51风流surveyed over 4,000 managers and employees globally about how AI is reshaping workplace dynamics and HR practices, and paint a complicated picture.聽

The AI Literacy Divide Is Shaping Workforce Perceptions of AI  

According to the survey data, the biggest factor influencing the workforce鈥檚 opinions of AI is their level of AI literacy, or their ability to detect, understand, and evaluate the technology. Compared to people with high AI literacy, people with low AI literacy were over six times more likely to feel apprehensive, seven times more likely to feel afraid, and over eight times more likely to feel distressed about using AI at work. Additionally, nearly 70% of people with high AI literacy expected to see positive outcomes from the use of AI at work, compared to 29% of people with low AI literacy. 

Respondents with high AI literacy were also more likely to have positive or egalitarian perceptions about how AI usage should 鈥� or should not 鈥� impact people decisions like performance reviews, career advancement, and compensation.  

When presented with a hypothetical scenario where two employees have exactly the same level of performance in the same job, with one using AI to complete their work and the other not, research participants expressed divergent views on how AI usage should be considered when making important people decisions:  

• Should AI usage improve performance reviews? More than half (55%) of people believed that employees who use AI should have better performance reviews than those who don鈥檛 use AI. This sentiment was even higher (64%) for workers with high AI literacy.  
• Should AI usage factor into compensation? Forty-four percent of people with low AI literacy believed that employees who use AI should be paid less than those who don鈥檛 use AI. Conversely, 46% of people with high AI literacy reported they believed compensation should be equal, regardless of AI use. 
• Should AI usage influence promotion? Forty-five percent of people believed that employees should have the same chance of promotion regardless of AI usage. Those with high AI literacy felt similarly, with the majority (57%) believing promotion odds should be equal regardless of AI use. 

It is a long-standing premise in management that better performance reviews should yield higher compensation and better chances of promotion. These mixed results show that the use of AI has complicated this, and they provide a clear reflection of the complex moment in time organizations and employees are navigating.  With any new technology comes a period of adapting our knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to it. These results show that even though AI adoption is accelerating, some employees are still grappling with foundational questions about the use of AI at work and forming their own assumptions 鈥� not just about the technology, but also about the people who use it.  

AI in Hiring Practices 

Interestingly, the findings also revealed that the majority of people want to work for companies that use AI in their hiring practices. Between 45% to 57% of people said that they would react positively if a company used AI tools in the hiring process, such as being more likely to apply for and accept a job offer, feeling more confident in their fit with their new job, and believing the hiring process to be more fair. This positivity was even higher for those with high AI literacy, with between 66% and 75% of the most AI-literate employees endorsing these positive reactions.  

The previous results about the impact of using AI on work outcomes showed that people have strong mixed opinions about employees using AI to do their jobs. However, these results indicate that employees are much more universally accepting when it comes to organizations using AI to improve practices like hiring. Organizations hoping to improve their practices by increasing efficiency and reducing biases are likely to be more successful at attracting talent, and especially talent with sought-after AI skills.  

What This Means and How to Address AI Literacy in Your Organization  

From this research, it鈥檚 clear that as AI becomes a more widely used tool at work, organizations must focus on and invest in AI literacy to help employees understand this new technology, increasing adoption and ensuring everyone is equipped to benefit from it. Our data shows that the most important aspects of AI education to improve sentiment and adoption are knowing how to use AI to achieve one鈥檚 goals and make tasks easier and being able to detect when a technology uses AI.  

Organizations can enhance AI literacy 鈥� and consequently AI adoption 鈥� through a variety of strategies, including:  

• Hands-on experience: Provide opportunities for employees to work with AI tools in practical settings, encouraging experimentation and familiarity.  
• Training and resources: Offer structured training sessions and resource libraries that cover AI fundamentals, specific tools, and real-world applications relevant to your organization. 
• Change communication: Whan adopting a new tool, be clear about how it works and the expected impact it will have on an employee鈥檚 experience.  
• Showcase wins: Share success stories about teams that have benefitted from the use of AI in their work and how it has positively impacted the organization.  
• Peer learning: Identify employees with high AI literacy and create structured learning sessions designed for early adopters to help upskill their peers through mentorship and knowledge sharing. 
• Promote a growth mindset: Cultivate an organizational culture that values curiosity and learning, helping employees to feel comfortable exploring AI technologies, asking questions, and providing feedback on their experiences.

