New hires prefer AI over managers for onboarding, NKU study finds
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A new study reveals artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming the go-to resource for employees navigating their critical first 90 days in a new role.
Research conducted on behalf of Northern Kentucky University (NKU) that surveyed 1,000 Americans in new roles over the past 12 months shows that a majority of recent hires now use AI tools for onboarding support, often prioritizing them over human colleagues for speed and judgment-free assistance.
AI adoption in onboarding surges in hybrid work
This pressure to perform quickly led 68% of new employees to adopt AI within their first 90 days. Adoption was highest among hybrid workers (78%), followed by remote workers (67%) and on-site employees (60%).
The report found that when facing a dilemma, 44% would first seek AI, compared to 25% who would seek a colleague and 20% who would seek a manager.
The tendency continues in workplaces, even in conventional offices. Even among fully on-site employees surrounded by possible mentors, 41% first turn to AI.
The statistics show that this shift concerns not only convenience but also an increase in comfort with AI as a supporting or contributing resource.
Moreover, 60% of new hires felt that AI was more beneficial than their supervisors or human resources, indicating that AI is a reliable and efficient source of knowledge.
“This pattern indicates that the preference for digital problem-solving extends beyond the work environment and reflects a growing comfort with AI as a trusted first point of support,” the report notes.
AI quietly boosts confidence and productivity
In addition to offering solutions, AI tools are actively enhancing the confidence and productivity of new employees without the need for manager supervision.
By providing instant, judgment-free feedback, AI helps new staff feel self-reliant during an uncertain period. Nearly half of the participants reported that their managers did not know they used AI, indicating how well these tools have become part of their daily lives.
The impact of AI is often in the background, which can directly affect the quality of work and communication. Another important point is that 66% of new employees admitted to using AI-generated ideas or responses without disclosing the source to edit emails or write reports.
This highlights AI as both a search engine and a partner in workforce shaping, since new employees can help with this task as they gradually develop knowledge of the institution and gain self-confidence at work. As the report notes, “AI is quickly becoming more than a productivity aid.”
New hires still want human guidance
Even with the broad adoption and use of AI for its efficiency, new employees still strongly embrace human connection, which speaks to a future onboarding model that merges both resources.
Forty-six percent of new employees still believed that their manager was more likely to guide them through the recruitment process than AI, though 49% felt that AI was equally or even more likely.
Such a balance suggests that employees perceive different values in every resource: AI as speed and ability to accomplish tasks, and managers as context and interpersonal bonds.
An optimistic 75% of respondents consider AI to be significant in formal HR onboarding programs in the next five years.
Understanding this change, more than half (57%) of the respondents indicated that companies need to be proactive in offering training about the responsible use of AI, including sample prompts and policies to formalize and shape this new, blended learning reality for new employees.
“AI is redefining what it means to be new in the workplace. For many, these tools are not replacing traditional onboarding, but they’re filling its gaps, offering on-demand knowledge and reassurance,” the report concludes.
