Companies are adopting AI more quickly than their staff can adapt

Adecco has warned that companies are accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence faster than they are preparing their workforces for the change, according to a new global study of senior business leaders. The report, The Human Premium: Leadership Beyond the Algorithm, is based on a survey of 2,000 executives across 13 countries whose organisations collectively employ more than 8.6 million people. It highlights what Adecco describes as a growing gap between AI ambition and organisational readiness.

Nearly half of executives surveyed, 45 percent, expect AI agents to be integrated into workflows within the next 12 months. However, only 30 percent of workers believe this will happen at the same pace. At the same time, while 70 percent of workers say they feel ready to collaborate with AI systems, only 39 percent of leaders believe employees are comfortable doing so.

The study also suggests that many organisations remain uncertain about how to manage the transition. Only 22 percent of leaders said they were highly confident their organisations were developing the future-ready capabilities needed to keep pace with AI-driven change. Just 31 percent believed leadership teams had sufficient AI skills and knowledge to understand the associated risks and opportunities.

Adecco said the findings point to a broader leadership challenge rather than a purely technological one. Only 36 percent of respondents said their talent strategy clearly demonstrated how AI would create opportunities for employees rather than replace them, while 39 percent said employees were directly involved in redesigning jobs affected by AI.

The UK emerged as one of the most aggressive markets for planned AI adoption. According to the survey, 59 percent of UK leaders expect AI agents to become part of workflows within a year, placing the country ahead of both the United States and Australia. Despite this, only 35 percent of UK respondents said their organisations were clearly communicating the benefits of AI to employees.

Denis Machuel, chief executive of the Adecco Group, said organisations risked undermining the benefits of AI if they failed to address issues of trust and communication. “AI may move at software speed, but organisational trust moves at human speed,” he said. “Companies that ignore that gap will struggle to turn pilots into performance.”

The report identifies a smaller group of what it terms “future-ready organisations”, described as companies that combine technological adoption with stronger workforce engagement and trust. Among these organisations, 49 percent reported mature approaches to measuring workforce trust, compared with 18 percent among other companies. They were also significantly more likely to report having adaptable workforces.

Adecco said organisations needed to focus on clearer communication around AI strategy, involve employees earlier in discussions about changing roles and career paths, and invest more systematically in skills development and governance frameworks.