Professionals urged to mentor younger staff on workplace culture, AI

Seasoned administrative professionals must step up as mentors to a younger generation whose workplace expectations have been shaped by social media and artificial intelligence, their national body has warned, cautioning that without guidance, new entrants risk falling foul of everything from dress codes to the Computer Misuse Act.

As Barbados marked Administrative Professionals Day, the President of the Barbados Association of Administrative Professionals (BAAP), KerryAnn Deane, urged seasoned workers to mentor younger entrants who may have a skewed perception of workplace culture.

Deane spoke to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Wednesday, where discussions centred on artificial intelligence. She noted, however, that while the technology was advancing, younger employees still required structured training in its proper use within the workplace.

“They are seeing some of this technology for the first time in the office environment. Yes, they have cell phones, they have tablets, but what they use it for then, and what they want to use it for in the working environment are two completely different things. It’s best that when they come in, they get trained, because out there, when they use the tools, they don’t think about the security aspect of it. Think about the consequences of what they do. Look at the Computer Misuse Act.”

She also stressed the importance of understanding boundaries despite freedom of expression, particularly in relation to dress, deportment and professional interaction, noting that guidance was critical in the early stages of employment.

“What you see on the internet, they may think that this is the norm but then you also have to remember a lot of this is AI-generated, so you have to be able to differentiate what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. When they come into the world of work, there’s an orientation session. You go through the [standard operating procedures] and you let them know what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. Some cases there are codes of disciplines, where you can break down what is the dress code.”

This was why some companies had moved to implement uniforms, removing uncertainty around appropriate attire in the workplace, she added.

Deane further indicated that some younger employees displayed higher levels of absenteeism or frequent use of sick leave, which could be interpreted as pushback against workplace expectations.

“They need to differentiate the balance between the personal life and the working life. The two don’t always go together, so unless they realise and accept that, you’ll always find that pushback where oh, I cannot do this, so I going to stop at home tomorrow or they tell me I can’t do this, Iam going to take sick leave or I have things to do on mornings before I get to work, so when I get there, I get there but then that also falls back onto the fact that they don’t take pride in what they do. So they need to be encouraged to perform at their best.”

At the same time, the BAAP president encouraged experienced administrative professionals not to feel threatened by AI, but instead to embrace it as a tool.

“What I find is that administrative professionals, especially the older ones, they see AI as something that’s intimidating their job but me personally, I don’t see as intimidating my job. I have actually recently been utilising some form of AI in my job, and I realised that it is a tool. A lot of other administrative professionals are embracing it.”

She urged professionals to adapt and make use of the technology, highlighting training and mentorship as critical to its effective integration:

“Aim to move ahead of the times and not be left behind. We have to use the tools that are presented to us. We have to find a way in which it works to our benefit, so we don’t see it as a threat, we see it as a tool as a way to enhance our jobs. That comes through training.”

(LG)