- 36.7% of UK workers say answering to an AI boss would improve their productivity
- However, almost 75% of those workers are happier answering to a flesh-and-blood superior
- Meanwhile, almost 40% of managers don’t believe that AI can deliver any productivity gains
Over a third (36.7%) of UK employees think an AI boss would mean an improvement to their productivity, with 64% of directors expecting similar gains, new research has found.
But despite these results looking good for AI, however, it seems many people prefer the idea of performance reviews being delivered face-to-face, rather than via chatbot.
However, there is one key opponent to AI managers. The human-based middle manager layer is unsurprisingly less swayed by the prospect of being replaced by AI, with almost 40% feeling productivity gains are unlikely.
Flattened structures?
The research from Careerminds UK contacted 600 full-time UK employees and asked them about their thoughts on AI in the workplace, also found that younger colleagues were more likely to be favourable to an AI management layer.
The survey comes at an interesting time, with predictions of flattened structures seemingly focused on the middle manager layer. If businesses feel that they can adopt AI to replace managers – particularly at a time when management training seems to be at a premium – then they need to act carefully.
Productivity boosts are one thing, but employees also feel a human superior is preferable to AI for things like delivering performance feedback (74.2%).
“AI may be able to ease some of that pressure by taking certain tasks off managers’ plates,” said Amanda Augustine, resident careers expert at Careerminds UK and a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC). “But the feedback findings make it clear that employees still value human judgement, context and connection.”
The artificial middle manager
While the productivity boost expected by 36.7% of those surveyed (versus 25.5% who feel they would be less productive) might seem encouraging, there is a challenging aspect to the report’s findings.
Some 64% of directors and above expect an AI manager to deliver productivity gains, with 28% of those expecting it to be “significant.” Among senior staff, the figure is 42.6%.
Among managers, that 38.5% figure is worrying, as it implies almost 40% of managers are expecting AI to replace them. Will the C-Suite have its way? Should it?
“We shouldn’t confuse employees seeing potential productivity gains from AI with wanting technology to replace their managers altogether. Middle managers are already feeling the squeeze, caught between growing expectations from senior leaders and the needs of their teams,” added Augustine.
“The opportunity for employers is to use AI to help managers become more effective, not simply replace them”.
At a time when organizations are increasingly going hard on AI, some recognition of what employees need to succeed is important.
Rather than focusing on efficiency, Augustine observed leaders need to think about their employees, particularly those who have just started their careers who are “more likely to think about what they need from a manager day to day, whether that’s guidance, development, reassurance or context.”
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