Finance staff ‘should embrace automation’
Automation is feared by many employees, but according to most of the country’s top bean counters, it will also bring positive changes to their workplaces.
The survey of 100 chief financial officers by recruitment agency Robert Half found that 90 per cent believed it would be beneficial to their businesses.
Most believed automation would ramp up staff productivity (68 per cent), and free them from chores like data entry to concentrate on execution (58 per cent).
Just under half believed it would lead to a richer skills set for staff who were willing to adapt (46 per cent), and that it would allow employees to focus on more value-added work (48 per cent).
Sixty-two per cent said it would lead to better decision making within the company.
Megan Alexander, general manager of Robert Half NZ, said there was a lingering perception that automation would lead to job losses, but what was often overlooked was how automation would serve staff.
‘‘Positive change is on the horizon for companies who quickly adapt to change,’’ she said.
‘‘Embracing and implementing new technologies, while refocusing the workforce so finance teams develop additional skills as they adapt to change, will lead to better business outcomes for New Zealand organisations. It’s about creating an equal balance between technology and the people.’’
Finance staff who took advantage of the chance to learn new skills would increase their overall market value.
‘‘Automation will be an ongoing process, with the New Zealand employment market very much in the cusp of change,’’ Alexander said.
‘‘In order to facilitate this change, companies will need skilled finance employees to manage this transition, making sourcing and retaining skilled financial experts business-critical issues.’’