AI and the future of office support jobs: what employers need to know.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how administrative work is performed, from processing information and maintaining records to coordinating schedules and supporting customer interactions.

For employers, understanding this shift is becoming increasingly important to workforce planning. The key consideration is not simply which jobs could be automated, but how individual tasks may change, where technology can enhance productivity and which capabilities will remain important to business operations.

Randstad’s 2026/27 Office Support Market & Salary Report examines automation risk and augmentation potential across five administrative task categories, providing insight into how AI may influence the future of office support.

which office support tasks are most exposed to AI?

The report identifies data entry and transcription as the category with the highest scores for both automation risk and augmentation potential.

It’s findings, based on the cited Jobs and Skills Australia research, include:

• Data entry and transcription: 0.72 automation risk and 0.76 augmentation potential.
• Documentation and record keeping: 0.65 automation risk and 0.73 augmentation potential.
• Communication and liaison: 0.47 automation risk and 0.68 augmentation potential.
• Coordination and scheduling: 0.42 automation risk and 0.67 augmentation potential.
• Customer service and support: 0.32 automation risk and 0.60 augmentation potential.

These scores highlight an important distinction: tasks with greater automation risk may also have considerable potential to be enhanced by AI. The two measures describe different dimensions of technology's potential impact and should not be interpreted as direct predictions of job losses or productivity gains.

automation versus augmentation: what is the difference?

Automation refers to the potential for technology to perform tasks that would otherwise be completed by a person. Augmentation describes the potential for technology to support or enhance a person's work.

Within office support, a single position may involve repetitive data processing alongside communication, stakeholder management, scheduling and problem-solving. AI may have different implications for each activity.

The report shows that communication and liaison, as well as coordination and scheduling, have higher augmentation scores than automation risk scores. This suggests that technology's potential to assist with these activities exceeds its measured potential to automate them entirely.

For employers, assessing individual tasks rather than treating an occupation as a single unit can provide a more useful foundation for considering how roles may evolve.

what does AI mean for the future of customer service?

Of the five categories assessed, customer service and support records the lowest relative exposure across both measures, with an automation risk score of 0.32 and an augmentation potential score of 0.60.

This indicates comparatively lower exposure to the measured AI impacts than the other administrative categories in the report. It does not mean customer service roles will remain unchanged or that technology will have no influence on how they are performed.

For employers, the findings reinforce the importance of understanding the specific responsibilities within a role and considering how technology can support service delivery while maintaining the capabilities required for effective customer interactions.

As Amelia O’Carrigan, Director of Business Support at Randstad Australia, explains:

Proposed quote for approval: “AI is an important consideration for the future of office support, but its impact will differ from one task to the next. Employers should consider where technology can enhance the way work is performed, while investing in the training and upskilling of their workforce to build the capabilities needed to adapt to changing demands. Supporting employees to develop alongside technology will be key to building a resilient and effective workforce.”

preparing your office support workforce for the future

AI adoption presents an opportunity for organisations to review how administrative work is structured and where technology may support existing teams.

Employers can begin by assessing repetitive and transaction-heavy activities, identifying where AI may assist with existing workflows and reviewing the skills their teams will need as responsibilities evolve.

These decisions should be informed by operational requirements, the specific tasks involved and the capabilities needed to maintain service quality. The report's findings provide a starting point for these discussions, rather than a definitive forecast of how individual roles will change.

understand the changing office support landscape

As AI continues to influence administrative work, employers need a clear understanding of both the opportunities and the limitations of automation.

Randstad’s 2026/27 Office Support Market & Salary Report examines AI exposure alongside Australian hiring trends and salary benchmarks across 44 office support roles.