Report: 51% of workers say AI boosted job opportunities | HR best practices include keeping AI biases in check | Atlas Air employees soar through teamwork
Fifty-one percent of employees say AI can help increase job opportunities, according to findings from Adecco Group's 2024 Global Workforce of the Future survey. Respondents also report that AI saves them an average of one hour per day freeing them up to do creative work, bolster their work-life balance, and spend time on strategic thinking and personal activities.
Identifying hiring biases that AI might create should be a priority for HR departments, writes Melanie Ronen of the Stradley Ronon law firm. One example: "If a position or industry has been historically male-dominated, the use of machine learning may result in a new job posting being shown only to men over time."
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A focus on mental health and the role of independent contractors are among the key trends from a report on workers' compensation by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. As of July 31, there were 917 federal and state bills that could have had an impact on workers' comp stakeholders, according to the report.
Four of five HR hiring managers don't want to see AI-generated resumes and cover letters, according to researchers at CV Genius. "There's no personality or authenticity in the writing style of AI, so more often than not, job seekers will find their AI-only applications on the no pile," said Ethan David Lee, career expert at CV Genius.
Small businesses can benefit from investing in employee well-being by boosting performance and reducing costs. These businesses are well-positioned to implement preventive strategies due to less bureaucracy, according to chartered psychologist Sanjay Popat. Implementing well-being initiatives such as flexible work arrangements, wellness workshops and access to mental health resources can improve productivity and employee satisfaction without significant financial investment.
Matthew* is a 24-year-old paralegal working at his father’s law firm. He is studying law at a local law college, but he’s not an enthusiastic student or paralegal. Matthew often cuts corners in his work and his studies. He uses AI frequently to complete job tasks, to the frustration of the other employees in the office.
“That kid drives me crazy,” one of the paralegals told me during a phone call. “He uses AI all the time and doesn’t bother to check if it’s right. We’re going to get screwed one of these days because of his sloppy work.”
People like Matthew and those using AI to craft their resume and cover letters, as mentioned in our Recruiting & Retention story today, will eventually crash and burn. They’re not after “efficiency.” They don’t use AI to improve their work--they use it to get out of it. And their mental muscle will atrophy.
So I’m glad to see hiring managers rejecting those resumes and cover letters. We need folks who won’t outsource thinking. We need people who know how to wrestle with a first draft. We need workers who can embrace the rigor of problem solving as can use AI as a tool in that process.
What we don’t need are lazy people with important jobs who cut corners with AI. That’s a misuse of the tool and disregard their responsibilities.
Are you seeing a lot of job candidates using AI for their resumes and cover letters? Is that an automatic rejection? Let me know!
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