How to Prepare a Workforce for Embracing RPA?
When rolling out an RPA program within your organization, chances are you are already very familiar with the different aspects of RPA implementation and the benefit it brings to the table.
After all, you made the decision after much deliberation, and you expect this change to bring significant results. You have spent a lot of time analyzing, learning, and preparing, and you know exactly what to expect.
Your employees, however, might not be as familiar as you or as open to embracing this company-wide change. Your RPA implementation's success is mostly dependent on your organization accepting the changes before you begin reaping the benefits that RPA promises. Therefore, you must introduce your workforce to RPA early and help them understand its significance.
After all, RPA is supposed to benefit the staff just as much as it benefits your company. Change management plays a massive role in RPA implementation's success, which is why you should prepare your organization to welcome the change and be excited about what it offers.
Inform staff about the ins and outs of RPA
It is crucial that your workforce understands and knows what automation looks like and what can be achieved with it. Educating your employees on the subject is vital. You want to keep them in the loop with regular communication, training, and workshops. Consider setting up meetings or Q&A sessions with experts that can dispel myths, answer technical questions, or generally help share knowledge and ideas about RPA. Be transparent and address any doubts or fears early.
Once you start your RPA implementation, you want your team to back you up and be ready to explore everything that automation can provide. This is a surefire way to achieve a smooth transition and take full advantage of RPA’s benefits.
Use positive encouragement
When implementing your RPA, you will have a dedicated team working on this assignment, while other team members might not feel the need to get involved. But this is far from what you want to achieve. You want different members of different departments pitching in on the process with their knowledge and expertise. It is essential to incentivize as many employees as possible to get involved. You should present the implementation as an opportunity to learn more about RPA and gain skills along the way.
One method to achieve this is to build a dedicated RPA Center of Excellence - a space where employees can receive assistance and guidance from dedicated experts regarding RPA. Such a project builds engagement and provides a space for brainstorming and creating new ideas and solutions. It also encourages embracing RPA as a valuable asset for every department.
Communicate the RPA implementation
Given its technical aspects, RPA might not be readily embraced by employees who prefer a traditional workplace approach. It might also seem like a topic for specific professionals, scaring away the less tech-savvy people. This can translate into a reluctance to get involved in implementing and using RPA, despite your Q&A sessions and RPA Center of Excellence. You have a responsibility to address this discrepancy before it damages your workplace culture.
You should diligently record and communicate your RPA implementation efforts throughout the entire company. Take special care to emphasize how important your employees are in the process, preferably with specific examples of how it will positively impact their day-to-day work. You don't want to miss anyone or allow them to fall out of the loop, leading to fear and alienation.
Make sure nobody treats the RPA implementation as a danger to their employment. RPA does not replace humans; it empowers them. It is an employers' responsibility to communicate this.
It is crucial that your workforce understands and knows what automation looks like and what can be achieved with it. Educating your employees on the subject is vital. You want to keep them in the loop with regular communication, training, and workshops. Be transparent and address any doubts or fears early.
Edyta Pietak,
CSO at AnyRobot
Edyta Pietak
Verified writer
