Indians more confident of adapting to tech innovations at work than other nationalities: Indeed

A large part of employees in India expect technology to bring about a big shift in their roles and are confident of being able to adapt to the changes, according to a survey.

Indeed’s recent report, “Tomorrow’s World: The Workplace and Workforce of the Future”, based on the survey has highlighted the evolving

employment landscape of our times as technology impacts the workforce.

It said that 54% of the people surveyed in India predicted their roles to see a major shift over five years. What was encouraging is 95% expressing confidence to be able to adapt to the changes and grow into the new roles.

This is contrary to the narratives around the future of work that have painted a scary view of how artificial intelligence ( AI) would completely transform our workplaces and how people were completely unprepared for the changes.

YouGov conducted the survey online in 11 countries for Indeed from November 30 to December 21, 2023. It covered 16,671 working professionals, including 9,592 employees, 4,592 employers/managers and 2,487 HR decision-makers. A broadly similar distribution was followed across the 11 countries.

“India is at the forefront of embracing the future of work, driven by a profound belief in the power of technological innovation,” said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India. “Our findings underscore a remarkable readiness among the Indian workforce to adapt and evolve.”

Leading in technology optimism
Across the countries surveyed, Indian workers showed the highest optimism regarding technology and AI. As many as 75% were confident of the transformative potential of such advancements. They also felt they can leverage it effectively for more innovation and efficiency across industries. This confidence percentage was higher than in other countries. It was 41% in Germany, 42% in Canada and France.

Among Indians, 44% felt that more jobs could be created — than lost — because of the opportunities AI will usher in, said the survey.

They also had a view on what tasks machines could perform better. Apart from routine tasks that can be automated, they highlighted areas such as data analysis and content creation as areas that could benefit from the capabilities of generative AI (GenAI).

“This isn’t just about adapting to new technologies; it’s a testament to a broader cultural shift towards lifelong learning and inclusivity,” said Kumar. “India’s proactive stance on diversity and continuous skill development is not just setting a benchmark but also inspiring a global movement towards a more innovative and inclusive workplace.”

The survey showed 53% saying they have had the chance to upskill themselves to develop the long-term skills needed for success; 67% also mentioned that they have access to regular training opportunities.

Focus on diversity and inclusion
Another important factor that got highlighted was the focus on diversity, equity and belonging policies. As an example, 60% of those surveyed in India said their firms incorporate unconscious bias training, which helps people to assess their own internal biases and find ways to address these. This number was lower in some of the other countries.

Respondents also assessed what impact AI could have on diversity and inclusion. In most cases, they said the impact could be positive.

Technology could empower business leaders (78%) and also themselves personally (75%), respondents said. About 73% felt it could help the employees; 74% felt it could help their colleagues and 72% felt it could support the industry peers, the survey added.