UK employers must find more creative and engaging methods to help employees develop essential ‘human skills’ to unlock the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), according to new research.
The study, by learning and people development specialist provider Hemsley Fraser, highlights concern over employee cynicism, gender and generational divides in learning, and anxiety about AI’s impact on jobs.
While nearly three-quarters (71%) of employers see AI as valuable to their organisation, and 67 percent recognise the importance of human skills such as critical thinking and innovation, a number of challenges are preventing effective upskilling.
Workplace disruption and frequent reorganisations are contributing to a sense of fatigue and disengagement. More than a third (35%) of respondents reported feeling tired, isolated and less effective at work due to constant change. The impact appears greater on women, with 40 percent reporting these effects compared to 31 percent of men.
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There is also evidence that traditional approaches to workplace learning are not sufficient to meet the new skills challenge, with employees demonstrating varying preferences on how and where they gain inspiration for learning.
Generational and gender divides shape learning preferences
The survey revealed that gender and age influence how employees approach learning at work. More women (17%) than men (12%) turn to their colleagues first for upskilling ideas, while more men (22%) than women (18%) prefer to search online.
Age also plays a role in learning preferences. Respondents aged 45-54 (22%) and those over 55 (23%) are more likely to seek out specialist learning providers, whereas younger employees in the 25-34 (27%) and 35-44 (23%) age groups favour content from large tech companies.
These differences suggest the need for organisations to tailor learning and development strategies to suit different employee groups, rather than relying on uniform solutions.
Anxiety over AI adoption growing among employees
The study found that nearly one in three (29%) business leaders believe that AI is creating more anxiety for UK workers in 2025 than in the previous year. Female employees appear to be feeling this pressure more acutely, with 32 percent of women compared to 26 percent of men citing increased concern.
Despite this unease, firms remain divided on how best to address the skills gap. While 36 percent believe the priority should be improving employee skills, 30 percent advocate for a performance-focused strategy.
A further 21 percent support this kind of strategy but admit it has yet to be implemented in their organisations.
Creativity in workplace learning approaches
Despite the challenges, some organisations are experimenting with new approaches. Just over a quarter (28%) of respondents said they achieved the best results through a blend of online and in-person learning. This was followed by on-the-job learning (17%) and the use of AI tools like ChatGPT (13%).
Hemsley Fraser’s CEO, Lynsey Whitmarsh, spoke of the importance of human skills in helping employees adapt to AI and preserve workplace cohesion – and warned that employees may lack the motivation to develop new skills after years of disruption and organisational change.
“Human skills are crucial, not only for people to cope with new ways of working in the emerging AI era, but also ensuring that organisations maintain their sense of connectedness and the close team interactions needed to innovate and thrive.
“Given the lack of consensus over where, and who to go to, to embed human and social-creative skills into their job, UK business leaders can’t rely on flooding learning platforms with content as a catch-all approach. Instead, employers will need highly creative and engaging learning options, enabled by technology, if they are to change their people’s behaviours, and motivate every one of their employees to learn effectively at work and thrive in their future role.”
