Almost three quarters (73 percent) of Romanian respondents believe that generative AI (GenAI) will have a certain impact on their workplace, shows a report titled How Work Preferences are Shifting in the Age of GenAI, published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network and The Stepstone Group.

Also, 55 percent of those surveyed want to reskill and retrain in order to adjust to the new context, while 40 percent would do it only if necessary, and 5 percent don’t plan on this at all, a release states.

Worldwide, three quarters of employees believe that GenAI will bring a certain level of change to their workplace. Despite the uncertain times, they remain confident in their position on the labor market: 57 percent of them are ready to retrain for new positions to advance their careers.

As far as the negotiation position is concerned, 60 percent of the Romanian respondents consider that they have an edge when it comes to negotiating for a new job, and 65 percent declare that they are approached by potential employers at least once a year, 12 percent – once every few years, and only 23 percent report that they have never been contacted by recruiters.

Regarding their adoption of AI, only 23 percent of Romanians report using this technology on a regular basis, compared to 29 percent of the French and 39 percent of the Americans. 23 percent of Romanians have never heard of AI, compared to 14 percent of respondents globally, the report indicates.

The findings of the survey highlight the proactive approach that employees are taking in response to the impact of GenAI. By prioritizing reskilling and development, they not only prepare to adjust to technological change, but also express confidence in their ability to thrive in an evolving job market. This adaptability is essential to maintaining a robust and resilient workforce in the face of continuous technological advances.

„We are seeing a rapid evolution and maturation of employee views towards AI, as well as a crucial recognition that a commitment to continued reskilling will ensure long-term employability,” said Jens Baier, Managing Director and Senior Partner of BCG and leader of the firm’s work in HR excellence, as cited in the release.

From the perspective of important factors for choosing a workplace, financial aspects are a priority for Romanian employees, followed by the balance between personal and professional life, as well as the relationship with superiors. Globally, the most valued factor is job security.

Romanian employees are also sure about what they don’t want. Thus, 69 percent would refuse an attractive job offer if they had a negative experience during the interviewing process. Moreover, 35 percent of employees say they would not work for companies that do not offer the possibility of working from home or remotely, and 41 percent value workplace diversity and inclusion.

The survey How Work Preferences are Shifting in the Age of GenAI collected responses from 150,735 employees from 188 countries and is the second part of the 2024 edition of the Decoding Global Talent series. The survey in Romania was carried out on a sample of 1,074 respondents.

AGERPRES