How to build psychological safety amid employee anxiety in a changing workplace  

Did you know that six in 10 employees in our Asia study say their organizations are poor at communicating how AI or automation will improve the way they work? Although the majority of employees in Asia (58%) are also excited about trying new technologies, 31% are overwhelmed by too many tools and platforms. 

• Empower employees to embrace change by actively involving them in digital transformation initiatives, encouraging them to provide feedback and contribute ideas to shape a human-centered digital culture. 
  
  
• Determine which tasks can be automated or taken on by AI so employees can focus on higher-value work that brings their creativity and critical thinking to the fore. Redesign jobs so work is meaningful and leverages the strengths of both humans and AI and rethink the critical skills the organization needs now and in the future. 
  
  
• Upskill or reskill employees so they not only feel comfortable with using AI in their day-to-day work but also see the potential for new career opportunities arising from more agile business models. 

Although some research suggests AI will level the playing field, other sources speculate that it will deepen inequalities. It’s no surprise that on average, women are more wary of AI than men. Improving psychological safety for successful human–machine teaming is one thing, but how can businesses use AI ethically to improve outcomes for different employee groups? And, in the spirit of building trust, how can they be transparent about their progress? 

The Mercer Asia Norms Report also found that gender pay gaps are a prevalent issue in Asia, with women in the region earning less than their male counterparts. According to Mercer’s 2023 Remuneration Survey, in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Japan, for every US$1 a man makes, a woman is paid US$0.80 for the same job. 

At the same time, women may also find it more challenging to access leadership networks and get tangible support to climb the corporate ladder. Despite an almost one-to-one male-to-female ratio in the workplace, only 30% of women hold leadership positions in Asia. 

• Conduct regular pay equity analyses to identify and address gender pay gaps or inequalities. Review and standardize compensation practices and pay data across roles by analyzing data, job descriptions and market benchmarks. 
  
  
• Implement transparent pay structures and policies to clarify compensation decisions, including guidelines for performance evaluations, promotions and salary increases. Our consultants can help you establish objective criteria to help remove bias within these processes
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• Improve equal opportunities for career development by matching employees’ skills with relevant internal opportunities with the help of an internal talent marketplace. 

A psychologically safe workplace requires mutual trust between employers and employees. Building this trust is important as employees’ expectations in the workplace have changed since the pandemic — work-life balance and psychological safety have spiked in importance. Due to this change, the employee experience space has shifted from transactional efficiency to a more people-centric approach, as explored in Mercer’s recent Asia Norms Report. 

To understand employees’ anxieties and help them feel safe, organizations require effective listening tools to engage their people, whether they’re seeking to understand employees’ concerns about AI or any other business-related change. However, only 47% of organizations have continuous listening and feedback tools in place, and only 64% of employees in Asia find their latest employee engagement survey responses are used constructively by employers, which ultimately dents their trust in the organization. 

• Open communication channels and encourage discussion and healthy debate around AI to establish a “safe space” for education and learning. New technology-driven solutions may even arise from these conversations. 
  
  
• Measure employee satisfaction, motivation and alignment with organizational goals by capturing feedback in employee engagement surveys that can feed into the future design of the employee experience. Firms should leverage insights gained through employee listening and feedback to enhance the employee experience and foster a culture of belonging, redesigning the “moments that matter.” 
  
  
• Surface employee perspectives and experiences with focus groups and interviews to identify actionable insights. Keep track of key trends, such as why people stay and leave. It’s worth keeping in mind that Mercer’s data show the top three reasons individuals in Asia stay with their employers are job security, fair pay and positive work culture. Therefore, employee experience must remain a top priority. 
  
  
• Dive deep into employee feedback patterns and sentiments across different employee groups by leveraging data analysis and digital tools to understand what matters most to workers and make data-driven decisions.