Most UK Firms Give Employees AI Tools but Not Time to Learn Them
UK businesses have invested heavily in AI tools for their workforce but are failing to give staff the time needed to actually use them effectively. New research shows 70% of UK businesses provide employees access to AI technologies, yet only 48% allocate protected time for staff to experiment with these tools.
The gap between access and adoption creates a significant drag on return on investment. When businesses spend on AI without enabling learning, the tools sit unused.
Skills Gap Emerges as the Primary Barrier
A workforce skills gap is the biggest obstacle to AI ROI, according to 54% of survey respondents. Earlier data from the same research project found that 41% of employees cited lack of effective, structured AI training or time to learn as the main factor holding them back.
Employees are explicitly asking for space to understand what AI means for their role. Instead, many organisations are moving ahead with tool deployment without that foundational learning period.
Time Investment Delivers Results
Organisations that do allocate learning time see measurable benefits. TP ICAP made a deliberate choice to give colleagues space to explore and test AI applications in their daily work. That time investment accelerated adoption, built genuine ownership, and converted technology investment into tangible business outcomes.
The lesson is straightforward: tools alone don't generate returns. People need time to work out how to use them well.
What HR Leaders Should Do
HR teams are positioned to address this gap. Building structured AI training programmes and protecting time for experimentation should be a priority for any organisation expecting ROI from its AI spending.
For HR leaders looking to develop their own AI capability and guide their organisations through this transition, resources like AI Learning Path for CHROs and AI for Human Resources provide structured pathways to address the skills gap at leadership level.
The research is clear: organisations spending on AI tools without investing in employee time and training are wasting money. The fix is not complex, but it does require deliberate action.
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