AI is changing teams faster than leaders can talk about it
A Great Place To Work India study of HR leaders shows the hardest part is not the technology itself but trust, performance assessment and honest conversations about job security.
According to the study, one in four HR leaders expects AI to reduce headcount at their company by 1 to 20 percent within two years. Almost half say it is too early to judge the long-term impact.
44 percent worry that high performers who use AI tools well are pulling ahead of the rest of the team. 32 percent see employees unsure which AI outputs they can trust without checking. 21 percent of managers don't know how to assess performance in AI-supported teams, and 26 percent of employees feel leadership isn't addressing job security clearly.
High burnout holds steady at 13 percent, but discretionary effort has fallen 4 percent since 2023.
What this means for organisations: introducing AI is first and foremost a communication and leadership project. Leaders need language for talking about uncertainty, new criteria for assessing work, and a way to make sure no one on the team is left behind.
Source: People Matters, 7 września 2026 (badanie Great Place To Work India)