A new study by Aon has found Australian organisations are adopting artificial intelligence at pace but lagging in workforce readiness, with gaps in skills availability, employee benefits and pay transparency.
The Australian findings from Aon’s inaugural 2026 Human Capital Trends Study show 76 per cent of organisations have either fully deployed or are piloting AI. This includes 48 per cent that have deployed AI and 28 per cent that are piloting its use. However, only 24 per cent say they can recruit and retain the skills required to support AI.
“Australian organisations are moving quickly to adopt AI, but technology alone is unlikely to deliver better outcomes,” said Alex Cass, partner, Human Capital client leader for Australia at Aon. “What we are seeing is a growing need to align that investment with workforce strategy, particularly in areas like skills, leadership and workforce planning. Organisations that get this balance right are more likely to unlock long-term value from AI.”
The report also identifies workforce priorities for Australian organisations over the next three years: accelerating digital transformation in HR processes, strengthening leadership and succession planning, and improving employee engagement and retention. Aon said leadership and people management were identified as the most important workforce capability for future success in Australia.
Beyond skills, the study points to a mismatch between employer offerings and employee expectations on benefits. It found 52 per cent of Australian employers offer customised benefits, compared with 75 per cent of employees who say customised benefits are important or extremely important. The release also notes Australia’s fringe benefits tax settings as a factor shaping how employer-provided benefits are delivered and perceived.
Pay transparency was another area where Aon reported low maturity, with 13 per cent of organisations describing their practices as mature or very mature. The release suggested this may reflect the lack of extensive legislative drivers seen in some other countries.
Aon said 33 per cent of Australian organisations reported a high level of human resource data maturity, and flagged an opportunity to apply workforce insights more effectively to decisions and outcomes. It also noted that as the Workplace Gender Equality Agency increases expectations for large employers to set gender equality targets, organisations may face greater pressure to build more data-driven approaches to target setting and action planning.
“Demand for AI capability is increasing, and organisations are focusing on how to attract, develop and retain the right skills,” said Annette Hang, partner, Talent Solutions for Australia at Aon. “A more structured approach to workforce planning and reskilling can help ensure technology investment is supported by the capabilities needed to deliver meaningful outcomes.”
Aon’s 2026 Human Capital Trends Study surveyed 2,361 business, human resource and people leaders globally, including 504 respondents from Asia Pacific and 125 from Australia.
You can read the full report here.
