New research reveals a third of Gen-Z professionals now use AI tools to get work-related answers before they ask their manager or colleagues. This shift is creating a significant challenge for HR and leadership, who must now bridge a new kind of “management gap.”
The findings, from talent solutions partner Robert Walters, highlight a change in workplace communication. Almost 40% of all UK professionals are asking their line manager fewer questions thanks to AI. This trend suggests that AI is no longer just a productivity tool, but a substitute for day-to-day guidance and information.
Chris Eldridge, CEO of Robert Walters UK&I, comments that while AI can enhance productivity and cut down on waiting time for answers, it also introduces complications. “They also introduce complications by outsourcing decision-making, keeping managers out-of-the-loop and limiting opportunities for analytical thinking or idea sharing,” he explains.
The Management Training Gap
The growing reliance on AI exposes a crucial disconnect in many businesses. The Robert Walters report found that a majority of managers—71%—have not received any training on how to manage their teams in an AI-enabled workplace. Out of the fifth who did get training, more than half felt it was too limited.
This lack of guidance puts managers on the back foot. They are already dealing with heavier workloads, which makes them less available to their teams, inadvertently opening the door for AI to act as a substitute. Eldridge warns that this could erode manager-employee relationships and disrupt the vital flow of knowledge between junior and senior professionals.
“Ignoring this problem now could erode manager-employee relationships, disrupting the flow of knowledge between younger and more senior professionals and creating significant experience and skills gaps in the future workforce,” he adds.
This dynamic is particularly concerning given that many young professionals are already wary of management roles. Research from 2024 revealed that 69% of Gen-Z professionals want to avoid management, largely due to the perception of these roles as too ‘high stress, low reward.’ As a result, many employers are facing a double challenge: an aversion to management from younger talent, and a lack of support for those already in leadership roles.
The HR Imperative: Equipping Leaders for a New World
Instead of viewing AI as a threat, businesses must focus on equipping their managers to work alongside it. AI can handle simple queries, freeing up managers to focus on higher-level, strategic, or insight-driven work.
“Managers that take an active role in AI implementation within their organisation will experience the most success,” says Eldridge. By helping their teams use AI to save time and increase autonomy, managers can then invest their own time in activities that truly enrich the relationship. This includes things like active problem-solving sessions, collaborative idea generation, and mentoring.
For HR and people teams, the takeaway is clear: develop and implement specific protocols and training around AI use. This is not about a new tool, but about a new way of working. Companies that fail to do so risk not only poor productivity but a breakdown in the crucial human connections that underpin a successful employee experience.