Working with, not against, AI in the workplace
To get their organizations and employees artificial intelligence-ready, employers need to have a high-trust culture, involve their people early in the process and always prioritize humans.
“The most successful companies neither ignore nor abuse AI,” Paulo Preciado, executive advisor partner for the Caribbean and Central America at Great Place to Work, said during a presentation at the Society for Human Resource Management–Puerto Rico Chapter’s (SHRM-PR) 2025 conference held recently at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo.
High-trust culture
A high-trust culture creates a work environment based on credibility, respect and fairness where employees feel psychologically safe, respected, and supported by leaders and colleagues. Companies with high-trust cultures see stronger financial results, faster innovation and lower turnover, Great Place to Work reported.
“Trust is the main ingredient for business,” Preciado told News is my Business during a post-conference interview. “So instead of telling your employees that AI is coming after you’ve made the decision and have a plan for implementation, you should involve them during conception and evaluation. That way, you can address their questions, fears and concerns from the start.”
As AI delivers improvements, it introduces risks like potential job displacement. One way to calm job-loss fears is to clearly communicate to employees the purpose of AI in the company, Preciado said.
“This helps them understand not just how but why the company is adopting AI. When people understand why and what for, they’re less afraid and more likely to retain trust and join the effort. Some will leave the job regardless because they do not feel comfortable with a new way of doing things,” he said.
Humans vs. AI
McKinsey & Co. identifies four archetypes of employee sentiment that can help companies understand where encouragement might be needed:
- Doomer (4%): AI will not align with human values, regardless of deployment method.
- Gloomer (37%): Above all else, AI needs to be closely monitored and controlled.
- Bloomer (39%): AI needs to be developed iteratively and with a diverse range of inputs.
- Zoomer (20%): AI development should be entrusted to developers to maximize speed.
Another way to address employees who fear AI in the workplace is to remind them that the technology itself is not a threat, Preciado said.
“It’s not that AI will put you out of work. What can put you out of work are the people who know how to work with AI,” he said.
“Companies that are certified as Best Places to Work value their employees — their experience, loyalty, etc. — and AI can’t replace that,” Preciado said.
“These companies will help their collaborators develop professionally to reach their full potential while using AI. Some jobs will change slightly, while other functions will disappear. What organizations need to do, now that the job landscape is changing radically, is adjust career paths — create new ones that include AI,” he said.
“As a business strategy, you should adopt AI as long as it doesn’t affect people in a negative way but instead helps them maximize their potential. If you bet on people, your business results will be much better,” he said, adding, “Brands that jump to replace their humans with AI put their credibility and reputation at risk.”
Employers should recognize subject matter experts (SMEs) in their staff and enable them to use AI to strengthen the business. If the system becomes so efficient that it no longer requires SMEs to handle it, those experts should be reskilled for other positions where they can follow new career paths and continue to be of value to their employers, Preciado explained.
“Actualization never ends. You have to constantly update your business plans,” he said.
Puerto Rico’s challenge
A high-trust culture and thoughtful implementation of AI is especially important in Puerto Rico. Unlike other nations in the region, Puerto Rico has the distinctiveness that its people, as U.S. citizens, can easily migrate to the U.S. mainland for better job opportunities. They are also bilingual and tend to have a higher education level.
“So, when it comes to employee or talent retention, Puerto Rico is doubly challenged, not only with local competition but with stateside competition,” Preciado said.
An employee retention strategy in Puerto Rico should include cultural values because “orgullo” Boricua (Puerto Rican pride) can drive people to stay or return to the island, he said.
Preciado offers this final piece of advice: “Remember that tools are to be used for good. You can have a hammer in your hand and build a beautiful house, or you can break someone’s head.”
