The Hidden Human Cost Of AI Productivity — 3 Ways To Retain Top Talent
'AI is no longer just a background tool—it's becoming a central part of how we work and interact. It's unlocking speed and scale, but also reshaping how we collaborate and connect as humans. The productivity paradox we're seeing may be a natural growing pain of traditional work systems, ones that reward output with AI, but overlook the human relationships behind that work. To lead effectively in the age of AI, companies need to redesign work in ways that support not just efficiency, but also well-being, trust, and long-term resilience.' - Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute
Productivity gains by employees who use AI are accelerating. Yet, workers who report the highest productivity gains also report the highest rate of burnout. These top AI performers are also twice as likely to consider quitting. The above findings stem from a global study by the Upwork Research Institute of 2,500 professionals, including C-suite executives, full-time employees and independent freelancers.
From senior leaders to team managers (and even aspiring managers), the prospect of losing talent with the best AI skills should be a wake-up call. You need to proactively address their concerns to retain your top performers. Here are three ways to support your AI-skilled staff:
1. Build Better Human-To-Human Connections
According to the Upwork study, more than two-thirds of high-performing AI users trust AI more than their colleagues, and 64% report a better relationship with AI than human staff. While this is fine for tasks that require human with AI collaboration, it suggests that human with human collaboration is lacking. In response, leaders should focus on team dynamics and foster stronger interpersonal relationships.
Earmarking time to know your team personally and to help them get to know each other is an investment in stronger collaboration. Host regular team breakfasts (or lunches), ideally in-person though virtual teams can eat together on video conference. Resolve not to talk business, and instead pick a social theme, such as everyone bringing their favorite movie recommendation or sharing a photo that showcases something meaningful outside of work (e.g., family photo, favorite hobby). If you can spring for the meal (or send gift cards around to virtual staff), that's an extra treat.
2. Support Individual Career Aspirations
The Upwork study also uncovered more freelancers than full-time employees reported a more productive relationship with AI, with freelancers linking AI to tangible career outcomes (e.g., 90% of freelancers credited AI with helping them acquire new skills faster). In today's competitive job market, all workers, full-time and freelance, value tangible career outcomes – i.e., career progress in what matters most to them. Therefore, savvy leaders should focus, not only on achieving company priorities and team results, but also on helping each team member achieve their individual career aspirations.
In addition to getting to know your staff on a personal level, get to know their career plans. What is their ideal next step – e.g., to manage, to move laterally to a new functional area, to work abroad? Don't assume that everyone's career path is the same. How can you be helpful – e.g., to help them decide on a next step, to give them visibility opportunities, to make introductions? As a leader, you have a wider lens for what's possible and what's necessary for career success at your company, so help your staff as individuals, which in turns helps the overall team and company.
3. Remind Top Talent Why Their Work Matters
In interviews for the Upwork study, high users of AI find themselves stuck between two extreme types of leadership -- leaders who don't get AI at all, or leaders who believe AI will magically solve everything. In either case, strategic implementation of AI falls on the user, a heavy burden leading to burnout. As a leader, strategy is your ultimate responsibility – for the CEO, that's strategy for the entire company; for a business head, that's strategy for your business in collaboration with the CEO's overarching vision; for a team lead, that's strategy for your project in collaboration with the business heads and C-suite leaders above you.
Share the objective and key results (OKRs) expected of your team, and repeat these regularly throughout the project, so there is no confusion (and a compelling Why!) around why everyone is working so hard. Then, ask your team how AI is helping or thwarting their efforts, and support your team in figuring out how to best incorporate AI. That support might be clarifying company policy on AI, securing training on technical skills or developing processes specific to your project (e.g., use AI for this not that). Check in frequently, as needs may change over the project life cycle. Enroll your manager and other senior leader support to ensure consistent AI best practices across the company.
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