Learning agility in the workplace: Skill development never stops

The scale of change we’re experiencing today, accelerated by AI, shifting global affairs, and digital disruption, has fundamentally altered how we approach work and careers. The ability to quickly adapt is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a must. For organizations and individuals alike, learning agility has become the new competitive advantage.

Key thinkers on change management shared their perspectives with us on building adaptable organizations. Their insights explore how both talent and companies can develop the learning agility they need to thrive in a world where AI reshapes industries and the half-life of skills continues to shrink.

AI is reshaping work: Are you ready?

Long before AI revolutionized the working world, technology was influencing the way jobs were done — and the skills people needed to do them. In 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute predicted that by 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation would force 375 million workers — 14% of the world's workforce — to switch jobs or gain new skills.

Fast forward to the present.

Employees are ready to reskill, but almost half feel they’re not getting the right support. And that may come as a surprise to leaders who are hesitant to adopt new tech, believing that employee adoption is a barrier.

One thing is for sure: AI is here to stay, and its role in organizational success is indisputable. Companies that prepare — both themselves and their teams — are the companies that’ll thrive. And it all starts with development.

1. Grow talent: Reskilling and upskilling employees

The online retail sector saw four years of expected growth in just 12 months.

The accelerated digital transformation of our economy has reshaped the business landscape. For example, the online retail sector sawfour years of expected growth in just 12 months and 82% of manufacturing jobs now require medium- to high-level digital skills.

This fast-tracked evolution has sparked a surge in demand for digitalization, automation, AI and data skills from businesses looking to maintain momentum, gain competitive advantage and drive growth.

Lisa MacLaren, former Senior Vice President — Client Services, has seen the impact of this shift: "There's a huge amount of competition for anyone with digital skills. That's not only driving up the price for that talent, but it's also leaving many organizations with shortages because candidates who have those skills have greater choice about where they go."

We're seeing many organizations confronting skills issues on multiple fronts. On one hand, experienced talent is scarce. On the other, universities and colleges are struggling to keep pace with the rate of change required to produce new, business-ready talent.

MacLaren goes on to say: "Employers are starting to think about how they can grow their own talent. Identifying the abilities that their people already have that can be repurposed or retrained to fulfil needs emerging within their business — and then equipping them with the skills they need to migrate into more digitally-focused roles."

We advocate making skills development a core feature of company culture. But it's important to recognize the different ways in which people learn. Formal training may not be the best approach for everyone, so consider methods such as on-the-job learning, mentorship, coaching sessions, or online microlearning.

Fostering learning agility in the workplace is key to this approach. When employees are encouraged to continuously adapt, experiment and grow, organizations become more resilient and better equipped to meet evolving demands.

Developing your own talent not only addresses your skills gap; it also enhances your overall capabilities. Investing in current employees increases their sense of value and loyalty, and you benefit from a cohort of engaged people who already understand your values and culture.

82% of manufacturing jobs now require medium- to high-level digital skills.

2. Be open-minded: Agile recruiting to address skills gaps

87% of executives say they're either experiencing or anticipating skills gaps in their workforces. There’s a surge in demand for people with the relevant capabilities. To meet that demand, employers must learn to approach recruitment in a more agile and open-minded way.

In hiring, great can often become the enemy of good. Setting unrealistic expectations around experience, skills and location falsely constrains a pool of “good" talent that upskilling can make “great”.

Kirsten Mayer, CHRO, says: "There's an expectation to find the perfect job candidate with the right education, experience, skills, abilities and qualifications that perfectly fit their requirements. It's our job to say that we can find those with the closest possible skills — who they'll then need to upskill."

Certainly, some employers are preempting their future requirements. Kirsten Mayer adds: "A lot of our clients are focusing on upskilling graduates: building university relationships and identifying emerging talent with whom they can create a 'bond' through internships, holiday placements and 'mini jobs'. This helps them to build loyalty for the company so they can be hired later. That doesn't just get them culturally aligned, it saves them time and money on upskilling new starters."

What’s clear is that you need a plan. While businesses may claim to be interested in skills planning, it's not an easy journey. And, for many, it's still very much a work in progress.

87% of executives say they're either experiencing or anticipating skills gaps in their workforces.

3. Get planning: Skills audit to retrain and repurpose

Employers must have a strategy for developing employees’ capabilities. But that can be a challenge given that half of the knowledge held by people working in technology-based jobs will be obsolete in just 30 months.

Looking further ahead, the World Economic Forum predicts that 65% of children entering primary school will ultimately end up working in jobs that don't yet exist.

MacLaren recommends that businesses begin with a skills audit to get a picture of what their needs will look like in two to five years: "First there's the initial scoping — identifying which skill sets your people hold that could be retrained and repurposed into the new skills that you need within your business. Then you can identify the gap between where the talent currently is and where you need to get it to."

Mayer agrees: "We work with business leaders across many sectors, so we're able to share ideas from other industries on skills planning as we all work out what best practice looks like."

The World Economic Forum predicts that 65% of children entering primary school will ultimately end up working in jobs that don’t yet exist.

4. Embrace skills: Highlight skill development in your EVP

Most organizations are on some kind of AI and digital transformation journey — but many don't have people with the relevant skills needed to move forward at pace.

The resulting competition for people has two impacts. First, it drives up the price of talent. Second, it creates a “seller's market” in which candidates with the right skills have a choice about where they go. So, why should they come to you?

Mayer says it's not just about reviewing your compensation or your benefits package: "Think about your employee value proposition. How attractively are you presenting yourself on social media and on your website? Will people find you interesting and relevant to their ambitions? Remember, online review sites place employers under increasing scrutiny where negative critiques or poor employer ratings are part of a candidate’s information gathering.”

Skills development should be an integral part of any employee value proposition — not only to attract new talent, but also to retain your best people.

Skills development programs help employees feel more secure. In fact, 80% of employees say opportunities to learn and grow would increase their engagement levels. And it pays off: a LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report shows that 94% of employees said they’d stay with a company longer if it invested in their career.

Skills development should be an integral part of any employee value proposition — not only to attract new talent, but also to retain your best people.

5. Invest in the future: Commit to skills development

Skills development is an investment in the future.

It requires a significant commitment in time, resources and budget to develop skills programs that not only train, track and review people’s capabilities, but also inform your recruitment and retention plans now and for the years ahead.

While people are on their learning journey, they won’t necessarily be contributing to the bottom line. The trade-off here is that improving the skills of your employees isn’t just a gain in capability. It’s also about developing people who are already a good fit and are used to working within your culture — avoiding the time and effort required to onboard new starters from outside your organization.

But sticking with a traditional, standardized approach will just ensure that no one gets a comfortable fit.

Josh Needle, Senior Vice President — Business Development, says: “Skills development is critically important — but it has to be custom-fitted for each employee. It’s about engagement and understanding what the employees’ goals and aspirations are — personally and professionally — and adding those to whatever skills gaps you have. That’s going to give them a far richer experience — and that feeds into retention.”

Your skills development checklist

The last few years have shown us how change can be both hard-hitting and relentless.

Competitive advantage goes to businesses that build true organizational agility. Those who proactively future-proof their employees with the skills needed to not only adapt to AI-driven and other changes, but also to harness them for innovation and growth.

With continuous skills development, you’ll bolster your business against future seismic changes and gain the agility needed to thrive. Here’s how to get started: