Automation has long resulted in companies reducing the number of people that they employ, and this usually results in increased efficiency. However, higher profit margins are not always a sign that things are being done in the right way. In fact, some would argue that cutting costs just for the sake of it is not a very smart way to do business and that it can cause numerous problems in the long run if the cost cutting measure is not vetted before implementation.
One example of how automation is replacing human workers in the present day has to do with AI (artificial intelligence). AI is being used to manage a lot of things that were previously done manually, and this can often lead to higher productivity. For example, human beings will never be able to make calculations as quickly as a computer. But how does AI compare to humans when it comes to tasks that are a bit more difficult to map out in an algorithmic manner, for example with HR departments?
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a lot of companies have already started automating certain processes to a certain extent. However, certain things like employee complaints are harder to automate because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up requiring a human touch at one point or another. You can’t really teach a machine about the intricacies of human social relations, and trying to automate things in this regard might do more harm than good.
It turns out that 47% of people that are employed in HR departments feel like their companies could be legally liable if they automate HR processes and end up giving their employees a less than ideal way to register complaints and the like. The thing about HR is that it is often a really delicate balancing act, because machines usually operate on logic and the unfortunate truth is that human beings are often not going to be willing to accept logical outcomes and what’s more is that the same logic can’t always be applied in every single situation.
Another thing to note here is that the vast majority of HR professionals, around 86% to be precise, were willing to admit that it was entirely possible that an AI could perform their job. However, that does not necessarily mean that the AI would be able to do their job well. Companies will have to weigh the pros and cons of these types of things, and in a lot of situations they might just realize that having an AI perform the job would be more costly than just paying a human being to do it.
A large proportion of complaints made to HR have to do with mental health. This is a great example of something that an AI would really struggle to handle due to the reason that there is a limit to how much you can program mental health solutions into a machine. A human being would be able to use natural human empathy to try and come up with a solution that would leave everybody satisfied.
H/T: Skynova.
Read next: Future workforce report reveals that businesses and employers' tend to continue with work remotely despite pandemic's ends
One example of how automation is replacing human workers in the present day has to do with AI (artificial intelligence). AI is being used to manage a lot of things that were previously done manually, and this can often lead to higher productivity. For example, human beings will never be able to make calculations as quickly as a computer. But how does AI compare to humans when it comes to tasks that are a bit more difficult to map out in an algorithmic manner, for example with HR departments?
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a lot of companies have already started automating certain processes to a certain extent. However, certain things like employee complaints are harder to automate because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up requiring a human touch at one point or another. You can’t really teach a machine about the intricacies of human social relations, and trying to automate things in this regard might do more harm than good.
It turns out that 47% of people that are employed in HR departments feel like their companies could be legally liable if they automate HR processes and end up giving their employees a less than ideal way to register complaints and the like. The thing about HR is that it is often a really delicate balancing act, because machines usually operate on logic and the unfortunate truth is that human beings are often not going to be willing to accept logical outcomes and what’s more is that the same logic can’t always be applied in every single situation.
Another thing to note here is that the vast majority of HR professionals, around 86% to be precise, were willing to admit that it was entirely possible that an AI could perform their job. However, that does not necessarily mean that the AI would be able to do their job well. Companies will have to weigh the pros and cons of these types of things, and in a lot of situations they might just realize that having an AI perform the job would be more costly than just paying a human being to do it.
A large proportion of complaints made to HR have to do with mental health. This is a great example of something that an AI would really struggle to handle due to the reason that there is a limit to how much you can program mental health solutions into a machine. A human being would be able to use natural human empathy to try and come up with a solution that would leave everybody satisfied.
Read next: Future workforce report reveals that businesses and employers' tend to continue with work remotely despite pandemic's ends