A report revealed that overwhelming number of Indian respondents (86 per cent) believe that automation can address burnout and improve job fulfillment.
It also found that 85 per cent Indian workers view employers more favourably if they leverage business automation to support employees and modernise operations.
These findings are crucial as a debate rages on about automation and AI potentially replacing a lot of human jobs in near future.
Employees are being asked to do more work with less support, with 53 per cent of Indian respondents saying they have been asked to take on more tasks at work in the past six months because of layoffs or hiring freezes, the UiPath report noted.
According to media reports, Indian startups alone have laid off 27,000 employees amid the funding winter since 2022. Another report revealed that the US technology sector has announced one lakh job cuts so far in 2023, up 38,487 per cent from the 267 cuts the sector announced in the first quarter of 2022.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Amazon would be laying off 500 employees in India.
“India is poised to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025 and automation will play a crucial role in this journey,” said Arun Balasubramanian, Vice President & Managing Director, India & South Asia, UiPath.
Workload Taking A Toll On Employees
The increase of workload is reportedly taking a toll on employees as more than one in four workers (36 per cent) report feelings of burnout. More employees are leaning on AI tools now to provide relief, giving rise to the Automation Generation.
“The Automation Generation does not represent a specific age or demographic, but rather, the professionals embracing AI and automation to be more collaborative, creative, and productive. This generation of workers wants these technologies to enrich their work and personal lives and prevent them from feeling like robots themselves,” the UiPath report mentioned.
About 63 per cent of all respondents said they are already using business automation solutions at work. Of these workers comprising the Automation Generation, 96 per cent feel like they have the resources and support needed to do their job effectively. Meanwhile, 94 per cent believe business automation solutions can help address burnout and enhance job satisfaction.
Interestingly, the report also found elder employees being more receptive to the potential of AI-powered automation in helping them at work as 91 per cent of ‘Baby Boomer’ respondents said automation would help them do their jobs better.
Similar feelings prevailed among other age groups too as 87 per cent of Generation Z, 86 per cent of Millennials, and 84 per cent of Generation X (84 per cent) respondents said they were open to AI-powered automation helping them with work.
“Coupled with the rising levels of burnout due to increased workload for employees, organizations must leverage automation to augment human capabilities, and build a productive workforce as the foundation for sustainable business growth,” added Balasubramanian.