Senior Workers With AI Skills May Be Well-Positioned for Modern Workplace

Despite the stereotype that older workers may struggle to adapt to new technologies, senior-level employees with AI skills are well-positioned to leverage artificial intelligence effectively in the workplace.

Experienced employees can master AI insights: Senior workers often possess a deep understanding of the business, enabling them to query AI systems effectively and apply judgment to the results:

• Someone with a complex understanding of the business can apply inputs and assess outputs using knowledge and skills that AI has not yet mastered.
• In the near term, AI will augment rather than replace senior-level workers, provided they are willing to enhance their hard and soft skills in an AI-driven workplace.

Reverse mentoring need is high: As younger workers are often more adept at using AI, senior management can benefit from seeking their perspective through reverse mentoring:

• Creating seniority-agnostic mentorship could enable organizations to innovate more quickly than a top-down strategy.
• Nearly half of employees still don’t use AI skills in their jobs, but half agree that their work would benefit from it, highlighting the need for structured AI training across the workforce.

Generative AI and automated hours: While nearly a third of hours worked in the U.S. could be automated by generative AI, potentially altering the work of business professionals at all levels, offloading the wrong people could have unintended consequences:

• Companies risk losing institutional knowledge that can operate in complex, interpersonal environments if they write off older workers in the race to adopt AI.
• Rather than assuming AI will leave older workers behind, organizations should lean into the value of AI to help leverage the jobs of the future for these experienced employees.

Analyzing deeper: As AI continues to transform the workplace, senior-level employees have a unique opportunity to harness its potential by combining their deep business knowledge with newly acquired AI skills. However, organizations must be cautious not to overlook the value of experienced workers in the rush to adopt AI, as their institutional knowledge and ability to navigate complex environments remain crucial. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and reverse mentoring, companies can ensure that employees at all levels are equipped to thrive in an AI-driven future while retaining the wisdom and expertise of their most seasoned professionals.