The Top Five HR Processes Professionals Are Looking to Automate

The HR workforce is usually buried in transactional work that involves data entry and simple math calculations. This type of work can be done faster, cheaper and more accurately using automation. Intelligent process automation, which includes artificial intelligence and related new technology advances, can help deliver consistent people processes – something that has helped many HR operations teams to track and understand returns more effectively. With this in mind, we took a look at the five largest HR processes professionals are looking to automate.

There's no doubt that a more automated future is coming. Employers predict 17 percent of work will be automated by 2020, compared to about 5 percent in 2014, according to Willis Towers Watson. Automation is also increasingly affecting workforce strategy as it vastly expands the potential of (and expectations for) HR analytics. IA is transforming traditional HR functions such as hiring, training and benefits administration; and the execution of all this change demands a strong HR role.The understanding and use of the power of automation may prove to be the dividing line between those who advance in the field and those who are marginalized and, eventually, automated out of their HR jobs.

As automation increases, HR professionals will need to re-evaluate  their organizations' workforces and the mixture of full-time employees, part-time employees, contractors and machines. Recent research suggests that automation has not led to significant reductions in headcount at their organizations, but rather it's being used to expand the ability of existing team members to deliver value. In many cases, it will be a major step forward for HR employees to join or begin the conversation on these workforce-shaping topics, in conjunction with IT, operations and other stakeholders.