Workplace automation, including the use of artificial intelligence and robotics, is expected to double in India in the coming three years which is expected to be more than the global and APAC average, according to the Global Future of Work survey by advisory company Willis Towers Watson.
However, the survey revealed that very few companies and HR functions are fully prepared to address the organisational change requirements related to automation or the opportunities offered by a larger contingent talent pool.
In India, companies expect work done through automation to increase from a current 14 per cent to 27 per cent in the next three years. In Asia Pacific, the expectation of the companies is lower at 23 per cent as compared to 13 per cent currently.
Contrary to the traditional outlook where automation is believed to replace humans, the study found that more than half the companies in India believe that automation will augment human performance and create new work, not replace it.
Indian organizations anticipate using more contingent and part-time workers and reduce their full time employees from 85-78 per cent in three years' time. This is because 33 per cent companies in India believe that automation enables flexible deployment of work to other locations, compared to the APAC average of 39 per cent.
Most impact of increasing workplace automation will be seen in the services industry, as outsourcing jobs for specific skills, the use of non-employee talent and robotics becomes the norm. A majority 55 per cent companies in the services industry in India expect to have fewer full-time employees in three years' time due to automation, as compared to 14 per cent currently. Worryingly, even though 54 per cent of the employers in the services sector realise the need for change in their leaders/managers approach to manage this workforce shift, only 24 per cent are currently prepared to address this change.
Companies might be gung-ho about using automation but only 12 per cent believe that their HR functions are fully prepared for the changing requirements of automation. For example, HR is least prepared for - identifying reskilling pathways for talent (43 per cent), redesigning jobs and identifying which tasks can best be performed by automation (54 per cent), and reconfiguration of rewards and benefits for existing and new workforce (31 per cent).
Whereas, the top three areas that companies in India are "somewhat prepared" and have already taken some action are - identifying the emerging skills required for the business (54 per cent), addressing talent deficits through workforce planning (49 per cent), and matching talent to the new work requirements (46 per cent).