The majority of workers globally (52%) believe that AI will improve their career and promotion prospects, far outstripping fears of using the technology, according to Randstad's latest Workmonitor Pulse survey, based on insights from job postings and the views of over 7,000 employees around the world.

The survey also found that a further 53% see AI as carrying an impact on their industries and roles. However, a concerning gap lies in training and development on this technology: a mere 13% of employees have been offered any AI training in the last year. This is despite one in three (33%) employees saying they already use AI within their day-to-day roles.

Randstad’s research also shows differences between countries when it comes to usage and understanding of the impact of AI on jobs, as well as the training offered to them to meet employers' changing expectations. 

In India, more than half (56%) of workers said they already use AI in their role, followed by Australia (32%), US (29%), and Germany and UK (24%). India is also the market where the most people (70%) believe the technology will impact their industry and role, with its influence understood by around half of workers in the US (51%), Australia (48%), UK (47%) and Germany (46%).

Meanwhile, the majority of those surveyed (55%) said they are well aware that learning and development will be important to future proof their careers and earning potential. At the same time, 22% of employees would like to be offered AI training in the next twelve months, which was the third most desired upskilling opportunity behind leadership skills (24%) and wellbeing and mindfulness (23%).

While most employees have clarity on the importance of how AI skills can support them in their current and future roles, a significant gap exists between the training they desire and training they receive, Randstad noted.

When it comes to AI skills training the research found that 13% of global respondents received training in the previous 12-months, whilst 22% expect it in the following period. The gap in AI training between offered and desired is highest in Germany (13pp), UK (12pp) and the US (8 pp), while employees are most satisfied with the training provided in India (6pp) and Australia (9pp). 

According to the study, nearly 25% of those surveyed have reported they did not receive any learning and development opportunities in the past 12 months, and the figure widens when considering blue-collar workers (41%).

When looking at generational differences, the data shows that Gen Z now value learning and development (23%) more highly than flexibility at work (18%) and company culture (16%), while salary still remains of primary importance. In India however, learning & development (32%) is considered more important than pay (20%) or flexibility at work (23%), and learning on AI tops the development wish lists, with a third (30%) wanting to receive training in the next year.

Younger staff are also feeling the most empowered to take action if their demands on training are not met, with two fifths (41%) saying that they would quit a job if they were not offered learning and development opportunities in the next twelve months, more than double the number of baby boomers (18%). 

Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, said, “It is clear that more employers are seeking talent with AI skills, our own analysis of job ads shows a 2,000% uptick since Q1. AI is increasingly an enabler and enhancer of skills, holding a profound impact on productivity and overall performance in the workplace. But the imbalance between skills demanded by businesses and desired by employees, on the one hand, and the training opportunities provided, on the other, has to be addressed.”
“AI is here to stay and the benefits of it are very clear, our data shows that employees stand ready to embrace it for their own gain too,” van’ t Noordende said. “Successful organisations will be those that leverage this readiness and harness the opportunities of AI in their workforce.”