Article

The human case for automation

by Melissa Cafiero

Many companies offer a variety of employee perks as a strategy for hiring and retaining talent. From unlimited time off and free meals to on-site massages and auto detailing services, the cost of these benefits add up, but do they really help employees remain engaged in their work and feel rewarded?

It may be a surprise, but several of the high potential employees in an organization instead cite recognition, useful feedback, and feeling a sense of purpose in their work as the biggest motivators to staying engaged at work — not the perks often touted on companies’ career pages and in recruiter conversations. Those same employees are likely mired in repetitive tasks each day. And while those tasks need to be done, they don’t really offer a sense of purpose.

ROI of automation

Using automation can help offload those manual, repetitive processes and reduce human error. Even better for business, it streamlines workflows to allow teams to work smarter. This frees up time for innovation, which gives employees the sense of purpose they want in their jobs — and often results in boosting the bottom line for business, according to a Smartsheet report on automation where nearly half of respondents said automation will increase revenue.

 

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It’s not only a case of dollars. Automating workflows keeps work moving forward, helping teams easily identify trouble spots, react quickly to changes, and unlock employees’ ability to innovate. Teams will achieve more — more quickly — with components such as customized forms that make it easy to collect and act on data, and easy-to-configure rules that automate repetitive work steps. Using an automation tool found in a platform like Smartsheet can help remove bottlenecks and keep work on track by making it easy to set up automated notifications, reminders, and status reports.

Empower teams to work their way

 

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Smartsheet provides a flexible platform that makes it easy for employees and teams to configure work just the way they want, no matter how simple or complex a project. Collaborate in a sheet, see across projects in a dashboard or report, or automate workflows.

With Smartsheet, people never have to change the way they work to fit IT’s tools; the platform gives people the freedom to work their way, every day, allowing them to feel a sense of achievement from day one.