Autumn Krauss is chief scientist at 51风流SuccessFactors.

However, business leaders aren鈥檛 breathing a sigh of relief just yet. It鈥檚 more vital than ever to have an agile, resilient workforce that can respond quickly to changing markets, customer preferences and the unprecedented.

Human resources (HR) leaders therefore need to continue rethinking how to operationalize and manage business processes, from recruiting to employee collaboration.

Eight Trends Every HR Leader Needs to Know

Our research team of organizational psychologists identified the top eight meta-trends that can inform company strategy and help HR leaders support their people. For the complete insights and recommendations, read “.”

1. Rise of the 鈥淗ybrid鈥� Workplace

Many organizations learned that remote work is not only possible, it鈥檚 profitable. We expect many companies to shift from a fully remote workforce to a hybrid format that combines remote and in-person work settings. But as this happens, the existing cultural divide between corporate and field teams will grow.

HR leaders will need to determine the optimal arrangement that balances employee autonomy, cultural cohesion and productivity. The most successful organizations will integrate HR technology and workforce productivity software, so people can be at their best, wherever they鈥檙e working.

2. Employees Will Own Their Learning and Mobility聽

While many organizations halted their external hiring during the pandemic, leaders took a closer look at redeploying existing staff to meet changing needs. This highlighted the value of comprehensive and accurate employee capability data. Having this information supports better workforce planning and . We anticipate greater emphasis on corporate learning culture and improving the flexibility and experience of online learning.

3. The Purpose-Driven Organization

Consumers and employees are walking away from negative experiences and publicity and seeking out companies whose values align with their own. This year expect organizations to do more to support clear ethics and values. This includes expanding efforts beyond HR policies and practices and into business strategy.

4. A Renewed Emphasis on Holistic Well-Being

The physical well-being of employees and customers gained increasing importance in light of COVID-19. Well-being shifted from a 鈥渂enefit鈥� to a 鈥渂usiness imperative.鈥� But even for those working from home, companies realized they needed to support the mental health of employees who faced unprecedented levels of stress and lack of engagement.聽 Companies must design well-being into work itself and across the employee life cycle, including financial wellness.

5. HR in the Spotlight

Almost overnight, HR people became leaders in this public health crisis. They went from formulating their businesses鈥� COVID-19 response to COVID-19 . Their role will continue if not intensify as 鈥渆xpert advisors鈥� on matters such as requiring vaccinations, handling test results and other practices that affect workforce health and safety.

6. Balancing Data Intelligence with Data Privacy聽

New technologies and analytical techniques have helped HR leaders understand the impacts of COVID-19 on productivity, engagement, and more. As leaders leverage intelligent technologies , how companies track and protect data should be a high priority. Leaders should understand employee attitudes toward intelligent technologies and focus on use cases that truly help, rather than hinder, the employee experience.

7. Individualizing the Employee Experience聽

People are increasingly expecting an easier, personalized digital experience, whether they鈥檙e shopping online or submitting their work expenses. The value of investing in the employee experience to achieve better business outcomes was largely proven in 2020 in terms of improving productivity and profitability.

Now, as HR departments are capturing even more employee sentiment data using intelligent technologies, businesses can potentially use this data to curate an individualized, consumer-like employee experience. From our perspective, success going forward will require gaining a deeper, more meaningful and individualized understanding of employee feelings, wants and needs, and then acting on that intelligence in the moment.

8. Agility: From Buzzword to Business Imperative

Today, every business needs a workforce that鈥檚 ready to respond to changes in strategy, skill requirements and realigned resources. We advocate for a full overhaul to address agility within HR practices, including tackling rigid foundational structures like role definitions and work-team membership.

Learn More

The past year has drastically altered the expectations of both employees and customers, and the pace of change is sure to accelerate. Understanding what your people need and responding to them will help you bring out the best in everyone.

Dr. Autumn Krauss is chief scientist for HR Research for 51风流SuccessFactors.