Doing more harm than good?

BRINGING IN OUTSIDE HELP: Employers expect AI to make their workforce more productive, but many employees are reporting the opposite. Bringing in temporary AI talent can help set things right.

A new survey of C-suite executives, full-time employees and freelancers from Upwork, a job marketplace, shows that the demands being placed on regular employees are not balanced with the tech resources they need to be successful. Ninety-six percent of leaders reported that the integration of AI tools will boost their organization's overall productivity. But employers overestimate their workforce's ability to use AI: 37% of employers said their people are highly skilled and comfortable with their AI tools, but only 17% of employees feel the same.

To combat this, some employers have brought in freelance AI professionals who can both complete some of the AI-specific tasks needed, as well as teach their skills to full-time employees.

"[Employees] just can't keep pace — they're burned out, and you're adding something else to their plate," says Kelly Monahan, managing director of the research institute at Upwork. "Freelancers [can] be colleagues and friends who come alongside and really help coach, train and alleviate some of this burden." 

Read more about how to help workers get comfortable with AI: 77% of workers say AI tools have decreased their productivity

KNOWING YOUR COLLEAGUES: Employees feeling connected to each other is an important part of a healthy workplace culture, and leaders who implement opportunities for this to flourish are seeing both short- and long-term benefits.

Workplace connectedness is improving, but managers can do more. According to onboarding platform Enboarder, 63% of employees said their peers were the ones fostering feelings of connection, while only one in four said their leaders were making this a priority. Their research also found that those who establish connections with others at work are 2.5 times more likely to be engaged, which can translate into reduced turnover and absenteeism, and 3.2 times more likely to maintain happy customers. 

"When the employees win, everyone wins," says Mark Kaley, public relations manager at Otter Public Relations. "A company benefits, as well as the company's clients because the employee's personal satisfaction translates into improved service to its clientele and a motivation to support the efforts of the company."

WHAT TO DO DURING YOUR GOLDEN YEARS: The ideal retirement looks different for everyone. Financial advisers know that's true of their clients — but it's also true of the advisers themselves.

"Oh my gosh, it's such a wide variety," said Tiffany Lee, an associate exit planner at Ellevate Advisors, a firm that helps wealth managers with their succession and retirement planning.

The fun part of Lee's job, she said, is helping her clients envision what they'll do after they leave the workforce. It's an important question, because many planners are quickly approaching that transition. The average age of an American financial adviser is 56, according to a 2023 study by J.D. Power. And according to the research firm Cerulli Associates, 37.5% of advisers plan to retire within the next decade.

Read more about the dream retirement plans for a handful of financial advisers: What makes a dream retirement? 6 advisers share their visions