Study on AI in the workplace: Germans better prepared than they expect

Press Release

Study on AI in the workplace: Germans better prepared than they expect

• Study by The Stepstone Group shows: Almost every second employee has first-hand experience of working with artificial intelligence.
• But: Many employees have misconceptions about the skills needed, to work with AI.
• The two most important skills for the successful use of AI in the workplace: communication skills and critical thinking

Duesseldorf, 04.07.2023. How is artificial intelligence changing the everyday working lives of employees in Germany? What skills do employees need, to be able to use ChatGPT and other AI tools successfully in their job? And how competent do employees rate themselves in this regard? A recent study by The Stepstone Group, one of the leading global recruiting platforms, investigated these questions. Around 3,000 employees in Germany were surveyed for the study in May 2023.
The results were clear: many are already experiencing the use of AI at work. Around 34 percent feel rather confident with using AI and 10 percent feel very confident. Almost half (49 percent) already use artificial intelligence at work. In addition, The Stepstone Group's survey found that around four in ten people (38 percent) expect to be able to learn new skills thanks to AI, and a third expects productivity to increase. "In times of the great people-shortage, we will be dependent in the future on being able to do more work with fewer people in the long term," says Dr Tobias Zimmermann, labour market expert at The Stepstone Group.

Communication skills more important than skills in data analysis   
However, the study also shows that many people are wrong when it comes to the AI skills they will need in the future. In their view, digital competency as well as data analysis and interpretation are by far the most important skills for the successful use of AI in everyday work. Competencies such as communication skills, critical thinking and adaptability are rated as being less important by them.¹ "Many employees are unsettled. They believe that now everyone has to become a data and technology professional," says Zimmermann. "Yet we don't need in-depth technological knowledge in the everyday use of AI after all. Of course, it is important that we can use the tools - but above all we must be able to categorise the results appropriately. While skills such as digital literacy and data analysis and interpretation are important, communication skills, critical thinking and the ability to adapt to new situations are at least as essential. Communication competency is the basis of successful interpersonal cooperation. To continue this successfully in the future with the support of AI, empathy, creativity and contextual understanding are needed - human qualities that no robot can take over."

AI skills: employees are well positioned
It is these qualities that employees in Germany consider themselves to be particularly strong: According to the study, they rate themselves best in the areas of critical thinking and communication and adaptability.² "Employees are better prepared for the AI revolution in the labour market than they think. So they can face the developments calmly. At the same time, they should take the opportunity to train themselves further. Those who can operate AI tools safely and routinely gain time to devote to human, communicative tasks - which will be more important than ever in the future for success at work," Zimmermann sums up. Incidentally, ChatGPT is also of this opinion: if you ask the tool which skills are most important for its successful use, it answers that communication skills and critical thinking are more important than data analysis and the like.³

On methodology and data basis:
¹ Please rank the following skills from 1 to 5 in terms of usefulness for the successful use of AI in everyday work. (1= useful, 5= least useful, ranking based on mean values).
1. digital competencies (2.2)
2. data analysis & interpretation (2.6)
3. communication skills (3.2)
4. critical thinking (3.4)
5. adaptability (3.7)                                                                                                                

² How do you yourself rate your competency in these different skills on a scale of 1-10 (1 stands for "not at all pronounced" and 10 stands for "highly pronounced" - ranking based on mean values):
1. critical thinking (7.5)
2. communication skills (7.3)
3. adaptability (7.2)
4. digital competencies (6.9)
5. data analysis and interpretation (6.8)

³ Actual ranking of skills in places 1 to 5 in terms of their usefulness for the successful use of AI in everyday work (sorted by ChatGPT). (1= useful, 5= least useful).
1. critical thinking
2. communication skills
3. data analysis & interpretation
4. adaptability
5. digital competencies

About the AI study by The Stepstone Group
We are currently experiencing the next big revolution in the labour market. And we are all part of it: artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the world of work as we know it. Automation, increased efficiency and new job opportunities are just some of the expected effects. What opportunities does AI offer the working world in Germany and how do employees view the use of AI? The Stepstone Group investigated these and other questions in an online survey. More than 3,000 people took part in the survey from mid-May to early June 2023. Of these, about 24 per cent have leadership responsibilities, while about 19 per cent work in recruiting. The results are representative of the working population in Germany.

About The Stepstone Group 
The Stepstone Group is a leading global digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. The Stepstone Group connects more than 110 million job applications with over 150,000 employers every year. With its integrated platforms, The Stepstone Group simplifies the candidates job search as well supporting recruiters with AI-powered solutions for the entire recruitment process. In 2022, The Stepstone Group generated revenue of around €1 billion. The Stepstone Group operates in more than 30 countries - including Stepstone in Germany, Appcast in the USA and Totaljobs in the UK. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany and employs around 4,000 people worldwide. For more information: www.thestepstonegroup.com/en/

Contact
The Stepstone Group Media Relations
press@stepstone.com