algorithms are adept at efficiently juggling and optimizing complex factors like shift patterns and finding the most suitable meeting times for groups of people.

• Handling repetitive employee queries (chatbots): Even the flow of high-volume, repetitive employee questions can be automated. Simple queries, such as "Where's my payslip?" or "How much leave do I have?", can be instantly and effectively addressed by AI chatbots, which handle the hundredth repeat of a question without getting annoyed.

The focus is not on the price of the software, but on the qualitative uplift in how the entire organization functions and feels.

Upskilling: The HR battle plan for automation

• Up-skilling as a necessity for organisational survival: Upskilling is the essential process of teaching people the necessary skills to thrive alongside tech, rather than being replaced by it, and prevents the organisation from being left vulnerable.

• Focusing on essential, non-coding skills: Upskilling isn’t primarily about turning every employee into a coder. Instead, it’s about strategically equipping them with the human and digital skills required for the new demands of their evolving roles.
• Training to work with the tools: The goal is to train employees to effectively work with the new automation tools, not to be intimidated or fear them. This requires practical instruction on how to integrate and utilize the technology in their daily tasks to enhance their productivity and output.

• Designing practical learning paths: Learning programs must be designed to be practical and engaging, moving away from "endless seminars." Effective training methods include hands-on workshops, structured online courses, and direct on-the-job training that delivers tangible skills relevant to their work.

• Adopting a personalized approach: Since every role evolves differently in response to automation, a one-size-fits-all approach to upskilling will be ineffective. HR must adopt a personalized strategy, offering tailored learning paths that address the specific new skills needed for individual roles and career trajectories.

HR’s job is to make upskilling feel less like a chore and more like a superpower. Show employees how it makes their work easier, not harder. If you don’t, you’re leaving them and your organization vulnerable to being left behind.

Measuring task impact: Beyond cost savings

While finance loves to talk about budget, the true strategic value of realizing task automation potential for an HR leader is measured in human capital metrics, not just dollars saved.

• Error reduction: The less human hands touch repetitive data, the fewer mistakes are made. This translates to a cleaner employee master data file, more accurate payroll, and zero compliance headaches stemming from manual oversight. The value is organizational integrity and trust.
• Speed and responsiveness: Automated processes run 24/7. The time to hire, the time to resolve an IT ticket, or the time to process a leave request plummets. The value is a massively improved employee experience and organizational agility.
• Engagement and burnout: When employees are freed from mundane drudgery, their focus shifts to work that utilizes their unique skills. This directly correlates to higher job satisfaction and reduced burnout. The value is a more motivated, present, and creative workforce.
• Strategic capacity: The freeing up of HR's own time from administrative tasks allows the function to finally tackle the strategic problems that were always on the back burner. The value is HR finally earning its seat at the strategic table.

The HR leader’s role in automation

Task Automation Potential is HR’s chance to redefine how work gets done. You’re not just managing people; you’re shaping the future of your organization. 

• Automation as a work design shift, not an IT task: HR must take ownership of task automations, rather than allowing it to be solely managed by the IT department or an external vendor. 

• Identifying automatable tasks to prioritize the human element: Identify and map the automatable tasks specifically the repetitive, administrative work that currently drags employee productivity down. 

• Championing upskilling to maintain control: Upskilling ensures that employees stay ahead of the technology curve. If HR fails to take the lead on automation, they forfeit control.
• HR’s visionary moment: Automation’s visionary hero. By embracing this technology, HR can shed its traditional role and transform into a truly strategic powerhouse.

By understanding and acting on the automation potential within every role, HR bridges the gap between technology and people, ensuring that machines work for employees, not against them. 

Wrapping it up

The conversation around task automation potential is too often hijacked by  forecasts or fluffy, unrealistic vendor pitches. Being an HR leader, you must grab the steering wheel and control the narrative. Demand the tasks to be scrutinized fully. Your future workforce isn't waiting for a technological savior - so you need stop being a roadblock and start being the architect.

‍