In today’s world of rapid, ongoing technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries and redefining the nature of work. However, it also presents a challenge for talent, human resources, and organizational development professionals: how can organizations use AI to develop a more competitive workforce and maintain strategic advantage?
The Future of Work
AI is transforming organizations by enhancing processes and workflows. For example, AI tools can scan candidate resumes to allow talent professionals to more easily identify and fill skill gaps in organizations. Similarly, talent professionals might use AI to create personalized executive education and skill-building paths for high-potential leaders. By automating tasks and providing advanced analytics in these and other ways, AI can help knowledge workers achieve more efficient workflows at all levels, from frontline employees to the C-suite.
The AI Skills Gap
Workers are increasingly leveraging the power of AI in their organizations. According to a recent UNC Executive Development poll, 58% of respondents use ChatGPT in the workplace. However, while the majority report using this tool, it is unclear how many are using it well. A report by the World Economic Forum found that “many leaders and employees aren’t clear on when generative AI should substitute for human decision-making and when AI should merely augment it.” In addition, almost half of employees said that “they use generative AI-provided facts or recommendations to make decisions without the review of others.”
One challenge organizations face when integrating AI is helping employees master the art of writing effective prompts. To use generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Bing Copilot, the user must input a set of instructions, or a prompt, to guide the software in generating the desired response.
Crafting an effective prompt might seem straightforward. However, this increasingly essential skill is easy to overlook. If prompts lack key detail, are overly specific, or omit relevant context, the AI may struggle to generate helpful content. Worse, it may provide nonsensical, irrelevant, or factually incorrect results (a “hallucination”).
For example, the prompt, Write a social media post about recruitment, is overly broad. In contrast, the following prompt is more likely to generate relevant and helpful output:
Write a social media post on the topic of how to attract qualified management-level talent to a Fortune 500 financial firm. The audience for this post is organizational leaders who are concerned about preparing future leadership teams to innovate and adapt to disruption. Write the post in the first person.
Writing quality prompts and otherwise using AI tools effectively are quickly becoming core organizational skills. To ensure long-term success, leaders must offer employees at all levels opportunities to meaningfully understand, practice, and integrate these skills into their work.
Upskilling for Organizational Transformation
Leaders must strategically guide their organizations through AI-driven transformations. Merely encouraging employees to adopt AI tools as part of their daily work is not enough. Rather, to truly drive change and achieve organizational transformation, leaders must align vision, people, and processes with this technology. This means crafting a comprehensive strategy to earn employee buy-in, assess workforce skills, optimize tools for the specific industry and organizational context, and develop agile, ongoing learning opportunities.
By offering targeted upskilling and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation around AI tools and practices, leaders can drive sustainable growth by empowering teams to embrace AI as an essential tool.
Leading With AI
AI is redefining work and presenting organizations with tremendous opportunities to automate routine tasks, streamline workflows, and innovate. However, the AI skills gap remains a significant organizational hurdle. To fully reap the benefits of AI, senior leaders must craft a comprehensive strategy for upskilling their workforce, adapt AI to the organization’s unique needs, and develop ongoing learning opportunities. By driving change with this future in mind, leaders can play a role in shaping the future of work and ensuring their organizations thrive in an AI-driven world.
