The Great Resignation is currently one of the biggest challenges faced by CIOs . Not only is talent leaving the business in droves , but those who stay are finding it harder to perform their jobs . In fact , a recent UiPath survey found that 58 % of UK office workers don ’ t know what their responsibilities are anymore due to the amount of their co-workers who are resigning . As a result , 43 % say they too would consider resigning from their jobs in the next six months .

We ’ ve seen this phenomenon play out for months now and it ’ s not getting any easier to contain . If CIOs aren ’ t able to find a solution , the problems are only set to get worse . One of the most common causes of employees resigning today is their unsustainable workloads , with workers quitting to avoid the burnout that is rife in today ’ s working culture .

For too long , working extended hours has been deemed evidence of a ‘ good ’ employee , but presenteeism is not an accurate measure of an employee ’ s productivity – the swift and successful transition to remote working during the COVID-19 lockdowns proved as much . CIOs must respond to this by implementing tools to help their companies work smarter – not harder . Automation is an excellent solution to make this a reality , empowering employees to become more productive with less stress and fostering greater organizational output .

Unfortunately , the Great Resignation has also come at a time where hiring is becoming a large issue . In UiPath ’ s study , 74 % of surveyed executives admitted to struggling to attract new talent to take on necessary tasks . To stand out from competition in order to continue attracting prospective talent , expanding access to automation will be key . If CIOs can offer both automation tools and the accompanying training opportunities , they can add real value to the professional lives of their existing and prospective workforce .

This training is essential for attracting and retaining talent as it gives employees the opportunity to grow and find fulfilment in their professional lives , giving them the potential and ambition to advance in their careers . Recent research found that roughly 86 % of employees say that job training is important to them – and nearly three out of every four ( 74 %) are willing to learn things outside of work hours to improve their job performance .

CIOs must be aware that by reinforcing their investments in automation and offering employees training opportunities to maximize the technology ’ s potential , they can both effectively combat current labour shortages and prepare their employees for the future of work .

The best talent can be both attracted and retained with the promise of being upskilled in automation . A CIO ’ s priorities revolve around balancing operational excellence , improving customer and employee experience and accelerating digital growth – which automation can help achieve simultaneously .

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Intelligent CIO North America Issue 28 | Page 34