The current wave of computer automation in business is driving a fundamental change in the way companies and employees interact with their customers and each other.

Computing power and data access have unleashed the possibility to now consider the reality of a robotic workforce as a complement to our traditional organizational structures. From chat bots in our homes, to autonomous cars, and responsive and interactive mobile apps, we are increasing interacting with machines as much as we interact with each other. This new “machine partner” can delight and empower us, but for some, these changes can cause concern to both the security of their current roles and their future required skills and responsibilities. Today, organizations must face the reality of the virtual workforce head-on to ensure they remain competitive, but simultaneously must focus on their employees’ adoption readiness to embrace this new way of working, or any potential and future gains may be fraught with challenges.