Robots can take over tasks such as floor cleaning, which could make up about 60 per cent of the daily work, allowing cleaners to “focus on the finer points of cleaning”, like high dusting, disinfecting and customer service, said Ng.
“They can do more tasks. Because of that, they can command higher pay. The cleaner is the supervisor of all these robots, deciding the schedule, the workloads,” he added.
Hannifa, who has a diploma in mechatronics engineering, never thought he would end up in customer service. After joining LionsBot nearly two years ago, however, “I started loving my job”, he said.
“Once you find your area of interest, stay there, work hard and start growing.”
What has also grown in recent years is discussion on what meritocracy means in Singapore’s workplaces. The series Measuring Meritocracy examines the impact of trends such as a growing proportion of workers wielding degrees and asks how society can value skills mastery and accord more workers decent pay.
WATCH: Meritocracy at work in Singapore — how relevant is it today? (45:51)
