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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

AI Adoption in HR Grows, But Skills and Policy Gaps Persist

New research from Brightmine highlights growing AI usage among HR professionals but reveals major barriers to formal adoption.

66.3% of HR professionals are now using AI in their daily tasks - marking a 12% increase from last year. However, while personal use of AI is on the rise just 3.6% have formally integrated AI into HR processes with companies citing time pressures, and skills and policy gaps as barriers to adoption.

Key findings:

Only 38.8% of respondents say that their organisation is yet to begin their AI journey with just 3.6% of organisations fully integrating AI into HR processes.

  • Time is a major barrier: 60% of HR professionals cite lack of time as a key obstacle to AI adoption.
  • Skills gap persists: 60% feel they lack the necessary AI knowledge to use it effectively.
  • Policy gap: Just 32.1% of organisations have formal AI usage guidelines.

Smaller organisations struggle but see the benefits:

  • 60% of companies with fewer than 250 employees have no AI guidelines, policies, or principles.
  • However, 100% of these small businesses report that AI has helped reduce HR workload.

Enterprise HR teams are experimenting with AI but hesitating with formal adoption: 

  • 67.5% of organisations with more than 1,000 employees have experimented with AI but have not formalised its use in HR.
  • Almost half (47.5%) has developed guidelines, principles, or a policy for the use of AI
  • The biggest potential value for enterprise HR teams is time saving (96.3%)

Sector disparities:

  • 40% of not-for-profits worry about AI’s impact on job security.
  • 45% of public sector organisations have not experimented with AI at all, compared to 35% of not-for-profits. 

“HR professionals are eager to use AI, but without the right skills and clear guidelines, there’s a risk of inconsistent use leading to poor decision-making and missed opportunities. Organisations that invest now in training, clear policies, and support can turn AI from a personal productivity boost into a strategic organisational advantage.” Sheila Attwood, Senior Content Manager, HR Data and Insights at Brightmine.  

While many HR professionals are embracing AI, some organisations still lack a clear adoption strategy. As the technology evolves, removing this divide will be key to boosting efficiency, smarter decisions, and better workforce management.