The human side of automation

Hundreds of articles and experts have been telling us for the past few years that automation will cut jobs. However, this might never affect the HR sector since «HR positions are unlikely to be replaced. In fact, human resource managers are listed as one of the jobs least likely to be replaced by automation.».

Robots will never be able to do the work of HR managers since they are inherently lacking the human aspect that is the essence of human resources. Nevertheless, many believe that today human contact is becoming superficial. HR experts can overcome this through... automation! This may seem ironic, but it is a reality, automation is a strength and has even become indispensable.

Automation enables one fundamental thing: a better employee experience. What defines a company is the people who work there, so decision-makers must make it a priority. This leads to worker retention and exponential results.

Optimal time management

What we observe at Merinio is that HR managers are drowned in repetitive tasks performed manually or with outdated tools. An incredible number of hours are then wasted in processes that have never been optimized and that do not reflect the operational reality of companies.

Don't be pessimistic! These time-consuming tasks can be performed automatically. Managers will therefore have more time to be in the field, be available for employees at key moments in their careers and find solutions by being in direct contact with them. They will finally be able to fully rediscover the human side that is the essence of Human Resources.

Avoiding conflicts

Errors in payroll is surely the most important factor of friction within a team. Employees may no longer trust managers and may even feel that they are being played if these errors occur frequently. It's time to reverse the disastrous situation where 58% of workers would trust strangers more than their current employer.

An example of how technology is helping supervisors create a more worry-free workplace is payroll automation. Even with experience and attention to detail, managing employee payrolls by hand or on Excel increases the risk of errors. This risk is even greater if there are many employees and strict union rules to be respected.

Some HR software provides payroll automation based on each company's specific business rules. Automating payroll is therefore ensuring peace of mind and a climate of trust.

Inclusion of all employees

For a number of reasons, information may not be communicated to certain employees. Not being aware of certain changes can cause major problems in the workplace. Imagine if no one told you that you were actually working at another site today and you found out at 8am when you arrived at the wrong place, how would you feel? Probably disregarded and put aside.

To avoid this kind of inconvenience, managers should equip themselves with automated communication systems to reach their colleagues in one click through the means of their choice. They will know that in this organization, no one is forgotten.

We also recommend integrating corporate culture into communications because as the HR expert Andy Crebar said: «From there, when you start to automate messaging or leverage AI for recruiting, it's essential to create personalized messaging that reflects your company's values.» Each individual will feel closer to the company's core values.

Understanding the reality of each individual

It is unfortunately easy to lose sight of the uniqueness of each worker: some are part-time, some have specific skills, some cannot work on certain sites...

For example, collecting the availabilities of the entire team in a software will automatically create the adapted schedule, avoiding conflicts and grievances.

Also, it is possible to forecast labor needs through data collection and analysis. With reports on requests for absences, lateness or leave requests over the last few months, anticipating certain situations and avoiding last-minute work while accommodating the entire team becomes so easy!

Finally, in a world where everything is connected, what could be better than to return to what is fundamental: the human being. Use a software where human contact is the priority: «We automate manual tasks that are not bringing any value to the company to make the scheduling process and human management more human basically, that's really our goal.». ⎼ Maxime Gauthier-Bourbonnais, CEO.