Survey: Employees Crave AI’s Precision with Human Leaders’ Emotional Intelligence

New data from Resume Now finds that, even with support for workplace AI growing, most employees feel “the most human parts of management still belong to people, not machines.”

In a recent survey of 968 U.S. workers, Resume Now asked respondents about their use of ChatGPT and other AI tools for workplace communication, emotional support and career decision-making. The poll also included questions regarding trust in AI, comfort with AI leadership and the impact of AI on productivity and workplace dynamics, according to Resume Now.

Overall, the results suggest that “employees are open to AI playing a leadership role in tasks that depend on logic rather than emotion,” according to Resume Now. For example:

• 73% support AI having a say in major organizational decisions such as hiring, layoffs and budgeting
• 66% of respondents said AI leadership would make the workplace more fair and efficient
• 64% said that motivating teams is something only humans can do well
• 57% said that only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
• 55% believe AI could make better promotion decisions than humans

“[Workers] see potential in AI’s ability to minimize favoritism, improve consistency and make complex decisions using data. For workers, this could mean clearer expectations, more transparent evaluations and fewer subjective decisions when it comes to promotions, reviews and resource allocation.”

Still, the survey sees employees drawing “a clear line when it comes to emotional intelligence and interpersonal leadership.” For instance:

• 64% say motivating teams is something only humans can do well
• 57% say only humans can truly empathize and understand emotions
• 53% believe only humans can make tough or morally complex decisions
• 37% are concerned about AI’s lack of empathy
• 29% worry AI leadership will make the workplace more impersonal and stressful
• Only 19% trust AI with resolving team conflicts

Such findings show employees’ “desire for balance: a blend of AI’s precision and human leaders’ emotional intelligence,” according to Resume Now.

“Workers don’t want to replace their managers with machines. They want leadership that combines the best of both worlds: AI for structure and fairness, and humans for inspiration and understanding. People value leaders who listen, motivate and navigate emotional situations with care—and that’s something AI just can’t replicate yet.”