Only 8% of HR leaders believe their managers currently possess the skills needed to use artificial intelligence (AI) effectively, according to new findings from Gartner.
Gartner's survey of 114 HR leaders, conducted in July 2025, highlights that despite this low confidence in managers' AI capabilities, one in three HR leaders report their organisations expect higher performance from employees who use AI.
AI as management support
Carolina Engels, Senior Principal, Advisory in Gartner's HR practice, emphasised the potential benefits of appropriate AI deployment:
"When deployed correctly, AI-augmented management - automating routine tasks that don't require human input and supporting day-to-day management decisions with timely, AI-driven insights - enables managers to focus on being more strategic, human-centric, and impactful."
The survey further showed that 79% of HR leaders believe HR functions should prioritise enabling and motivating employees to use technology in ways that contribute to organisational growth. This figure points to a prevailing view that supporting employees and managers to use AI is important, even as their current skill levels are seen as inadequate.
Building AI capability in management
With leader and manager effectiveness ranking high on the agenda for Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs), Gartner recommends several actions to address the skills gap and improve the use of AI among managers. These include establishing clear guidelines, co-designing roles, fostering human-centric leadership, and developing targeted learning programmes.
Among Gartner's recommendations is the need for CHROs to collaborate closely with their counterparts in Legal and Risk management to create direct guidelines for the use of AI within the workplace. This includes defining ethical standards, setting boundaries for data use, and outlining approval processes for implementing AI tools. Doing so, Gartner asserts, is a necessary first step before seeking to scale up AI use for wider performance benefits.
Another recommended action is for CHROs to work directly with managers to identify tasks most suitable for automation, such as compiling data, drafting performance reviews, or providing real-time feedback on client deliverables. Involving IT in the process is also advised to ensure technological feasibility.
Role evolution should not occur in isolation, Gartner notes. By partnering with learning and development (L&D) leaders and HR business partners, CHROs can review existing workflows to identify suitable areas for quick improvements, while co-designing how job roles may evolve alongside AI adoption.
Human-centred focus
Engels additionally underscored the importance of adopting a human-centric approach:
"By focusing on human-centric leadership, CHROs can help managers effectively communicate AI-driven insights to their teams. This lays the foundation for creating a positive employee experience when it comes to AI."
This could involve selecting AI applications that help deepen workplace relationships, such as providing managers with information to enhance coaching efforts, or convening groups of managers to discuss challenges and opportunities related to AI support.
Training and learning
Despite broad organisational ambitions to use AI, only 14% of organisations offer support to managers in integrating generative AI into daily work tasks, according to Gartner's August 2025 survey.
Gartner recommends the creation of AI literacy programmes to help managers and employees adapt, combining hands-on learning, internal resources, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Such programmes, developed by L&D and IT teams, should blend digital skills with leadership competencies, including role-specific onboarding to prepare managers for working with AI.
Engels added:
"The currently available and the emerging AI tools landscape is flipping the manager role from managing information and decisions to coordinating insights and predicting the needs of employees. While AI should not be used to replace managers, it can be used as a tool to empower them to spend more meaningful time with their direct reports."
The findings highlight both the gap between expectation and current skill level, and practical actions CHROs can take to support managers in a work environment increasingly shaped by AI.
