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Forbes
01-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What Leaders Should Know When AI Agents Show More Empathy Than They Do
What Leaders Should Know When AI Agents Show More Empathy Than They Do You know something's shifting when people start saying they'd rather deal with a chatbot than their manager. A 2024 survey conducted by Workplace Intelligence and INTOO found that 47% of Gen Z employees say they get better career advice from artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT, than from their managers. Why? Because they don't interrupt or sound impatient. They've been trained to keep their tone warm, their timing consistent, and their responses emotionally aware. Meanwhile, some leaders are still replying to emails with quick, cold replies or glossing over people's concerns without really listening. Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa, professor at Columbia and author of Inner Mastery, Outer Impact, shared with me why the way leaders respond matters. He said leadership starts with your inner voice. Not your polished script or rehearsed talking points, but the presence you bring into every interaction. That kind of presence is what defines real empathy. Can AI Agents Deliver Empathy That Feels Real? They are delivering responses that feel emotionally aware enough to shift expectations. AI agents are now used in everything from customer service to onboarding, internal training, and employee feedback. They respond in real time, they don't take things personally, and they don't get flustered. That consistency is changing how people define empathy. When a bot replies with, 'It sounds like you're frustrated, and I want to help,' people feel acknowledged. And while the bot doesn't actually care, it still sounds better than being brushed off by a distracted manager. That's where empathy begins to shift from being a human-only strength to something people expect from technology. Why Are People Starting To Trust Empathy From AI Agents? Because machines respond without judgment. They use reflective phrasing like, 'That makes sense,' or 'Let me make sure I've got this right.' Those responses are becoming the standard. People want that same tone from their managers, not just from their devices. Trust is now shaped by tone and timing. A chatbot that replies promptly and respectfully is often preferred over a human who seems rushed or dismissive. That shift is pushing leaders to become more aware of how they express empathy. How Can Leaders Show More Empathy Than AI Agents? Start by showing curiosity. Ask yourself: when was the last time you considered how your tone affected someone else? AI systems have been trained to sound supportive, and leaders need to take the time to show that same support. Krister Ungerböck, author of 22 Talk SHIFTs, shared a powerful communication tool called 'empathy guesses.' Instead of asking someone how they feel, say, 'Are you feeling stuck or maybe a little discouraged?' Even if you're wrong, they'll usually offer a correction. That correction leads to deeper communication. Real empathy comes from that moment of correction, not just from getting it right. Are You Handing Off Empathy To AI Agents Without Meaning To? This often happens behind the scenes when follow-ups are automated, welcome messages are scripted, and difficult conversations get delayed until someone else handles them. The more this happens, the more employees associate empathy with bots and not with you. Empathy requires paying attention. It's the pause, the thoughtful response, and the willingness to let someone talk longer than expected. Leaders still have the chance to model that kind of connection. How Can Leaders Build Their Empathy Muscles Back Up? Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, once explained to me how simple phrases can shift everything. He recommends labeling emotion over asking questions. Say, 'It sounds like that was overwhelming,' instead of 'How did that make you feel?' People are more likely to open up when you reflect something they recognize in themselves. AI can replicate the pattern. But a leader can offer context, memory, and a shared history. That's the kind of empathy people remember. What Can You Say To Show Empathy That AI Agents Can't Match? Try saying, 'That sounds like it took a lot out of you,' or, 'Thanks for trusting me with that.' These phrases tell someone they matter. AI doesn't reflect after a meeting. It doesn't lie awake wondering how to repair a strained relationship. You do. That awareness is the core of empathy. How Do You Keep Practicing Empathy When AI Agents Are Getting Better At Faking It? Here are a few ways to stay grounded in human connection: Why Real Empathy Still Belongs To Leaders, Not AI Agents AI agents will continue improving their tone and speed. But they won't notice the subtle shift in a team member's mood. They won't connect the dots between yesterday's stress and today's silence. They won't ask, 'Are you okay?' because they remember how someone looked the day before. The leaders who pay attention to these things, who pause to reflect, who say what's hard to say, are the ones who still build trust. Empathy requires staying present, and that presence can't be programmed. As expectations shift, the question becomes: who are your people turning to when they need empathy? The answer should still be you.
