HR teams are buckling under mounting AI pressures, with 95% of HR leaders reporting rising workloads while three in four organisations still have no AI workforce plan, according to new UK research.
New research from The Coders Guild reveals that 95% of HR leaders report rising workloads, while 91% say their responsibilities have increased over the past year as they take on AI workforce planning, employee training, governance, recruitment redesign and organisational change. As AI transforms workplaces at unprecedented speed, a new challenge is emerging that organisations may be overlooking: the growing pressure on HR teams expected to lead that transformation.
Yet despite these expanding responsibilities, only 24% of organisations have a documented AI workforce strategy, meaning three in four employers are entering the AI era without a clear plan for preparing their people.
The findings suggest many organisations continue to treat AI as a technology project rather than the workforce transformation it represents – leaving already stretched HR and learning teams to bridge the gap. The research builds on a growing body of evidence highlighted by Fair Play Talks that organisations are investing in AI faster than they are preparing their people to succeed alongside it.
HR CARRYING WEIGHT OF AI TRANSFORMATION
The research paints a picture of HR teams becoming the driving force behind organisational AI adoption. Alongside their existing responsibilities for recruitment, employee relations, compliance and wellbeing, HR and learning professionals are increasingly being asked to:
- redesign workforce skills programmes
- develop AI governance policies
- introduce AI into recruitment
- upskill employees
- improve productivity
- support organisational change
- prepare leaders for AI-enabled workplaces
However, fewer than one-third feel fully prepared for the task. Although 67% of HR leaders describe AI adoption as a strategic business priority, only 23% of HR departments have received AI-specific training themselves, highlighting a significant capability gap.
LACK OF WORKFORCE PLANNING
Perhaps the report’s most striking finding is the lack of workforce planning. While 78% of HR leaders expect AI to significantly change workforce skills requirements within the next three years, only 24% of organisations currently have an AI workforce strategy. That means most employers are embracing AI without a clear roadmap for future skills, job redesign, workforce planning, employee development and organisational capability.
The findings reinforce another recent global study covered by Fair Play Talks, which found HR leaders are the least confident members of the C-suite that organisations are ready for AI, warning businesses may be underestimating the workforce transformation required to realise AI’s full value.
They also echo separate research showing that many organisations remain focused on helping employees use today’s AI tools rather than preparing them for the entirely new jobs AI is expected to create tomorrow.
WORKPLACE WELLBEING MATTERS
While AI is often promoted as a way to improve productivity, the research suggests it may also be creating a new source of workplace pressure. Many HR professionals report feeling caught between growing boardroom expectations and limited internal capability. Rather than reducing workloads, AI implementation is adding another major transformation programme to already demanding roles.
“The people carrying this are already stretched,” Crispin Read, Founder of The Coders Guild. “They’re being asked to prepare a whole workforce for one of the biggest changes to how we work that any of us have seen, on top of recruitment, retention, compliance and everything else that lands on them in a normal week. The line I hear again and again is, ‘I kept telling myself I’d learn AI when things calmed down. They never calmed down.’ That’s not a failing on anyone’s part. It’s the reality of running a busy team right now.”
Read said leaders do not need to become AI engineers to lead effectively but should develop enough understanding to make informed decisions, establish sensible guardrails and help employees use AI responsibly. The findings reflect wider concerns around employee confidence and AI adoption.
The growing workload facing HR teams also comes as employees grapple with the unintended consequences of AI adoption. Earlier this year, Fair Play Talks reported that two-thirds of employees spend up to six hours a week correcting or reworking poor-quality AI-generated content, highlighting that many organisations are still navigating the practical realities of AI implementation rather than realising the productivity gains often promised. Together, the findings suggest AI is creating new forms of work alongside new efficiencies, placing additional pressure on both employees and the HR teams supporting organisational change.
Earlier this year, Fair Play Talks also reported that almost half of employees fear AI is making them less intelligent, highlighting growing anxieties around critical thinking, trust and workplace confidence.
RAPIDLY CHANGING AI RECRUITMENT NEEDS
The report also suggests AI is reshaping how organisations recruit talent. It found that 71% of HR leaders expect AI to transform recruitment within two years. Yet 55% of managers admit they do not know how to assess AI capability during recruitment.
At the same time, demand for AI skills continues to grow rapidly. The research found:
- 68% of employers expect AI literacy to become a standard workplace skill within five years.
- 67% of AI vacancies require fewer than three years’ experience.
- Employees with AI capability can command salaries 20% to 25% higher than colleagues without those skills.
- HR professionals with AI expertise can earn up to 25% more than peers lacking AI capability.
The findings suggest employers increasingly value practical AI capability over traditional qualifications.
AI CAPABILITY & TRAINING
The report also highlights AI training as an increasingly important attraction and retention tool. It found:
- 64% of employees say AI training would make an employer more attractive.
- 47% believe AI skills will become essential for career progression within two years.
- Employees receiving AI training are 35% less likely to actively seek another job.
As a result, organisations investing in workforce capability may gain a competitive advantage in both recruitment and retention.
The findings support previous Fair Play Talks reporting showing 70% of workers believe they are ready to use AI, yet only 39% of business leaders believe their workforce is prepared, illustrating a continuing disconnect between employee confidence and executive perceptions.
GOVERNANCE GAPS REMAIN
The research also raises concerns around AI governance. It found that:
- 62% of HR professionals worry about AI governance and compliance risks.
- 54% of organisations have no formal policy governing employees’ use of AI tools.
As AI adoption accelerates, governance is becoming as important as technology implementation. That reflects Fair Play Talks’ previous reporting on the need for organisations to embrace responsible AI, balancing innovation with transparency, accountability and employee trust.
PRESSURE TO DELIVER ON AI INVESTMENT
The research comes as businesses continue searching for measurable returns from AI investment. Earlier this year, Fair Play Talks reported that seven in 10 organisations could reduce AI spending if returns fail to meet expectations, highlighting increasing pressure on organisations to demonstrate business value.
At the same time, separate research found seven in 10 employers believe AI can help solve skills shortages, even as three quarters of workers fear the technology will reduce employment opportunities, illustrating the growing tension between business expectations and employee concerns.
Meanwhile, another global survey revealed eight out of 10 CEOs believe AI could ultimately cost them their own jobs, underlining how profoundly artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership itself.
REGIONAL & SECTOR AI ADOPTION CHALLENGES
The research found significant disparities in AI readiness across sectors and regions. Construction, manufacturing, hospitality and social care were among the least prepared industries. Only 14% of construction businesses provide formal AI training. Additionally, fewer than 10% of social care organisations offer structured AI workforce programmes.
Regional inequalities were equally stark. While London, the South East and East of England lead AI readiness, organisations across the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to lag behind. Only 17% of organisations in the North East currently provide structured AI training.
GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS
The findings suggest organisations should stop viewing AI purely as a technology initiative and instead recognise it as one of the largest workforce transformation programmes many businesses have ever undertaken. Employers should consider:
- Develop a clear AI workforce strategy before expanding AI adoption.
- Equip HR teams with the time, resources and authority to lead transformation effectively.
- Invest in AI training for HR and people managers before rolling out organisation-wide programmes.
- Redesign jobs and career pathways alongside AI implementation.
- Introduce robust AI governance policies covering employee use, ethics and accountability.
- Monitor workload and wellbeing among HR and learning teams to reduce the risk of burnout.
- Measure AI success through workforce capability, employee confidence and organisational readiness, not just productivity gains.
As organisations continue investing heavily in artificial intelligence, the research suggests the greatest risk may not be whether the technology works, but whether the people responsible for making it succeed are being given the support they need.
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