Why benefit managers can't ignore tech and AI any longer

Benefit managers want to embrace new technology, but are still lacking in understanding around the best tools and practices. Establishing a strategy, and then backing it up with education, will get everyone on the same page about the future. 

Ninety-six percent of executives would like to integrate AI at their workplace, though just 16% use AI in the office, according to data from Slack Workforce Lab. Hesitation — and often out-right fear — is preventing benefit leaders and employees from taking full advantage of these tools: EY found that 72% of employees are concerned AI will impact their pay, while 67% believe they will miss out on promotions if they don't start using the technology. 

Read more: Workplace AI adoption climbs, but fear lingers

But how can you get started and set an example for the rest of your team? It's about starting small and finding ways to save time, says Brooke Shreeve, chief people officer at Weave, a healthcare payments software company. Last year, Shreeve helped implement a new AI tool for analyzing the company's annual employee experience survey of its 850 employees, saving her team hours of work analyzing responses. 

"I need to make sure I'm embracing new technology — if I don't I'll get replaced by somebody who will," she says. "Instead of getting hung up on making sure it's perfect, put in all your notes and have ChatGPT organize it and get it cleaned up and save you time."  

See how other benefit managers are using AI and ChatGPT to do their jobs faster and get results: 'I'll get replaced': Why these benefit leaders needed to embrace AI 

Education and empathy

Getting to that ease of use, and reaping the benefits, takes intentional education. At workplace technology vendor Epignosis, offering master classes helped get employees up to speed on the practices and potential of AI. They also offered mental health support, to address the fear that many employees have that their job will eventually be replaced by these new technologies. 

"It took some time to build trust and for them to understand that our approach was not just for optical reasons and that we really did want to help them learn," says Dimitris Tsingos, co-founder and president. "The combination of offering educational resources as well as showing empathy worked very well for our company, and after insisting on doing things that way and proving our point of view and our philosophy, employee satisfaction increased." 

Read more about the master classes, and if this approach is right for your business: How to help employees overcome their AI anxiety 

Set up a strategy

Beyond the basics, employers and employees will need constant training and upskilling to stay ahead. AI reskilling platform Reejig partners with employers to figure out how AI can improve both employee performance and experience, and has worked with companies such as Microsoft, Deloitte and IKEA. 

Using 41 million data points, it creates complimentary blueprints for 23 different industries, breaking down projected AI automation opportunities for individual roles, as well as areas where AI could boost efficiency, among other factors. It also has a product for employees which lays out different roles they could potentially move into, and what skills are required to get there.  

"Let's do it in a way where you've got your AI strategy directly linked to your talent and your workforce strategy," says Siobhan Savage, CEO of AI reskilling platform Reejig. "Every major company in the world right now is racing to become an AI-driven enterprise. For every role that you impact [with AI], you pivot folks into meaningful work." 

Find out how to be bold in your approach to AI — and the tools to help you get there: A 'bold' yet responsible strategy for AI