Making Frenemies

Employees are embracing new tools and developing new skills as lifelines at work. That may sound positive, but workers are also leaving for new jobs at rates higher than in 2022 and 2023, reveals PwC's 2024 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey.

Nearly half of 56,600 respondents said their workload has shifted significantly in the previous 12 months because they've had to navigate new tools and technologies (such as generative artificial intelligence), new team structures, and new daily responsibilities.

According to PwC, nearly 30 percent of employees use generative AI tools at least weekly, and 62 percent believe AI will boost productivity during the next 12 months. Organizations slow to adopt or roll out such tools, even for good reasons such as privacy and security, may inadvertently signal that they are less innovative and skills focused than potential competitors.

Companies can use generative AI tools to work more efficiently, particularly in automating administrative tasks. Neither leadership nor staff relish wasting time and both groups admit that 40 percent of the time they spend on administrative activities is inefficient. As a result of productivity potential, per PwC's AI Jobs Barometer, occupations most able to use AI change required skills at a 25 percent higher rate than those without AI.

Of course, not all employees view the adoption of generative AI in the workplace with rose-tinted glasses. Research by freelance platform Upwork conducted in July discovered that three out of four workers believe AI tools have decreased their productivity and added tasks to their workloads, such as having to review AI-generated content for accuracy and spend more time learning how to use the technology.

For employees who believe generative AI will enable them to learn new skills, companies need to lean into upskilling across the board—or risk losing those workers entirely.