As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in more HR functions, employees are increasingly facing its influence on how they're trained, reviewed, and even hired or fired. To understand how workers feel about these changes, Software Finder surveyed over 1,000 employees across industries. The responses reveal a complex mix of optimism, doubt, and concern about AI that companies should take seriously as they integrate these tools into everyday operations.

Key Takeaways

Over 1 in 5 employees (21%) have had their performance evaluated by AI-based tools by their employer.
23% of employees have felt misjudged by an AI-powered performance tool.
While about 1 in 8 employees (12%) trust AI tools for performance evaluation more than human managers, 66% trust AI tools less.
1 in 10 employees would feel comfortable being hired or fired based on an AI tool's recommendation.
Nearly 3 in 5 employees (59%) feel optimistic about AI's growing role in their workplace.
33% of employees believe AI improves their ability to succeed at work, 24% believe it threatens it, and 18% think it does both.

AI in Performance Reviews: Trusted or Misjudged?

An infographic showing who employees trust more for performance reviews.

Over 1 in 5 employees (21%) have had their performance evaluated by AI-based tools by their employer. The most likely to experience this by:
- Industry: Finance employees (39%)
- Work environment: Hybrid employees (27%)
- Generation: Gen Z employees (25%)
- Company size: Mid-size company employees (25%)
23% of employees have felt misjudged by an AI-powered performance tool.
While nearly 1 in 8 employees trust AI tools for performance evaluation more than human managers, 66% of employees trust AI tools less.
- Gen Z employees are the most likely to trust AI tools for performance evaluation more than human managers (14%).
While 1 in 10 employees would feel comfortable being hired or fired based on an AI tool's recommendation, 66% of employees would not feel comfortable, and 24% claim it depends on the situation.
- Millennials are the most likely to be comfortable with being hired or fired by AI (11%), while Gen Z is the least likely (9%).
1 in 4 employees believe a combination of AI assessments and human feedback most accurately reflects their value at work, while 70% of employees believe human feedback alone is the most accurate reflection.
- Millennial employees are the most likely to believe a combination of AI assessments and human feedback most accurately reflects their value at work (28%).

Training With AI: Efficient or Impersonal?

An infographic with claims about employees and AI training.

46% of employees have used an AI-based training or learning tool at work. The top industries that have done so are marketing (71%), finance (55%), and tech (54%).
While 26% of employees believe AI makes learning at work easier and more efficient, 42% feel it makes it more impersonal and robotic, and 32% think it's a combination of both.
- Gen X is the most likely to feel AI makes learning at work easier and more efficient (28%) and the least likely to feel it makes it more impersonal and robotic (38%).
55% of employees prefer hybrid training (AI with human support) for workplace learning.
Among employees experiencing AI-enabled onboarding, 46% feel less connected to their company as a result, while 43% feel it makes no difference.

The Big Picture: Hope, Hesitations, and Human Boundaries

An infographic showing the role employees believe AI should have in the workplace.

Nearly 3 in 5 employees (59%) feel optimistic about AI's growing role in their workplace.
33% of employees believe AI improves their ability to succeed at work, 24% believe it threatens it, and 18% think it does both.
- Gen Z is the most likely to feel AI improves their ability to succeed at work (34%), and Gen X is the least likely to feel this way (32%).
- Millennials are the most likely to feel AI threatens their ability to succeed at work (25%).
- 28% of Gen X feel AI wouldn't improve or threaten their ability to succeed at work.
Top roles AI shouldn't fill: firing, disciplinary action, and promotions or career development.
85% of employees believe a human manager or HR should make the final decision in hiring.
23% of employees claim their company is not transparent about their AI usage at work, and 34% are unsure of transparency.
- Marketing employees are the most likely to claim their company is not transparent about their AI usage at work (29%), followed by tech employees (28%).

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 1,006 employees about their company and their own AI usage in the workplace. Demographically, here are how the respondents broke down:

Generation: 3% Baby Boomers, 25% Gen X, 60% Millennials, 12% Gen Z
Industry of Work: 21% Tech, 15% Healthcare, 12% Finance, 12% Education, 7% Government, 4% Marketing, 30% Other
Company Size: 5% Micro (1-9 employees), 16% Small (10-49 employees), 24% Medium (50-249 employees), 54% Large (250+ employees)
Work Environment: 34% Hybrid, 45% On-site, 21% Remote

About Software Finder

Software Finder helps businesses compare and choose the right tools to support their teams, whether it's HR software, AI-driven performance management systems, or training platforms. With expert reviews and tailored recommendations, SoftwareFinder.com makes it easier to find software that fits your goals and grows with your company.

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How Employees Really Feel About AI in the Workplace

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