Recruiting experts Hays has advice in helping workers embrace the age of automation, with half of Australian workers already seeing a shift in their responsibilities, an online poll found.
Almost 2000 people in Australia were involved in the poll, with 18 per cent saying automation has impacted their job “significantly” with their duties being changed or their role becoming redundant.
Another 32 per cent said their job had been impacted “partially”, with some tasks automated and non-routine duties increasing.
The final 50 per cent has seen no impact on their day-to-day job responsibilities so far.
The automation of routine and repetitive job tasks is inevitable, with “robots [continuing] to join workplaces across the country,” according to managing director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand, Nick Deligiannis.
“Even if you are one of the 50 per cent of skilled professionals whose job has not yet been impacted by automation, it’s essential you don’t rest on your laurels,” Deligiannis said.
“To prepare, consider what your job would look like if all the routine and repetitive duties you perform were automated. Then determine how you could fill the time freed up by automation of these tasks in a way that adds greater strategic value to your employer.”
To be ready for the automation, workers need to start upskilling themselves in the higher-value areas they have identified, according to Deligiannis.
“Set up a meeting with your boss to discuss these new [automation] tools and how they could be of use in your role. Then present your plan for how you can focus your time on higher-value tasks if your routine and repetitive job responsibilities were automated,” Deligiannis said.
“Constant upskilling is the key to remaining relevant and employable when lower-value tasks are automated.”