UK employees ask employers for ‘more transparency’ around AI plans

Asana has released new data from its Work Innovation Lab. The findings, based on 2,741 UK workers, reveal that whilst UK employees are open to AI use across business functions to meet objectives, there’s a clear desire for businesses to increase transparency around their AI plans.

Key findings from the data include:

AI’s role in helping companies meet objectives is recognised by workers

• 49% are confident that AI will help their companies reach their objectives more effectively than traditional methods of working

• Almost half (48%) of UK employees expect their companies to use AI for goal-setting

• However, only 5% of UK employees say their organisation is currently using AI for goal-setting

4 in 10 UK employees say that their organisations are currently experiencing ‘a high rate’ of burnout

• With a spotlight on helping people take time back and driving efficiencies, 92% of employees want to use AI to enhance some part of their jobs

• UK employees across all levels approve of AI being used for:

• Development and training (61%)

• Decision-making processes (32%)

• Customer service interactions (50%)

• Hiring processes (26%)

Employees want to know more about their company’s AI plans

• Only around a third (30%) believe they currently have transparency of their organisation’s AI plans

• There's a slight disconnect between employees and execs, as more execs (39%) say they have been transparent

AI transparency is now a factor in UK workers’ career planning

• The top three AI-related career considerations are:

o If the company is transparent about its use of AI (56%)

o If the company has adopted a human-centred AI approach (44%)

o If the company offers training on AI (40%)

Industry insight to help pave the way for UK companies’ AI plans

Thought leaders from Asana’s Work Innovation Summit AI Roundtable at The Gherkin on October 18th share their perspectives on the future of AI at work:

Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work Innovation Lab at Asana:

“Instead of asking ourselves how AI will change our work, we should be asking ourselves how we as humans can positively shape that change. AI holds enormous power because of its complexity and sophistication. But in order to harness the promise and the potential of AI in our workplace we need to adopt a deeply human approach. Decades of research show that the implementation of new technology fails in most cases not because the technology isn’t efficient, but because humans naturally resist change. We need to prioritise change management, upskilling and reskilling, and experimentation in order to make AI successful. And this requires a time commitment. I encourage my team to dedicate 30 minutes a day or even 30 minutes a week to learning how to incorporate AI into their work. It's a smart investment for the future.”

Shivvy Jervis, Award-Winning Innovation Forecaster, commented:

AI can act as a catalyst, conduit and connector for businesses. Of course, AI has its drawbacks, but by and large when used responsibly AI can hugely help organisations save precious time, while still keeping people in their jobs. It frees people up from the more tedious, time-consuming aspects of their work - be it research, analysis, finding patterns in data or collating information from multiple sources - and gives them back those precious hours. This means that the entire workforce has more time to focus on higher value, higher order thinking and decision making. To best make this transition we need to collectively upskill our workforce, training everyone from founders to employees to be equipped to handle what’s to come.

Sanj Bhayro, GM of EMEA at Asana commented:

“As our interaction with AI evolves, leaders and organisations will face new and increasingly urgent responsibilities. While some workers may embrace AI, they also need greater transparency from executive leaders around their AI plans and policies. With leadership guidance, employees are more likely to understand, adopt, and trust how AI could or should be used within companies. This will be crucial to companies going forward into this new era of AI and work.”

Anne Raimondi, COO at Asana commented:

“We’re entering the golden age of productivity, where humans and AI together can achieve more than ever. The key to success is empowering enterprise leaders to use AI to enhance what people already do best, from communicating cross-functionally to operationalizing strategy. It’s critical for organisations to build AI strategies around guiding principles that provide clear direction on how AI can, and should, be used. Leaders need to empower people to work alongside AI to increase not only productivity, but creativity and innovation as well."

Inken Kuhlmann-Rhinow, Chief Marketing Officer, Hays commented:

Through additional training and support, we can evolve with advanced technology and build specialist skills that will prepare workforces in the years ahead. And for Hays, this means developing an ecosystem of high-quality personalised services that align with the aims of our clients.

The opportunities we face are exciting, and we need to be aware of the risks. AI is still in its infancy, so it’s crucial to regulate how assets are generated and processes are monitored. Bias can lead to skewed messaging, and data can be compromised if safeguards are not considered.

By being responsible, we can redefine how we connect and communicate across global regions to increase efficiency. And with automation, we can free up the time we need to spend with our most important asset. People.

Hays wants to give the organisations it partners with a competitive edge, unlock their creative capacity, and find talent to overcome the challenges we face. And by placing the tools of the future in the hands of the people who need them, we can build a more productive and inclusive world.