According to a report published by Slack, an HR Tech platform for workplace productivity, 92% of workers with 'The Problem Solver' persona identify themselves as early tech adopters and 77% of them express excitement about how Artificial Intelligence streamlines their work processes.

The report covers over 15,000 desk workers across nine markets, including 2,000 workers in India. It identifies diverse workplace personas in India and their impact on technology and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. India, with its diverse range of workplace personas, is at the forefront of AI adoption, driven primarily by Problem Solvers and Expressionists.

The four types of Indian employees driving advancements and progress in the field of AI within the country are: 

1. The Problem Solvers 
2. The Expressionists 
3. The Detectives 
4. The Road Warriors 

An analysis of each workplace persona, including their characteristics and AI adoption preferences, revealed that 'The Problem Solvers' and 'The Expressionists' are leading the way.

The study emphasized that the most common personality type in Indian workplaces is 'The Problem Solver,' representing 23% of the total workforce. These workers are renowned for their technical expertise and automation skills. Moreover, they exhibit unmatched enthusiasm for adopting AI in their work. Approximately 92% of these workers consider themselves early technology adopters. When it comes to integrating AI into their work, 43% eagerly leverage AI to enhance their productivity. Therefore, they actively seek external tech training, contributing to India's highest AI usage rate, which stands at 54%, closely followed by Singapore at 34%.

The second type of workers who are equally enthusiastic about AI adoption in India is 'The Expressionists’ constituting 21% of the total workforce. They can be identified by their 'strong visual communication style’ and their way of prioritizing informal engagements in workplace interactions by using emojis, GIFs, and memes. Notably, 72% of Expressionists prefer visual tools to add meaning to conversations, as compared to only 29% of regular desk workers. Also prominent in South Korea with 15% of the total workforce and in Singapore with 12% of the total workforce, they believe in making workplace communication more fun and lighthearted by leveraging visual technologies for effective communication. 

The third type of Indian workers contributing to AI adoption consists of The Detectives. However, they make up only 16% of the workforce, which is smaller compared to the first two personality types. Detectives in Indian workplaces are known for their knowledge-sharing capabilities and curiosity. They tend to be self-reliant, with approximately 93% of them preferring to find solutions to their problems independently. In contrast, France has a higher percentage of employees identifying as Detectives, at 38%, followed by the UK at 34%, and the US and Germany at 33%. Interestingly, the report suggests that the reason behind the relatively lower number of Detectives in India is that this attribute is more common among older workers, as opposed to younger talent.

The fourth type of worker contributing to AI growth in India is the 'Road Warriors’. They are equally less prevalent, similar to the Detectives. These workers comprise only 18% of the total workforce and are known for their preference for flexibility and remote work connections. Japan has a higher percentage of such workers, with 28%, followed by Singapore with 26%.

The key characteristics of Road Warriors include being outgoing, adaptable, and valuing flexibility in terms of work arrangements. They prefer working from different locations and according to their schedules. Many of them collaborate with geographically distributed teams, and only 17% work in groups with a physical presence, emphasizing the importance of flexibility in their work style and location.

Sharing insights on the study, Derek Laney, Slack Technology Evangelist for APAC Salesforce said, “As India's various work models continue to evolve, our research has found that every workplace, whether it has five or 5,000 employees, comprises a diverse ecosystem of personalities, skills, and approaches. In India, Problem Solvers and Expressionists are helping to drive technological transformation at work with their enthusiasm for AI and innovative communication styles.” 

He added, “While Detectives and Road Warriors may be less common in India than in other markets, fostering diverse teams is pivotal for productivity. Having a range of workplace personas not only makes our work days more interesting but allows for different strengths to come together. No two employees are alike and businesses need a platform that enables a range of different styles of work to be successful.”