AI overtakes salary and burnout as top influence on India's workforce

AI has overtaken pay and burnout as India's biggest workplace priority, with 71 per cent of workers using it to solve problems or plan careers, according to a new workplace trends report

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has overtaken traditional motivators like pay and burnout as the strongest influence and leading priority in shaping how Indians approach their work, according to hiring platform Indeed’s 2025 Workplace Trends Report.

The report found that 71 per cent of workers in India now rely on AI to validate ideas, solve problems, or plan career moves as naturally as consulting a colleague or manager. For many, AI has moved beyond being a support system to becoming a trusted workplace collaborator.

 

“India’s workplace is changing in practical ways — how people learn, how they schedule work, and how they manage careers,” said Rohan Sylvester, Talent Strategy Advisor, Indeed India. “Organisations that provide clear learning paths, flexible options, and career support will be better placed to retain talent.”

 

The study, the first edition of an annual series, highlights how technology, shifting values, and changing priorities are redefining the country’s professional landscape.

 

Skill nomadism and micro-retirements redefine work norms

 

The report highlights a rise in what it calls “new and experimental work norms.” Employees are increasingly embracing skill nomadism — moving between roles and continuously learning new skills to stay employable — and micro-retirements, short intentional breaks to rest, retrain, or explore side projects.

 

Other patterns, such as “bare-minimum Mondays” and moonlighting, show how workers are experimenting with flexible routines to maintain balance between work and well-being. The report also identifies reverse mentoring and discreet AI-assisted work (“AI moonshining”) as growing practices.

 

A generational shift and widening disconnect

 

Surveying 3,872 people, including 1,288 employers and 2,584 employees across 14 industries, the study found a widening gap between how employers and workers interpret these trends.

 

While 42 per cent of employers view job-hopping, brief office appearances (“coffee badging”), or quiet quitting as disengagement, 62 per cent of employees describe them as adaptive strategies to navigate change.

 

Gen Z workers are particularly experimental, with 68 per cent of entry- to junior-level employees reporting that they test new learning or career strategies. In total, 75 per cent of employees engage in at least one of these modern work behaviours.

 

What’s driving the change in work culture?

 

Flexibility and autonomy (43 per cent) emerged as the top drivers of these workplace shifts, followed by stress and burnout (37 per cent) and job security concerns (30 per cent). Personal factors such as job redundancy, family responsibilities, and stagnation also play significant roles.

 

The report traces the roots of these shifts back to the arrival of generative AI in 2022, which changed how employees approach productivity and career development. While some workers adopt flexible or AI-driven methods to stay relevant, others resort to quiet quitting or “career cushioning” as safety measures.

 

Indeed’s data shows that one in five employers has seen attrition rise by over 20 per cent in the past year. Nearly half believe emerging work trends have eroded productivity or performance, even if slightly. Quiet quitting, ghosting, and career cushioning were cited as key contributors.

 

Despite tightening rules around moonlighting and similar practices, companies are also beginning to normalise new patterns like micro-retirements and AI-driven routines, recognising their growing acceptance among employees.

 

AI reshaping resilience and retention in workplaces

 

Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India, said, “People are adopting experimental practices — from skill shifts to flexible routines. This is not a rebellion, but a resilience strategy. Recognising and supporting these behaviours is key for organisations to stay relevant, retain talent, and build stronger workplaces.”