Young AI-savvy workers are the solution to productivity problems in Asia: WorkdayAPAC President

And even if you’re still more productive, you haven’t. Fast enough to catch up Throughout the 2010s, major companies in developed markets like the US, and major companies across Southeast Asia Productivity has been improved Below the global average. (In comparison, China was able to catch up.)

“In almost all Asian markets, productivity as a measure of GDP divided by per capita GDP is stagnant or reduced,” says Simontate, Asia-Pacific President of Workday. “Every executive I talk about is concerned about productivity,” whether it’s due to aging population, poor public policy, or the rise of remote work.

In the past, Asian companies have had simple solutions to productivity problems. It’s just throwing more people into this issue. Cheap labor allowed manufacturers and businesses to expand without damaging margins.

However, as Asian economies become richer and older, hiring more people has not been the easy solution before. “There’s no one anymore,” says Tate. “There’s no more productivity you can get from just throwing people into the problem.”

Let the young people take over

Executives like Tate often get AI, especially “Agent AIhelps to increase productivity. In theory, these new forms of AI can autonomously perform user-defined tasks and free up human employees to do more.

Almost every Asian company says they want to adopt these new technologies. A February survey by Accenture found that nine out of 10 Asian companies are preparing to employ some form of Agent AI over the next three years.

But actually practicing these models is another question. This is a different question, especially for older executives who have little to do with AI, let alone AI agents.

Tate points out that Asian workplaces will soon be home to five generations, from boomers to the so-called generational alpha, the youngest workers.

“Generation Alpha has a more advanced digital flow ency than the other four previous generations combined,” Tate said, adding that today’s HR executives are “not prepared at all” for the flood of AI-savvy young workers.

According to a recent Workday report, approximately 80% of Gen Z workers in the Asia-Pacific region want to have the most modern technology in the workplace. Just over two-thirds of these workers will consider the lack of cutting-edge technology to be negative.

But Tate believes the answer isn’t just to give younger employees space to thrive in the office. He suggests that Asian companies take it a step further and treat the younger generation as a source of much-needed expertise.

“If you look at the composition of the boards of the top 100 public companies across APAC, even advisory board positions are made up of Baby Boomers and XERS,” he says.

Tate suggests that companies consider “reverse mentoring” or let young people train older cohorts to train them in how new technology can be applied. In almost the same way that a millennial or Gen-Z founder asks someone from an older generation to play a role as director of the board, Tate suggests that established companies consider appointing younger members of society to provide their own expertise in technology and business.

“We mistakenly assume they are too young and they don’t have a good idea,” he says. “If you put a bunch of really bright, very ambitious people in the room and throw them a problem, they add value to helping them solve it.”