Talent acquisition and management specialist Alexander Mann Solutions has advised that HR leaders in the UK must consider the benefits of harnessing robotic process automation in 2018 or be left behind the curve.

The recommendation comes following a report from the Future of Work Commission published in December 2017, which advises that allowing ‘21st-century machines’ to take on the heavy lifting and routine tasks of the future will let the human workforce focus on activities that generate more significant economic benefits.

“The Future of Work Commission’s recent report supports what Alexander Mann Solutions has long projected: the rise of automation in the workplace is creating, rather than destroying, opportunities,” Laurie Padua, Director of Consulting at Alexander Mann Solutions, said.

“While the paper’s conclusion that ‘robots can set us free’ may sound dramatic, it’s true that automation has the potential to free up valuable time and resources, which can ultimately be better assigned to higher value tasks,” Padua said. 

“The impact that automation can have on productivity should not be underestimated,” Padua said. “Looking at recruitment and HR specifically, robots can be deployed to undertake traditionally time-consuming administrative tasks around compliance, for example.”