Talent is a top Board risk, new research finds
- Talent shortages are the third-biggest risk Boards name and the only major one inside their control.
- Culture occupies meaningful Board time for only one Board in ten.
- Four in ten Boards are pursuing AI for internal efficiency, but only one in six highlights workforce impact as a concern.
Talent shortages rank as one of the biggest risks facing UK Boards, yet the people agenda occupies little of their time, according to new research from Eton Bridge Partners.
“At the moment, most Board discussions about AI focus on the technology itself, what it can do and where it can add value. That’s understandable. But as adoption grows, Boards need to give equal attention to the people questions, including what work remains, who does it, and whether that work is fulfilling. Governance needs to keep pace with that shift.”
Olivia Sharp, Head of Board Practice and Partner, Human Resources Practice at Eton Bridge Partners
The Board & CEO Insights Report 2026, the firm’s survey of UK Chairs, NEDs and CEOs, finds that talent is the third-biggest risk Boards identify (behind economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability) and the only major concern that sits inside an organisation’s own control. Yet despite its importance, the people agenda does not receive proportionate Board attention, with culture and workforce engagement taking meaningful time for just one Board in ten.
The same pattern appears on AI. Four in ten Boards say they are pursuing AI for internal efficiency, but only one in six are concerned about workforce impact, even though successful adoption depends on skills, capability and organisational adaptation.
Succession planning shows a related disconnect. 30% of respondents point to over-reliance on the current CEO as the main barrier to effective succession planning, with Chairs, CEOs and NEDs all within a few points of each other. Almost a quarter of CEOs said underinvestment in leadership development is the next main barrier; almost no NEDs agree.
