AI Ambition Outpaces Ability: The Skillforce Imperative

HR's AI Wake-Up Call: Skills, Not Software, Decide Who Wins

Companies are investing in AI at full speed. The question HR must answer: can your people keep up?

Skillsoft's 2025 Global Skills Intelligence Survey sends a clear signal. Only 10% of HR and learning leaders believe their workforce has the skills to meet business goals in the next 1-2 years. The biggest gaps: leadership, AI proficiency, and core technical skills.

The AI Sprint With a People Bottleneck

Skill gaps aren't new, but today they set the pace of growth. Nearly a third of leaders say missing skills are blocking entry into new markets. Most organizations have learning programs-few call them effective.

Only 1 in 5 say learning is aligned to business goals. That means AI adoption is outpacing workforce readiness. Spend climbs, returns stall.

The Visibility Gap

A common blind spot: leaders think AI use is lower than it is. Employees report using AI for 30%+ of tasks at 3x the rate leaders expect. If you can't see skills in real time, you can't plan with precision.

The Confidence Trap

More than 9 in 10 HR leaders say employees overstate capabilities-especially in leadership, technical skills, and AI. Confidence reads like competence on paper. In execution, projects stall and pressure lands on managers.

As Ciara Harrington, Skillsoft's chief people officer, puts it: "Skill overstatement distorts workforce capability. The result is stalled transformation, worsened skill gaps, and added stress on team members. This is why skills intelligence is so critical."

Employees Feel the Risk-But Action Lags

Nearly half of workers see AI as a job risk. Over 60% are considering upskilling or reskilling. Yet only about 4% are actively training in AI today. Awareness is high. Follow-through is low. That gap is your opportunity-or your threat.

Barriers Slowing Transformation

• Resistance to change: cited by 4 in 10 HR leaders
• Burnout: a third say exhausted teams are less willing to adapt
• Short-term focus: urgent work crowds out long-term skill building

Harrington's advice is blunt: "Balancing current operations with long-term planning is critical. Make upskilling part of how work gets done."

What a Ready Workforce Looks Like

Readiness isn't "more training." It's training that matters-personal, timely, and applied.

• Adaptive learning: content that adjusts to current skill levels
• Real-time feedback: fast signals to correct course as people learn
• Safe practice: simulations and scenarios tied to real work
• Role-based paths: skills mapped to business outcomes and career growth

Retention follows. A previous Skillsoft study found over a third of tech pros left due to lack of growth. Growth isn't a perk. It's a business requirement.

The Human + AI Skillset

As AI moves into core operations, human judgment matters more, not less. Critical thinking, systems thinking, and ethics are now hard requirements.

Harrington frames it this way: "Critical thinkers keep humans in control of AI. They assess responses in context, spot inaccuracies, and know when oversight is needed."

This is the rise of the "skillforce"-organizations defined by dynamic capabilities, not static job titles. "Building a skillforce isn't optional. It's the new foundation for growth."

HR Playbook: 90 Days to Real Readiness

Days 1-30: Define and Measure

• Name the work: List top 5-7 business outcomes for the next 12 months.
• Map the skills: For each outcome, define 3-5 critical skills (technical, AI, leadership).
• Baseline objectively: Use role-based assessments, work samples, and scenario tests-not self-ratings.
• Set thresholds: Define "ready" levels per role and gap percentages by team.

Days 31-60: Build and Deliver

• Create learning paths: Role- and level-specific, 4-6 weeks each.
• Blend formats: microlearning, projects, and labs with feedback loops.
• Practice with AI: Require weekly use-cases tied to real tasks (analysis, drafting, QA).
• Manager enablement: Provide 1:1 coaching guides and team practice agendas.

Days 61-90: Prove and Scale

• Track leading indicators: skill assessment deltas, time-to-complete tasks, rework rates.
• Tie to outcomes: pilot teams must show faster delivery, higher quality, or lower cost.
• Adjust paths: kill low-impact content; double down on what changes behavior.
• Operationalize: schedule quarterly reassessments and automatic path updates.

Build Skills Intelligence (So You Stop Guessing)

• Common skills language: a practical taxonomy linked to roles and outcomes.
• Continuous assessment: quarterly checks via projects, code/tests, and scenario reviews.
• Usage telemetry: safe, privacy-first signals on AI adoption in daily work.
• Performance linkage: skills and behavior change tied to business KPIs.

Where HR Can Start This Week

• Identify three AI-critical roles (e.g., product manager, analyst, recruiter) and define their top five skills.
• Run a light assessment sprint with 10-15 people per role; publish anonymized gap heatmaps.
• Launch a 30-day learning path with weekly practice tasks and manager check-ins.

Why This Matters Now

Skills are the limiting factor. Without them, projects stall, opportunities slip, and top performers leave. If you're investing in AI, readiness can't be a side project-it's the center of strategy.

As Harrington says, "In the Human + AI era, training has to sit at the core of the business." The window for action is open. Use it.

Helpful Resources

• Explore AI upskilling paths by job