Why a hyperautomation strategy requires upskilling workers

In a fast-evolving world, adopting a hyperautomation strategy is the best way to future-proof your workplace. But how does hyperautomation affect your workforce, and what will it mean for the future of your business?

Hyperautomation is the combination of intelligent technologies to expand automation. It incorporates AI, machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA), integration, document processing, and more.

Responsible use of hyperautomation requires upskilling and reskilling initiatives for your employees to help them understand these technologies and how they work.

Investing in employees

A common misconception about hyperautomation is that it will eventually replace human workers, leaving robots and machinery to run operations. That is not the case, however. Hyperautomation will simply remove tedious, repetitive work from employees, freeing them to focus on tasks that require more brainpower and decision-making capabilities.

With many organizations struggling to fill critical roles amid the worker shortage, adopting a hyperautomation strategy can seem like the perfect solution. It can certainly help, but hyperautomation alone cannot address the shortage.

This is where upskilling comes into play. A Pew Research Center survey found that the second top reason people leave their jobs is lack of opportunity for advancement. Upskilling your workers to embrace hyperautomation can provide those opportunities and boost employee satisfaction and retention.

Upskilling vs. reskilling: What’s the difference?

You may be wondering about the difference between upskilling and reskilling. Upskilling is training employees to use new technologies to advance within the organization. Reskilling is training employees in a completely different job.

RiseUp with ServiceNow is a global talent movement that encompasses both types of talent development, with a goal to skill 1 million people on the Now Platform by 2024. It offers reskilling opportunities for employees who want to change careers and get into the tech industry and upskilling opportunities for high-producing workers you don’t want to lose.

Although business leaders acknowledge the benefits of upskilling and reskilling their workers, they’re not quick to implement development programs, according to the LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report. Only 2% of survey respondents have adopted upskilling and reskilling initiatives and are measuring and assessing their success. The majority (54%) are still developing and activating programs.

That’s a good sign, as upskilling workers can give organizations a competitive edge.

Find out more in our ebook: Hyperautomation and the future of the workforce.

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