by HRHQ Editorial Team
Irish organisations are falling behind in preparing their workforces for the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence, according to new research from CIPD, the professional body for HR. The latest HR Practices in Ireland study, conducted with the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick, reveals that only 19% of employers believe their leaders are fully equipped to operate in an AI‑driven environment.
This gap in readiness comes despite almost two thirds of organisations identifying automation, technology and AI as major strategic concerns. The report highlights a significant disconnect between awareness of AI’s importance and the practical steps being taken to prepare for it. Fewer than half of employers have established clear guidance on AI use in the workplace, while just one third have provided employees with any form of AI‑related training.
HR professionals themselves are acutely aware of the challenge, with more than two thirds naming AI skills as their top development priority for the year ahead.
“AI is evolving at a pace that many organisations are still trying to adapt to,” said CIPD Ireland’s Country Director, Alison Hodgson. “The key for employers is to take an agile, practical and iterative approach, experimenting, learning and continuously refining how AI is used in the workplace. At the same time, organisations must ensure employees are supported through ongoing training and upskilling so that the benefits of new technology can be shared across the workforce.”
Beyond AI, the survey of 330 HR professionals points to wider pressures: 91% report skills shortages, 75% cite cost‑of‑living challenges, and 73% say the housing crisis is making recruitment significantly more difficult.
