Employers and employees alike know they can't outrun AI. However,
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"There's so much urgency and hype around implementing AI, but there are blockers preventing more people from using it," says Christina Janzer, head of Slack Workforce Labs. "There's a trust barrier and people just don't have the training."
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Slack found that only 7% of desk workers believe AI results are completely trustworthy — which can be seen as a good thing given that platforms like ChatGPT have been known to throw out made-up information. Meanwhile, only 15% of workers agree they have the training and education it takes to use AI effectively. For Janzer, it's clear that these two barriers go hand-in-hand: If employees had AI training, they would know to what extent they could safely depend on the technology for help.
"You don't want to mess up your work by using technology you don't understand," says Janzer. "That's why our first message to leaders is to train your employees."
Employees who are trained to use AI are 19 times more likely to report that AI is improving their productivity and seven times more likely to trust the tech, according to Slack. For employers intent on launching AI training programs, Janzer advises them to follow Slack's PET plan: permission, education and training.
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While it may seem unnecessary, Janzer stresses that employees need permission to use AI, noting that desk workers at companies with established policies around AI use are nearly six times more likely to experiment with AI tools.
"Are employees allowed to use AI tools? Which tools are they allowed to use and on which parts of the job?" asks Janzer. "As an employee, if you don't know what's allowed, you may be less likely to try it because you're worried you will get in trouble."
Once employees have permission, education and training can reinforce it. Janzer underlines that there's more than one right approach, but ideally employees would get a chance to learn about the tech and then try it to see what works for them. At Slack, Janzer recalls that people were invited to participate in a three-week experiment where they were given 10-15 minutes of educational content each day, followed by an opportunity to apply that lesson to one of their own tasks.
"Of course, we had all the participants join a Slack channel together, and every time somebody came away with a win, they would share with the rest of the group," she says. "And people left the experiment with so much more confidence and excitement for AI."
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Janzer reminds employers that AI training isn't just necessary on a productivity level; it can also fall under the DEI umbrella. There's a small gender gap between men and women when it comes to AI use — 35% of men have tried the tech versus 29% of women, according to Slack. While Janzer isn't sure why the gap is there, she believes the gap itself should be enough for employers to take action and begin formally encouraging workers to try these tools.
Despite the work required to truly integrate AI into the workplace, Janzer is optimistic about the technology's future role. Slack found that people who use AI are nearly 30% more likely to say they feel passionate about their work, highlighting AI's potential to better workers' lives.
"There's this opportunity for AI to improve the employee experience, which is just really cool," says Janzer. "Let's redefine what productivity looks like and help people fill that time with more meaningful, creative and strategic things."
