How to implement AI into your workplace with your team's support

In the UK, 66% of the workforce feel concerned that AI will contribute to future unemployment.

While new workplace technology is constantly being introduced, often to the detriment of tradespeople, it is interesting to note that university-educated individuals feel most concerned about AI replacing their positions. We have looked at general workplace technology’s role in heightened stress levels. Still, with AI potentially replacing entire roles, business leaders have a significant role in safeguarding new employee opportunities.

Considerate introduction of AI into the workplace

Bringing AI into the workplace should be thoughtful and strategic, with buy-in from the whole team and increasing in stages. Management should look at the areas where their team struggles with complex processes and productivity and aim to resolve the issue for everybody. If you’re unsure where these operational roadblocks are, try a simple survey of your staff that allows them to give honest feedback while remaining anonymous.

If your introduction of technology resolves a significant problem, and your team feel that their concerns have been addressed, you’ll be off to a great start. Data entry, analytics, surveys and scheduling are common places to start implementing AI, allowing the staff in these roles to take on more strategic tasks. Customer service is also a great place to implement AI, where chatbots can handle simple queries, and staff can be freed up to assist customers with larger issues that require human problem-solving skills. Remember that customer-facing AI should look and feel human and give customers a great experience, and human staff members should always oversee this.

Education and upskilling staff should always be front-of-mind

Wherever technology has taken over simpler tasks, look to your company roadmap and decide where you can educate, reskill or upskill your team to push you to the next phase of your business.

Your team members may be looking to pivot to developing areas of your industry; they may also be interested in the maintenance of the tech you are introducing. While identifying the areas of your business that would benefit from AI, look to the related skillsets that will help your people and your business.

Data analysis, AI tool utilisation, and literacy are popular areas to further your team’s education and skills. Training could resolve ethical issues within AI; for example, AI algorithms may reflect societal biases, which could create problems if they are used for customer service, recruiting staff, or even finance and lending. This is where training staff to oversee the technology may be beneficial.

Creating standards and guidelines for the use of AI in your business

Every business should be transparent with staff about using AI, how it will impact their jobs, and the standards expected for use. Creating formal guidelines is a great way to ensure this is done and build trust around its implementation. Any of your team’s concerns around the rollout should be addressed openly. Good communication and transparency will always give your team a greater sense of ownership in your business’s future plans.

Final thoughts

AI has the potential to make significant improvements in almost any workplace and enhance the employee experience. As long as your people are secure in their roles and able to grow with the technology being introduced, your workplace will have a seamless cultural transition into being AI-assisted.

We are living in times of economic uncertainty, which will naturally create more apprehension around AI, but it doesn’t have to be this way in your business. By synergising your team’s talents with the capabilities of AI, you can create improved output value and support your staff in upskilling.