The immense potential of artificial intelligence has become one of today’s most popular business talking points. But there is dramatic disparity between the AI perspectives of corporate leadership and their workers. Sixty-five percent of HR leaders believe AI will positively impact human capital within the next two years while 38% of U.S. workers are worried that AI may make some, or all, of their job duties obsolete.
At a surface level, workers’ worries are not misplaced. AI is a significant change agent that can generate role ambiguity. It, in turn, impacts personal performance, turnover rates, levels of resentment, depression and anxiety. Notably, negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, and depression are the leading cause of workplace absenteeism. Moreover, over-reliance on AI holds the potential to diminish cognitive health, undercut employee learning and erode critical thinking—all key factors for future job performance and success.
As a physician and health advisor to large corporations, I believe the message is clear: Companies that have spent years investing in total well being and engagement strategies now need to up their game in the AI-enabled workplace—or risk losing ground on employee engagement, performance and retention.
Here are seven tips, which will help you achieve these important goals.
Redefine job roles
Lack of role clarity impacts stress and anxiety, while employees with a clear understanding of how to do their job report better job satisfaction and performance. In addition to clarifying roles, companies need to identify skills gaps created when AI adoption shifts responsibilities, and develop personalized plans to help employees fill these gaps and maintain their confidence.
Double down on cognitive health
Maintain an inventory of work and tasks that leave room for learning, cognitive stimulation and better brain health. A recent World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report says analytical thinking and creative thinking are the two most important skills for workers, and cognitive skills are growing in importance ‘most quickly.’ With AI doing more of the heavy lifting, business will need to elevate work enablers such as cognitive health, innovation, creativity and critical thinking to mission-critical roles, and place a corresponding emphasis on learning and growing these skills.
Communicate
Organizations should candidly communicate information on policy, processes and the introduction of revolutionary technologies such as AI. This will support the goals of alleviating stress and anxiety, promoting job security, and building strong culture as well as deepening loyalty.
