Technically HR: Want employees to use more AI tools at work? Give them guidance

AI tools are setting up a new orientation for how we work, and many execs and managers are salivating over the potential productivity gains.

But if companies don’t provide much guidance on using the technology, desk workers will be less likely to figure out how AI tools can improve their productivity.

The insight comes from the Slack’s Workforce Lab, following its survey of more than 10,000 desk workers around the globe, which revealed a real opportunity for AI tools to transform 41% of the day-to-day, which is currently spent on tasks that are ​​“low value, repetitive, or lack meaningful contribution to their core job functions.”

Slack found that adoption of AI tools in the workplace grew by 24% in the last quarter of 2023, with one in four desk workers reporting having tried to use AI tools in the January survey, compared to one in five in September 2023.

The survey also revealed that desk workers at companies with guidelines for how AI can be used are nearly six times more likely to have tried to use AI.

“The vast majority of people who are using AI and automation are already starting to experience productivity gains,” Christina Janzer, Slack’s SVP of research and analytics and head of Slack’s Workforce Lab, said in a blog post about the findings. “But the data indicates that failing to provide guidance or instruction on AI may be inhibiting your employees from giving it a try. If you’re looking to ready your workforce for the AI revolution, you can start by providing guidelines for how AI can be used at work.”

Zoom out. Earlier research found that AI can improve workplace productivity by around 35%. Slack found in its January survey that already around 80% of desk workers have noticed productivity gains when using the tools.

HR pros looking to jumpstart AI use at the office can start by drafting guidance around how AI should be used. Don’t know where to start? You’re in luck: Some of the biggest names in HR software and work tech have already designed a cheat sheet with best practices and guidelines for responsible use of AI at work.