Employees are becoming increasingly comfortable with AI in the workplace, believing it makes them more productive and improves skills, but there is disconnect between business reality and assumptions.

That’s according to the latest research from global talent and technology advisory, Adecco Group, which surveyed 37,500 workers across 31 nations and 21 industries.

The Global Workforce of the Future 2025 report found that more than one in three (37%) employees fit into Adecco’s ‘future-ready worker’ model, up from 11% in last year’s report.

The model identifies workers that are equipped to navigate an uncertain workplace and maximize career opportunities as they emerge, embracing new technologies such as AI and possessing versatile skillsets.

It also found that workers believe they save two hours per day on average due to the use of AI, but evidence suggests that this is not reflected in productivity gains recorded by organizations, Adecco noted.

AI is clearly front of mind for workers, with Gen AI, AI and AI agents ranked as the top three megatrends most influencing working life.

This is happening in real time for employees, with 60% saying it is changing the activities they carry out at work now and 62% saying it has changed the skills required for their role.

They are also looking ahead to the impact of AI in the future of work. More than half (55%) of employees surveyed expect their employer to integrate AI agents into their workflow in the next 12 months.

Leaders need to understand impact of AI on people as well as strategy

Speaking exclusively to UNLEASH about the report, Adecco Group CEO Denis Machuel says employees are embracing AI “faster than ever”, but to keep pace “HR leaders need to go beyond adoption and focus on strategy, engagement and trust.”

“When people understand why AI is being used and how their work connects to business goals, they’re far more likely to thrive,” Machuel explains.

“We as leaders have a responsibility to clearly communicate our vision, showing how people and AI in harmony can contribute meaningfully to the organization’s goals.

Getting this right will drive human and business agility in the changing world of work.”

Indeed, Adecco found that 41% of future-ready workers are involved by their employers in the design of work being reshaped by AI, compared with 24% of mainstream workers.

While there was a significant increase in the number of workers deemed ready for the future of work in the 2025 edition of the report, the pace of adoption means people leaders cannot afford to ignore its impact on workers.

“We as leaders need to start by understanding the real impact of AI – not just its technological capabilities, but what it means for their people,” Manhuel says.

“By doing so, we can design teams and invest in upskilling that enables humans and machines to work together more effectively, driving both performance and efficiency to create better outcomes.”

However, he also highlighted the “clear disconnect between employees’ self-perception of productivity and what organizations are measuring” as an area of focus for people leaders going forward.

“Many believe they’re using time saved to upskill or take on more meaningful work, but those activities haven’t yet translated into measurable business outcomes. 

HR leaders need to work alongside leadership teams to define what value truly looks like and set clear parameters so that new ways of working genuinely drive both employee growth and organizational impact.”