Whether you are employing your inaugural robotics workforce, or expanding your existing team, you should adopt a strategic concept to the process by establishing the: training experience, qualifications, and capabilities the ideal individuals should possess. Below are considerations to make before deciding who to hire.
Working Experience
You may not find adequately experienced employees more so for entry-level positions. Still, the ideal candidate should at least have worked in a robotic arm field before. Universal Robots has managed to hire an experienced workforce which is why they have managed to remain ahead of their competitors.
Knowledge of how to make people trust Robots
Soft skills come in handy for people executing robotics-related tasks. They should be in a position to figure out what makes people believe in the efficacy of robots. Collaborative robot manufacturers understand how important it is for the machines to have recognizable characteristics, for instance, features that are almost human-like (or better in some cases). Even though robotic experts are not involved in the robot arm manufacturing procedure, they should devise strategies to help employees working around these machines to be comfortable.
They can achieve this by understanding that people could feel intimidated by robots and helping them overcome that fear and convert it to trust.
Candidates should have an applicable background
In the past, institutions of higher learning hardly offered robotic degree programs. This, however, is changing in today’s fast-evolving technology. Still, finding employees with an applicable background is not an easy task and hiring managers may experience challenges in trying to fill vacant robotic positions.
Hiring personnel should consider applicants with other related qualifications. For instance, engineering, computer science, and mathematics degrees can offer a good foundation for robotic roles.
Amazon, a leading e-commerce platform recently incorporated the services of a computer science professional in their team to act as the robotics director and supervise automation in the company’s fulfillment departments.
According to the company, the candidate possessed an adequate amount of both life and educational experience to execute the role successfully. The fact that he had a computer science background was an added advantage.
Possessing flexible mindset
Collaborative robots are designed to work with humans in the same workspace. While many businesses have already adopted this technology, it is still new. Further, the robotics sector is advancing fast which may soon see a change in job opportunities and qualifications.
In order to prepare for success in the future, robotic professionals must lay down a strategic plan for the future and work towards accomplishing them. In some developing countries, employees are acquiring new expertise to familiarize themselves with robotics.
This expertise will help them adapt to change instead of losing their jobs to technological advancements. Robotics professionals should be conversant with developments in the industry while noting that their roles are likely to change in the near future.
Ability to work and knowledge with associated technologies
There are other modern technologies in the market today such as artificial intelligence. According to experts, AI will propel robotic progress in the near future. Currently, AI has a huge impact on the robotics industry with some companies using artificial intelligence powered robots to accelerate a variety of tasks. This is an indication that robots can integrate with other technologies to enhance their operations. People hired for robotic positions must be passionate about exploring new technologies.
Experience in Robot Maintenance
Today, many robots come with self-diagnostic features. These will alert operators when there is a fault or when the robot requires maintenance. According to studies conducted by Universal Robots, there was an increase in job advertisements asking for people with robotics skills in the year 2017, top of which was robotics maintenance. Companies that want to enhance productivity and increase uptime are likely to hire people with robotics maintenance qualifications.
Finally
When searching for the ideal candidates, consider someone who is not only passionate about robotics but one who displays excitement when it comes to identifying and solving robotic problems. Once robotic companies identify the ideal employees they can be guaranteed of enhancing their operations. Candidates with adequate robotic skills have a competitive advantage in the market.