New Zealand | AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns 

Jodie Haughton - 17.12.202420241217

New Zealand | AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns 

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AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns 

Overcoming Employees' AI Anxiety in the Workplace

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Gemini have generated waves of excitement across industries. These innovationsenable businesses  to streamline manual tasks, personalise experiences, and give employees the freedom to focus on creativity and strategic thinking. However, while organisations are eager to embrace AI, not everyone is on board with this transformation. 

A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 38% of employees fear AI will replace their jobs. This apprehension highlights a critical challenge for leaders—how to address AI anxiety and foster a positive environment for adoption. 

If your organisation is planning to adopt AI into your workflows, it’s your responsibility to address the negative feelings among your employees. Doing so ensures that you’re keeping your people happy and satisfied with their work while ensuring user adoption of your new technologies, which maximises your ROI. 

5 Steps to Address AI Anxiety 

  1. Build a culture of transparency 

Transparency is the foundation of trust. According to a UKG survey, 75% of employees said they’d feel more excited about AI if their organisation openly communicated its plans for the technology. 

Start by clearly explaining how AI will be used in your workplace. Share specifics: What tasks will AI handle? How does it enhance—not replace—current roles? How will employee data be protected? 

Embedding transparency into your company’s values demonstrates respect for your employees’ concerns, helping to ease fears and build enthusiasm. 

  1. Invest in continued skill development 

Randstad’s 2024 Workmonitor report reveals that AI and tech literacy are the top skills workers want to develop. This implies that although some employees are wary of AI, many are still interested in learning how to use it. This is an opportunity for organisations to align their training initiatives with employee aspirations. 

Invest in AI training courses to ensure that your employees know how to utilise AI tools to their fullest potential. This way, you reap the benefits you anticipated from your investment. 

If you’re looking for an AI training course for your employees, check out the Generative AI Sprint Series. This two-part Generative AI training course teaches practical skills with tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and more. Beginning with foundational skills in Sprint 1 then progressing to AI mastery in Sprint 2, employees can quickly apply their knowledge to deliver tangible results. 

When employees feel confident in their skills, they’re more likely to see AI as an enabler rather than a threat. 

  1. Designate “AI champions” across teams 

Every team has its natural influencers—those who inspire and motivate others. Leverage this dynamic by appointing AI champions within each department. 

These champions act as advocates, guiding their teams through the transition and demonstrating how AI can enhance their day-to-day tasks. They can address questions, share success stories and ensure adoption happens in a way that aligns with each team’s unique needs. 

Additionally, creating a Champions Community is a great way to give your AI champions a place to work together across departments and functions. Such mechanisms designed to share ideas and best practices help accelerate AI adoption, since they allow you to address challenges at the indivual and team levels collaboratively. 

A Champions Community provides a way to distribute training material to AI champions, ensuring they keep developing their skills in this fast-developing area of technology. 

With AI champions in place, adoption becomes a collaborative effort rather than a top-down directive. 

  1. Build a solid adoption and change management strategy  

Change management guides organisations through every phase of a transition, ensuring individuals across all levels of seniority are supported while addressing resistance to help the workforce adopt and integrate the new system—AI, in this case—into their daily workflows. 

Effective change management keeps employees informed about changes that may impact them. By involving them in the process and providing clear explanations, employees feel like active participants in the decision-making rather than passive recipients of directives they don’t fully understand. 

Having a robust change management strategy in place ensures a smoother and more efficient transition from one system to another. It allows leaders to anticipate potential roadblocks to adoption and other challenges, equipping them with solutions to address these issues quickly and effectively. 

Change can be costly, and without proper management, those costs can escalate further. Delays, unforeseen complications and errors are far more likely to occur without a clear plan, leading to increased expenses, missed deadlines and wasted resources. 

A carefully developed change management strategy mitigates these risks, helping organisations avoid unnecessary disruptions and achieve cost-efficiency throughout the transition. 

To know more about change management, download our eBook “Driving Seamless Change: The Role of Adoption and Change Management in Digital Transformation.” 

  1. Establish open communication channels 

Creating open lines of communication is crucial for addressing employees’ concerns about AI. When employees feel heard and have a platform to voice their questions or anxieties, it fosters trust and reduces uncertainty. Regular forums, feedback sessions or anonymous surveys can help leaders understand what’s on their teams’ minds and respond with clarity and empathy. 

By actively engaging in dialogue, organisations can dispel misconceptions about AI, address individual concerns and showcase how the technology will enhance—not disrupt—existing roles.  

Open communication reassures employees that their input is valued and that the adoption of AI is a collaborative effort, rather than a decision imposed without consideration.  

The Key to Seamless AI Adoption 

AI adoption is a powerful step forward, but it’s not without its challenges. Addressing employee concerns, providing training, and fostering a culture of transparency are essential for a successful rollout. 

With the right strategies, organisations can not only reduce AI-related anxiety but also create a workforce that’s confident, capable, and excited about the future. After all, it’s the people behind the technology who truly drive innovation. 

If you need assistance in rolling out AI across your organisation, download our eBook “How to Not Be Replaced by AI: The Definitive Guide to Gen AI in the Workplace ” or contact us to start planning your implementation strategy.  

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New Zealand | AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns 

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New Zealand | AI Anxiety in the Workplace: How to Overcome Employee Concerns 

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