'It's important to recognise that we automate tasks, not jobs'

Willis Towers Watson has announced the launch of WorkVue, an AI-driven software that facilitates organisations to reinvent jobs for better business outcomes.

WorkVue is based on Willis Towers Watson’s Reinventing Jobs methodology and it allows companies to redesign the way their work is organised.

Moreover, it enables organisations to deconstruct jobs, evaluate work alternatives — across technology, employees and non-traditional talent — and reconfigure tasks into new, more optimal jobs.

Adam Hall, Future of Work leader, Willis Towers Watson Australia, said the health and economic chaos caused by COVID-19 makes it impossible for organisations to delay decisions about the future of work.

“Before stability is restored, companies will want to be prepared with a work strategy for how automation and their permanent and contingent talent combine to meet their goals,” said Hall.

“As organisations prioritise their COVID-19 response, it’s important to balance immediate needs with the ability to rebound and remain viable long term.”

Hall added that WorkVue delivers “strong modelling capability” to help companies rethink their workforce and create a sustainable operating model and cost structure at a time when the world of work has never been more uncertain.

With WorkVue, employers can analyse work at a task level, gain greater clarity into mission-critical work and better adapt to changing business needs.

“Their analysis can reveal independent versus interactive tasks, allowing them to identify which aspects of work can be performed remotely and ensure all types are suitably supported,” said Hall.

“This process fosters an environment of employee empowerment by allowing the workforce to focus on meaningful, nonroutine work, resulting in a more compelling overall employee experience.

“Everyone talks about automation but it’s important to recognise that we automate tasks, not jobs.”

Hall added that it’s critical to understand what type of work in jobs can be automated, what the value proposition is and what is the work that remains.

“Organisations often start with a technology project that automates process or tasks, but WorkVue helps you understand automation potential, providing the ability to look at individual jobs, deconstruct them into tasks and then identify how to optimise and redesign work, ultimately reinventing jobs.”