Reuters
17-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Workforce in Crisis: 72% of Managers Fear Productivity Collapse as Mass Retirement Strips Critical Skills
STUTTGART, Germany, March 17, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- A mass retirement wave in retail, manufacturing and other key frontline sectors is threatening to drain industries of critical expertise. New global research from Flip, the frontline employee super-app, in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, reveals that 59% of frontline workers over the age of 55 are planning to leave the workforce in the next five years. Almost three quarters (72%) of managers across retail and manufacturing are not confident their companies will be able to retain the knowledge and expertise lost when experienced workers retire. At the same time, younger workers feel undervalued and disconnected, with 48% of Gen Z employees considering leaving frontline industries entirely due to poor onboarding, lack of training, and limited career progression opportunities. The landmark study surveyed 1,500 frontline managers and employees, offering a critical insight into the scale of the workforce crisis. It uncovered that this coming retirement wave could mean severe brain drain, as experienced workers leave en masse, taking valuable knowledge with them. The productivity of the current workforce is already suffering, particularly due to widening skills shortages in manufacturing and retail. Frontline employees spend an average of 14 hours per week, per month—equivalent to 4.5 months annually—helping colleagues compensate for knowledge gaps, instead of focusing on their own tasks. This inefficiency translates to a substantial financial loss, costing the US economy $177.8 billion in the retail sector alone. A workforce at a breaking point: 90% of frontline managers miss performance targets each year due to a lack of skills on their team. Frontline managers are struggling to onboard and upskill their teams, with 96% reporting skill gaps in their workplace. Training failures are driving talent away, with one in three (30%) frontline workers saying their company lacks the right technology to support new hires. Gen Z is in the firing line once again, with 89% of managers saying they lack the technical skills required. Meanwhile, Gen Z feels undervalued—while managers question their skills, 50% of Gen Z employees say their work is overlooked because of their age. Compounding the issue, Gallup research shows that employee engagement in the U.S. has plummeted to its lowest level in a decade, with only 31% of employees engaged in 2024—matching figures last seen in 2014. Meanwhile, 17% of employees are actively disengaged, further exacerbating workplace productivity challenges. This decline highlights a growing disconnect between workers and employers, making it even harder to retain and develop talent in industries already facing critical skill shortages. "Industries that power our economies are facing a critical skills cliff edge," said Benedikt Brand, co-founder and CEO of Flip. "In frontline sectors, expertise is often passed down verbally or stored on paper—unlike office roles, where digital records create a natural knowledge trail. When experienced workers retire, this knowledge risks disappearing entirely. Businesses must act now to capture and digitize critical expertise, ensuring a smooth transfer to the next generation. Without it, productivity will stall, and these industries will struggle to stay competitive." Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence, added: 'The new generation gap isn't just about age—it's about who has essential work skills and who doesn't. The research shows many employers aren't doing enough to transfer knowledge to younger workers before older employees retire.' 'There's a lot of goodwill, with experienced workers wanting to support new hires, but no one has the time or tools they need to train effectively,' Schawbel concluded. Without immediate action, industries risk a dual-generation talent vacuum, further deepening economic instability. For further insights and the full research findings, click here. Flip partnered with research firm Workplace Intelligence to survey 1,500 global frontline managers and employees in the US, UK, and Germany in January 2025. About Flip Flip is an award-winning employee experience platform designed for enterprises with hard-to-reach workforces. Its secure and easy-to-use app acts as a single digital interface between a business and its employees, helping them streamline everything from internal communication to onboarding to shift planning and task management—at scale. From the moment employees are hired, they have what they need to be happier and more productive at work. Flip was founded in 2018 in Germany and featured by Gartner and Wired. Top companies like Bosch, Porsche, Rossmann and McDonald's Germany use Flip to reach, engage, and transform their workforces in over 72 countries. Visit to learn more. Workplace Intelligence is an award-winning thought leadership and research agency focused on the world of work. We help companies and their executives tell their workplace stories in a meaningful, relevant, and impactful way through primary data, insights, and interviews. For more information, visit and subscribe to the Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter. Media Contact ### SOURCE: Flip
