Decoding Global Talent 2024: UK workers are open to reskilling to make the best out of GenAI
The second report in the Decoding Global Talent series by Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group) and the Boston Consulting Group unveil the changing work preferences of workers in the age of generative AI (GenAI). Discover how UK workers compare to the rest of the world when it comes to confidence, adaptability to new technologies and openness to learn.
Produced by Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group) and the Boston Consulting Group, the Decoding Global Talent series draws on insights from over 150,000 workers in 188 countries to look at the priorities of international talent and the trends impacting them. The first report Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends, looked at where, how and why talent is willing to move abroad.
The second report in the series, Decoding Global Talent 2024: How Work Preferences Are Shifting in the Age of GenAI, looks at expectations and preferences of workers in a new technological landscape and offers guidance to employers on how they can grow, evolve and upskill their workforce for the future.
Key findings from Decoding Global Talent 2024: How Work Preferences Are Shifting in the Age of GenAI
- Over half (51%) of UK workers feel they have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating a job offer. Their top dealbreakers that drive them to reject an offer are a negative impression during the interview (53%) and a bad experience during the recruitment process (38%).
- Nearly half (47%) of UK workers believe aspects of their job will be shaped by AI.
- The majority (82%) of UK workers are familiar with Gen AI, but only a third use it regularly, falling beneath the global average of 39%.
- Positively, over 2 in 5 (43%) UK workers are willing to reskill. However, this is lower than the global average of 57%, highlighting the need for greater employer and government investment in this area.
- To make the best out of this technology, workers are calling for more information on which skills to learn (47%) and greater employer support (30%).
What are worker expectations in a rapidly evolving tech landscape?
Workers in the UK feel confident about picking the best job opportunity available, with 51% saying they hold a strong negotiating position. This confidence isn’t unfounded as over 1 in 3 (35%) get approached with offers weekly and almost 1 in 4 (23%) get approached monthly.
So, what are the priorities of workers when choosing the best job opportunity?
Following economic ups and downs and introduction of AI into the workplace, workers are prioritising three things the most; good work-life balance, job security and financial compensation.
Since the pandemic, a good-work life balance has gained significant importance for UK workers and has so far remained a top priority. As 2023 proved to be a challenging year in terms of the cost of living, rising inflation and the excitement (as well as hesitation) around AI, job security was the second key priority for UK workers.
With rising living costs; such as food and energy bills, rents, and mortgages, financial compensation also climbed up the ranks. As a result, we saw wages in the UK increase and talent prioritise paid time off, pensions and bonuses.
Top priorities for UK talent in 2024
- Good work-life balance (up +1 position from 2020)
- Job security (+4 positions from 2020)
- Financial compensation (first time in top 10 since 2018)
- Good relationship with colleagues (down -3 positions from 2020)
- Appreciation for your work (-1 position since 2020)
While work-life balance was equally important to workers from all age groups, learning and development came third for those 20 and younger and up to 30 years old. With younger people also more likely to regularly use GenAI (47% of those under 30), learning opportunities around this technology can make employers attractive to young talent.
What are the dealbreakers causing UK talent to reject offers?
Even when an attractive offer comes along, over half (53%) of UK workers say they would turn it down if they had a negative impression during the interview. This was followed by having a bad experience during the recruitment process (38%).
Therefore, conducting fair and engaging interviews with candidates is essential to reduce the number of offer rejections. At the same time, employers can carve out more time for HR or hiring managers by automating certain tasks with AI in the recruitment process. The right mix of technology and human interaction can improve the candidate experience.
Over 1 in 3 (36%) also said they would reject an offer if their potential employer’s products or services had a negative impact on society. 31% said it would be a dealbreaker for them if their potential employer didn’t have a diverse or inclusive environment.
30% of UK workers said they would reject an offer from an employer who doesn’t offer mental health or wellbeing benefits, as well as options to work from home or remotely. Over a quarter (29%) of workers said not having attractive family-friendly benefits is a dealbreaker.
The findings above specifically point to workers expecting work-life balance, especially for those who may have caring duties. Our research on returning to work after maternity leave found that 66% of all workers found employers who offer family-friendly benefits more attractive.
Finally, 1 in 5 (20%) said they didn’t want to work for an employer that doesn’t have sustainability or environmental initiatives. Our previous research shows that working for a sustainable business is a motivator for employees, with 4 in 5 candidates saying they would have a higher job satisfaction working for a sustainable employer.
What do UK workers expect GenAI to change?
Adapting to new technology has become a part of our working lives. Already, a third of UK workers use GenAI regularly and younger people lead the way.
Almost half (47%) of those who are under 30s use GenAI either daily, weekly or monthly. Top uses of AI for UK workers are writing tasks (37%), learning and research, administrative tasks (34%) and creative tasks (27%).
Nearly half (47%) of workers in the UK believe aspects of their job will be shaped by AI, with 31% thinking their job won’t be affected at all. According to The World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs Report 2023’, AI could disrupt 44% of workers’ skills within the next 5 years, with 6 in 10 workers requiring training before 2027.
This aligns with our findings, as 2 in 5 (43%) UK workers are willing to reskill, but almost half (47%) call for more information on which skills to learn and 30% want more support from employers.
Following information on ‘what skills to learn’, UK workers want better learning programs (40%), more support from their employer (30%), more time (28%) and more financial resources (23%) to adapt to using GenAI.
Those who use AI also report some barriers of the technology, such as; unavailability of data or credible sources (32%), slow speed or other technical issues (31%), difficulty in writing prompts, lack of other skills (28%), low output quality (14%) and biased output (9%).
In the UK, reports show that 68% of large companies and 34% of medium-sized companies have embraced AI technology. However, adoption rates remain low in the UK compared to global averages.
Businesses need to develop an AI adoption strategy and offer training to staff to unlock AI’s potential. As workers want to remain competitive and secure, showcasing AI training opportunities within your business would also contribute to your employee value proposition, especially with younger workers and those looking to future-proof their skills.
AI offers a unique opportunity to transform recruitment through innovative, technology-driven processes. Moreover, AI has the potential to substantially enhance skill development and foster a genuinely human-centric workplace.
Sebastian DettmersCEO of The Stepstone Group
Unlock the full insights from Decoding Global Talent 2024: How Work Preferences Are Shifting in the Age of GenAI
Read the second report, Decoding Global Talent 2024: How Work Preferences Are Shifting in the Age of GenAI, in our Decoding Global Talent series to learn more about what UK talent expects from their employer when it comes to the recruitment process, work preferences and GenAI. Find out how future-proofing your workforce can set you apart in talent attraction and retention.
About the research
Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group), BCG and The Network (together with its affiliate organizations) conducted this anonymous online survey from October through December 2023. 150,735 people in 188 countries participated.
The survey elicited respondents’ preferences at work and their perception of GenAI and its impact. It covered topics such as evolving work preferences and attitudes, factors that might lead respondents to reject an attractive job offer, the extent to which they have adopted and now use GenAI in professional and personal contexts, perceptions of GenAI’s impact on their jobs, and willingness to reskill to remain competitive.
The data gathered in the survey — including a wide variety of information on participants’ demographic and professional background — enabled us to analyse workers’ attitudes on the basis of multiple parameters. BCG also conducted follow-up interviews with select study participants around the world — many of whom were interviewed before and have been followed for several years.