Education, visibility on AI use may be what HR leaders need
Education and visibility on the use of artificial intelligence tools will drive engagement with the technology among the workforce, as recent studies indicate persistent hesitations about AI at work.
Findings from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) last year revealed that 51% of employees want their organisation to focus on enhanced training and upskilling to improve AI implementation.
It comes amid a strong willingness among employees (86%) in 16 countries to get retrained or reskilled if major shifts in skills requirements occur.
Andy Biladeau, chief transformation officer at SHRM, pointed out that modern workers want "active learning experiences" that are not products of their training team.
"In a thriving learning culture, managers are presenting day-to-day assignments as skill-building moments rather than simply delegated tasks," Biladeau said in an SHRM insight.
"Embedding a growth mindset shifts the emphasis from 'learning in the flow of work' to 'work in the flow of learning.'"
According to SHRM, organisations and HR teams need to ensure that training around AI is "intentional, strategic, and built for worker success."
Employees should also be given the space and opportunity to share their feedback on AI, and these comments should be taken into consideration.
"Building a strong learning culture does more than improve engagement and productivity – it supports the entire employee experience, which we know retains your best people, delivers better business outcomes, and keeps you resilient for whatever shifts come next," said SHRM CHRO Jim Link, SHRM-SCP.
Visibility a strong factor
Visibility is also crucial in engaging employees with AI tools, according to a separate report from Irrational Labs.
It found that "behavioural contagion" plays a major role in AI adoption, with AI use more likely among employees who know at least one person who uses the technology.
The same data also revealed that 79% of employees would use AI when their managers endorse it.
"Leaders wanting to encourage AI adoption should make AI usage more visible within their organisation. Behavioral contagion works through awareness," its report said.
"Making AI usage a visible social norm accelerates adoption. People adopt behaviors they observe in others, and no one wants to fall behind."
Persisting fears about AI
AI adoption in workplaces remains limited amid persisting fears that the technology will eventually replace them at work, according to previous studies.
From SHRM's report, 55% of employees said they have not yet adopted AI tools, with many still expressing concerns about ethics, oversight, and job security surrounding the technology.
"Younger workers – Generation Zers and Millennials – expressed the highest levels of concern," the report noted.
More than two in three (68%) employees believe that HR leaders should play a lead role in AI adoption, but the SHRM report found that just 26% of HR leaders are highly involved in it.
"HR needs to be a leading voice in AI implementation," Link said.
"HR leaders understand how important it is to bring artificial intelligence and human intelligence together in every process. You can't roll out a new technology successfully if you're ignoring that human element."
