Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Your Workforce

Artificial intelligence (AI), like any disruptive technology, tends to evoke mixed reactions. While some employees embrace the change, others may resist it. Preparing your workforce for this shift is an important yet challenging process that typically involves developing new skills, shifting mindsets and aligning daily tasks with complimentary AI. Let's take a moment to focus on the "people" element of the People, Process, and Technology Framework and what to consider when encouraging your workforce to embrace AI tools.

The growth of AI

Having worked in machine learning since the late 2000s, my initial impressions of AI tools like ChatGPT were lukewarm. Early iterations seemed more like novelty acts than transformative tools. However, I've kept track of their rapid progress, and the pace of improvement has been remarkable. AI’s development now presents opportunities that are hard to ignore and even harder to predict, requiring constant adaptation.

Today, AI is automating tasks from data entry to sophisticated data analysis, freeing employees to focus on more meaningful work. Research shows that AI can increase employee productivity by an average of 66%. However, this rapid transformation also stirs anxiety, with employees worrying their jobs may become obsolete.

So where do you start? How can you get the most out of your organization’s AI efforts?

1. Conduct a skills audit.
   
   Preparing your workforce for AI starts with a thorough understanding of the organization’s current capabilities. Evaluate employee preparedness by determining the readiness of each team member for being impacted by AI, including their technical capabilities and essential soft skills such as adaptability, communication and creativity. This will provide insight into the overall training needs for various roles and responsibilities.
2. Determine the best areas to apply AI.
   
   AI will inevitably change how work is structured within your organization, so you will likely need to redesign roles, responsibilities, processes and workflows. Evaluate existing roles to differentiate tasks suitable for AI from those requiring human input, creativity, intuition and strategic thinking. Be especially cautious about implementing AI in areas that may result in adverse decisions being made, such as credit and collection departments.
   
   
3. Build tailored AI literacy programs.
   
   Once you have conducted a skills audit and identified skills gaps, the next step is to develop a comprehensive plan to bridge those gaps. Start by developing a core skill set needed to use your AI tool, including skills like data literacy to interpret AI outputs, prompt engineering to interact with AI systems, and an understanding of AI ethics for responsible usage. AI literacy programs should foster a deeper understanding of what AI is and, perhaps more importantly, what it isn’t, educating employees on fundamentals like AI's workings, limitations and potential effects on daily tasks.
   
   
4. Make your programs user-friendly.
   
   Design training programs that can grow as AI technology advances, making it easy to update content. It's important to recognize that various positions within your organization will encounter AI in different ways, so tailor your training programs to align with specific roles and target audiences. You can do this by creating specialized learning pathways that correspond to each role so that the training is relevant and can be directly used in their day-to-day tasks. Include both online and in-person sessions to accommodate different learning preferences and schedules.
   
   Also, be sure to incorporate a feedback mechanism that regularly assesses adaptation and performance with the training methods. This can allow you to continually evolve the content and delivery to maximize training hours.
   
   
5. Prioritize change management and employee engagement.
   
   AI is designed to help your organization grow and innovate by maximizing your employees' potential. However, let's face it: humans are creatures of habit, and most of us don’t embrace change easily. That's why the success of AI implementation often hinges on strong change management practices and active employee engagement.
   
   Always strive to be transparent with your communications. Explain the business objectives being met with AI adoption, its benefits to the organization and how it improves current roles without replacing them. When you roll out a new tool, encourage your employees to experiment with it in a safe environment. These practices can help build trust and creativity in your employees and ease concerns regarding job security.
   
   I also recommend conducting regular open discussions and Q&A sessions to debunk myths and alleviate fears, highlighting AI's role as a job aid versus a replacement employee. Proactively address concerns and, if warranted, include them in the process of mitigating the issues. I have found that employees who have a say in an AI redesign are more likely to embrace the change. Nobody likes being forced to change, so guide them during the journey and provide continual updates on the program's progress.
   
   
6. Measure and monitor success.
   
   Track your success by defining clear and concise KPIs that are measurable. This will help you understand AI’s overall effect on productivity, efficiency and business performance, as well as the human impact, so you can adapt accordingly.

Conclusion

Integrating AI into your organization involves more than just adopting new technology; it also needs a thoughtful approach to workforce development, change management and job role optimization. By conducting a skills audit, offering tailored training and fostering a culture of learning and innovation, your organization can position itself to thrive in an AI-driven future. The key is not to just implement AI but to do so in a way that maximizes human potential while enhancing the capabilities of your workforce.

Originally published in Forbes.