A new Ricoh study of 2,000 workers across Canada and the U.S. exposes a workplace technology training gap — and HR is positioned to close it
The technology is arriving before the training does. A new study makes that clear, and the findings carry a direct mandate for HR. It covered more than 2,000 employees and business leaders across Canada and the United States.
The Workplace Technology Adoption Gap study was published by Ricoh USA in October 2026. TRUE Global Intelligence, the in-house research practice of communications firm FleishmanHillard, designed the study. It surveyed 1,511 employees and 506 business decision-makers across both countries between September 3 and September 11, 2026.
For HR leaders, the data presents both a diagnosis and an action item. The gap between what leaders believe about their technology investments and what employees are experiencing is consistent, measurable and closeable.
Why AI is widening the confidence gap in Canada
The disconnect is sharpest on AI. Canadian decision-makers are placing greater focus on AI than their U.S. counterparts. Forty-three percent ranked it as their top investment priority, against 32 percent in the U.S. Yet 59 percent of Canadian employees still report friction with those tools. AI also recorded the lowest employee-reported productivity gains of any technology category tested.
That pattern holds across the board. Between 91 and 94 percent of decision-makers expressed confidence in the value their organizations were getting from every tool category. More than half of employees said the same tools created friction or extra work in their day-to-day roles.
The training deficit driving the gap
The study identifies a specific breakdown in how workplace technology reaches employees. Only 52 percent of the workforce said their organization provides training before they are expected to use new tools. Decision-makers were considerably more optimistic — 76 percent believed they were already doing this.
The communication gap starts even earlier. Only 54 percent of employees said their employer explains why new technology is being introduced and how it is expected to help. Among decision-makers, 77 percent believed they were providing that context.
The pattern is not new. AI training investment has consistently lagged behind tech spending at Canadian firms. In a separate Capital One Canada survey, more than half of respondents said their employer had directed most resources toward tools rather than people development.
Employees were also asked what would drive greater workplace technology use. Better integration with existing systems ranked first. Easier access to the right tools ranked second. Training came third, cited by 36 percent — yet decision-makers ranked insufficient training as their primary explanation for low adoption.
Where AI deepens the divide
The guidance gap is particularly pronounced. Only 66 percent of employees said they had clear direction on how to use AI responsibly at work. Among decision-makers, 90 percent believed that guidance was already in place.
A further gap separated the two groups on how AI is actually being used. Decision-makers believed 79 percent of employees were using AI for high-value work. Employees put that figure at 48 percent — a 31-percentage-point difference.
Canada’s AI skills gap has been widening as worker confidence fails to keep pace with deployment. Employees are using the technology, but they aren't being equipped to use it well.
How can HR leaders close the workplace technology training gap?
Employees at organizations that sought their input before rollouts reported substantially higher productivity gains and more frequent tool use. For AI, weekly adoption rates were 83 percent among that group vs. 58 percent where input was not sought.
Only 43 percent of employees said their organization consulted them before rollouts. Among decision-makers, 71 percent believed they were doing so.
What the Ricoh data makes clear is that the gap is a training problem before it is a technology problem. Structured pre-rollout consultation, role-specific onboarding, and clear guidance frameworks for AI use are all within HR’s existing remit. Organizations that invested in that groundwork saw measurably better outcomes. HR leaders who own that process — and who track and report on its results — are building the evidence base that justifies a broader role in how technology is selected and deployed over time.
