Employee Motivation in the Face of AI

There’s no doubt about it: we are living in the Age of AI. Such a reality may sound frightening, imposing, overwhelming, especially for employees—but does it have to be?

In this blog, I will walk through three key tips to maintain employee motivation in the face of AI. Let’s waste no time!

1. Be Straightforward

In my experience, one of the most significant reasons employees approach AI with apprehension and fear is because of the unnecessary secrecy that surrounds its usage in the workplace. It’s no surprise that many people feel AI is taking over their jobs when one day their organization is not using AI and the next day their organization has made AI a top priority! Communication is key: leaders must be forthcoming with regard to what AI will mean for their workplace. How will AI be used? Perhaps more importantly, how will AI not be used? Having multiple discussions with employees about how AI will be integrated into their work as well as drafting a formal AI policy are crucial steps to take to maintain employee motivation in the face of AI. If employees have set guidelines for the impact of AI on their work, they are less likely to become overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite possibilities AI possesses.

2. Upskilling

Upskilling , in the broadest sense, can be defined as “[t]he process of teaching employees new skills or improving their current ones.” How is this relevant to employee motivation in the face of AI? Well, for AI to be effectively integrated into any workplace, it’s best if employees have an idea of how to use it! As leaders, we cannot assume that every individual will intuitively understand how AI works, which means we must provide the opportunities for employees to grow their skills related to AI. After all, if employees know more about AI, the less AI will come across as a looming threat to their work and life. Instead, it will simply become another familiar tool in their workplace arsenal.

One effective way to upskill employees on AI is through microlearning , i.e. “short bursts of content for learners to study at their convenience.” The benefits of microlearning are all but endless, as this type of training is more affordable for individuals and organizations; more accessible for people with varying attention spans as well as people with packed schedules; and ultimately improves knowledge retention . Microlearning content can include bite-sized videos, infographics, podcasts, interactive modules, gamification, and more—anything that can be translated into small segments! Having microlearning available to educate employees on new skills related to AI is indescribably important to ensuring teams don’t feel lost as AI becomes more and more integrated into their workplace. The element of gamification , too, is particularly crucial for keeping employees motivated—from badges to puzzles to virtual reality, if employees are having fun learning about AI and developing skills to work with AI, they’re more likely to welcome its arrival!

3. Gradual Introduction

Lastly, but perhaps most important of all, leaders must gradually introduce AI into their workplaces. We cannot throw employees into the waters of AI all at once! Instead, it is the responsibility of leaders to implement AI one piece at a time, ensuring employees are not overwhelmed by its arrival and capabilities. Technology management professor Paul Leonardi advocates for the STEP method :

“STEP consists of four interrelated activities to help leaders ensure that employee-facing AI plays a positive and productive role in their organizations: (1) segmenting tasks for either AI automation or AI augmentation; (2) transitioning tasks across work roles; (3) educating workers to take advantage of AI’s evolving capabilities and to acquire new skills that their changing jobs require; and (4) evaluating performance to reflect employees’ learning and the help they give others.”

In other words, framing is important: AI is part of the whole of the workplace, not the only factor. AI is a tool to help employees arrive at solutions, not the only source of answers. ChatGPT, for example, has historically provided more incorrect than correct answers —that’s why both leaders and employees must possess the critical skills necessary to engage with AI and parse out what information is useful and what information is not, skills that are most effectively acquired through gradual introduction.

At the end of the day, if employees are gradually introduced to AI, if employees are given the opportunity to experiment and learn more about AI at an appropriate pace, and if leaders continue to recognize and highlight employee innovation, maintaining motivation in the face of AI is not only possible but directly achievable.

We’ve got AI to integrate and teams to motivate!

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches , training programs and executive coaching , Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com .