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.
