Automation makes workers more efficient, but it can also help them feel fulfilled and create better products.

Capital One leans on automation to help its engineers enjoy their jobs.  

Uninteresting, manual, and repetitive work that doesn’t add value can be a major source of burnout for engineers, Marty Andolino, a VP of engineering at Capital One, said in a recent podcast interview. That’s why he spends time thinking about how to integrate automation into the bank’s processes, enabling employees to focus on impactful work. 

For example, Capital One uses automation for detecting, diagnosing, and fixing app issues, as well as for standardizing governance, security, and compliance. 

By reducing the amount of “keep the lights on” activities that devs spend time on, automation also allows them to “work on the most customer-focused areas,” Andolino said. That’s a boon for both employees and the bank overall, which benefits from being able to put more resources towards building differentiating features. 

“We see automation as such a key to unlock our associates’ talents,” Andolino said. 

Capital One employs around 12,000 technologists, 85% of whom are developers and Andolino’s comments come at a time when competition for engineers in the financial world is fierce: JPMorgan just announced plans to hire 2,000 engineers by the end of the year, while AmEx is searching for 1,500 new tech workers.  

Listen to the rest of Andolino’s thoughts on productivity here.