AI is creating more stress in the workplace, according to a new Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey. The survey reveals 79 percent of hiring managers say their companies use AI in the workplace, while 62 percent of employed job seekers report the same about their own companies.
Companies believe AI will assist in improving their workforce, with 71 percent reporting the technology could help address the shortage of skilled talent, and 80 percent say integrating AI tools could be essential to bridging the widening skills gap seen in new hires.
More than 80 percent say generative AI is expected to improve efficiency, 79 percent say it will free up employee time and 75 percent say it will enhance customer service. Those benefits are showing up in day-to-day work. Forty-four percent of hiring managers most often say AI has led to greater employee productivity, followed by higher company efficiency and more creativity, both at 38 percent. Among companies that use AI, 85 percent of hiring managers say the personal connection between employees and clients remains unaffected.
The report reveals, however, that unease is growing in the workplace as AI integration increases. Ninety percent of job seekers say they have concerns about the growing use of AI in the workplace, while 62 percent of hiring managers say AI-driven automation threatens to diminish their company’s brand personality.
Forty-two percent worry there will be an overdependence on technology, while 37 percent say employees will put in less effort in favor of AI completing the work. Additionally, 36 percent fear there will be fewer entry-level jobs for workers to gain experience, and another 36 percent worry employees will lose the ability to problem-solve.
For many workers, the pressure feels especially intense at the start of the career ladder. Job seekers say AI is already changing the kind of early experience that has traditionally helped people get a foot in the door, build skills and move forward.
Nearly 60 percent of job seekers say they know of companies using AI to automate tasks handled by entry-level employees, while 53 percent agree it is more efficient to use AI for entry-level tasks than to hire and train a candidate.
Even with the disruption, most hiring managers and job seekers believe new jobs will emerge as AI reshapes the workforce. Eighty-six percent of hiring managers say new jobs will emerge to compensate for roles eliminated by AI, and 83 percent of job seekers agree.
Nearly 20 percent of job seekers believe more new jobs will emerge than the number of jobs eliminated, while 38 percent expect some new jobs will emerge, but not enough to replace those lost.
“The future of work will be shaped by how businesses empower people to work alongside AI,” said Bob Funk Jr., CEO, president and chairman of Express Employment International. “In an incredibly diverse economy as ours, the real opportunity is to pair innovation with training, adaptability and human potential so the workforce becomes stronger, more prepared and more confident about what comes next.”
