Gallagher’s findings reveal that around 71% of organisations neglect to offer internal communicators direction on the implementation of AI technology.
According to Gallagher’s 2023/24 State of the Sector report, which drew insights from more than 2,300 communication and HR leaders across 56 countries, found that 1 in 10 communicators, 13%, were unsure if their organisation was using AI.
The State of the Sector report reveals that AI users are three times more likely to anticipate workload reduction and 20% more likely to foresee enhanced communication quality. While AI can boost efficiencies, Gallagher advises prioritising foundational skills and training for optimal returns.
Moreover, 84% of communicators rely on managers for communication, yet 3 in 5 find manager communication lacking. About 18% cite poor people manager communication skills as a top barrier to success in 2024, prompting organisations to deploy various strategies for improvement.
State of the Sector also assessed communicators’ wellbeing, revealing a 38% decrease in 2023. Challenges like employee attention spans, leadership buy-in, and increased workload likely contributed to this decline.
Gallagher’s global managing director Ben Reynolds says: “For many organisations, it’s the Wild West with regard to how they are adopting and implementing AI. Because so few organisations have an AI plan, we can connect the dots to better understand why half of the respondents, 50%, are skeptical or even fearful about the impact of AI. That said, with an AI plan in place, the technologies may help communicators overcome what they’ve identified as two of the top three barriers in 2024, which are the lack of time and lack of financial resources.
“Managers who were evaluated on their communications skills were twice as likely to meet/exceed expectations as those who were not evaluated. And those who weren’t evaluated/accountable were more likely to receive tools, training & resources.
“Communicators are a passionate bunch who are focused on making meaningful changes within their organisations. Rather than putting more weight on their shoulders, the goal of Gallagher’s State of the Sector report is to offer benchmarks and guidance to ultimately improve the employee experience, as well as their own.”
