The key facts

  • Automation will reduce routine tasks of cashiers, reference service operators, document processors, and administrative workers — a forecast by Irina Shulzhenko of Roskachestvo.
  • In her assessment, the professions will not disappear entirely — the set of tasks will change: the employee will shift toward checking results and handling non-standard questions.
  • The expert recommends mastering digital tools and AI; completely changing one's profession is not necessary.

Which tasks technology will take over

Over the next five years, automation will reduce the need for some tasks of cashiers, reference service operators, document processing specialists, and administrative workers. This was told to Gazeta.Ru by Irina Shulzhenko, director of the organizational development department at Roskachestvo. According to her, technology will primarily take over repetitive operations: data entry and verification, answering typical inquiries, preparing standard documents, and simple information processing. The changes may also affect individual tasks in marketing and other office professions where a significant part of the working day consists of monotonous actions.

The professions will not disappear, but will change

Shulzhenko noted that it would be wrong to say that all of the listed specialties will disappear. In her assessment, a more likely outcome is a change in the content of the work: routine operations will be performed automatically, and the employee's role will shift toward checking the result and resolving non-standard questions. A profession does not necessarily disappear — the set of tasks changes, and the specialist is left with more work requiring responsibility, communication, decision-making, and evaluation of results.

The expert's recommendations

For employees with a large share of routine duties, the expert recommended starting now to master digital tools and artificial intelligence. Completely changing one's profession is not necessary, Shulzhenko is convinced: it is important to learn to use new technologies in one's work and to develop skills that allow one to be accountable for the final result. In her assessment, the advantage will go to specialists who are able to work together with evolving technologies and adapt to changing tasks.