Automation response ‘overwhelmingly positive’, Robert Half reveals

New research from Robert Half has shown that most workers are viewing automation as an opportunity, rather than a threat.

Despite initial fears of automation causing widespread job losses, as it has continued to ramp up, most workers have welcomed it into the workplace and believe it will have a positive impact on their careers.

The study found that 49 per cent of Australian employers planned to automate processes and reskill/upskill their employees, while 35 per cent intended to hire staff with AI and automation skills.

Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half, said the widespread adoption of automation was “undeniable”.

“Companies plan to embrace automation to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and help bridge the skills divide to combat the talent shortage in the current labour market,” Gorton said.

“Positively, workers don’t see automation as a threat, but as an opportunity to upskill and enhance their career prospects.”

According to Robert Half, during the research, when workers were asked what impact they thought automation would have on their job and career prospects, “they were overwhelmingly positive”.

Sixty-three per cent of workers said that automation would have a positive impact due to its ability to create greater demand for their skills and improve career outlooks, only 26 per cent believed automation would have no impact on their job or career prospects and only 11 per cent said automation would negatively impact their career as it could make their role obsolete.

Gorton said workers also expressed a willingness to adapt to the introduction of automated processes.

The study also found that 60 per cent of workers would participate in training to reskill into a new role with their current employer, if their employer wanted to introduce automation.

Only 14 per cent of workers would look for a different role with their current employer and 19 per cent would look for a new job with a different employer.

“Employees today are willing to join their employer on the journey to automation. The key takeaway for businesses is to proactively invest in reskilling and upskilling initiatives to ensure their workforce is equipped to thrive in an automated future,” Gorton said.

“Not only will this provide employers with the skilled workers it needs but those that invest in their employees’ development and provide opportunities for reskilling will also be rewarded with a loyal and engaged workforce.”

When asked about the impact of automation on their teams, 84 per cent of employers said they planned to reskill or upskill their workforce to adapt to automation and 49 per cent said they would hire staff who already held AI or automation skills.

In addition to this, 39 per cent of employers planned to review their workforce as automation was integrated and introduced, which could lead to a phase-out of some roles.

“Employers are focused on building a future-ready workforce, and successful adaptation, by both organisations and employees, is key to making that happen,” Gorton said.

“Organisations that invest in developing their teams’ skills to navigate automation and digital transformation are best positioned to stay competitive. For professionals in roles centred on manual tasks, such as data entry, scheduling, or document processing should prioritise upskilling to futureproof their career and increase their market value.”

Finally, only 4 per cent of employers had no immediate plans to automate processes, and 13 per cent of employers were considering automation, but had not finalised their plans.

Gorton said when employers were asked about their reasons to automate, they said they were largely driven by the productivity and efficiency benefits that automation could bring.

“Unlike the perception, automation is not just about cutting costs,” she said.

“It’s about optimising resources, reducing errors, and freeing up employees to focus on more strategic and fulfilling work. Embracing automation allows companies to create a more efficient and productive work environment, while also providing opportunities for employees to develop new skills and advance careers.”