Adecco Report: 90% of CEOs Admit They’re Unprepared for AI – Talent Strategy Crisis Unfolds
SWITZERLAND 15TH MAY 2025 – A new study from Adecco reveals a grim reality. Only about 10% of companies worldwide are truly “future-ready” for the wave of transformation brought about by artificial intelligence. While investments in AI continue to increase, most leadership teams remain unaligned, unprepared in their talent strategies, and fundamentally unready to face what is ahead.
The 2025 Business Leaders Report, “Leading in the Age of AI: Expectations vs. Reality,” surveyed 2,000 C-suite leaders across 13 countries and 17 industries. The report highlights a big gap between AI aspiration and organizational preparedness. Such a disconnect is noteworthy since 60% of leaders expect employees to upskill for AI, yet 34% of companies have no policy for its use, thus leaving workers adrift in this AI transition.
“AI is moving faster than most companies can adapt, and employees need support to successfully navigate this transition,”
Said Denis Machuel, CEO of the Adecco Group.
“AI-driven transformation must be human-centric and demand a unified strategy. For organisations to stay competitive, leaders must align on a shared vision, starting with bridging the gap between talent and technology.”
In CEO circles, confidence is also being chipped away. The number of confident leaders in their AI strategies was 69% in 2024, which has dropped to 58% in 2025. At the same time, 53% of CEOs report that their teams cannot get aligned on strategic priorities, thus creating roadblocks to achieving front-stage integration of AI.
Most importantly, only 33% of companies are using data to close digital skills gaps – the major hindrance to transformation.
A small but powerful cluster leads the way, termed as “future-ready” organizations: these types are human-centric, tech-enabled, and agile, described by the four key attributes of structured AI strategy, adaptive career mobility, skills development, and tomorrow-leading.
Among these leaders, 71% are “very confident” in their AI approach (vs. 58% overall), 64% say AI improves leadership decision-making, and 65% are adopting skills-based planning, moving beyond fixed job roles.
“The difference is the mindset,” Machuel added. “Future-ready organisations aren’t simply reacting to AI. Instead, these leaders are rethinking how their business works, how talent grows, and how decisions are made. Investing in leadership development as part of a robust workforce strategy ensures that leaders can leverage the power of technology for true business impact and value creation.”
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