FRESH TAKES ON BIG IDEAS

One of my best friends, a doctor, recently told me that she’s using AI to help take notes and synthesize data from patient exams. When I asked how she is using her time savings, she explained that she can now engage more closely with patients. 

“I’m being a better human—and a better doctor,” she said. 

That conversation connects deeply to many of my discussions with CEOs about the importance of developing digital upskilling programs for all employees. Yes, it’s widely understood that AI and other innovations offer potential to make organizations more productive. But the technology can also help grant workers, managers, and senior leaders more time to deliver personal attention to colleagues, customers, and stakeholders. It’s important that organizations don’t forget to include essential human-centric skills like critical thinking, empathy, and communication in their upskilling efforts as they help teams build their digital capabilities.  

The real magic of upskilling happens when organizations use it to boost efficiency while helping employees reach their full potential in the workplace. It’s critical for companies to foster a culture of continuous learning to unlock these benefits. 

The pace of change is dramatically faster in the AI era than it was during previous times of technological transition. The need to shift from a “know it all” to a “learn it all” culture—a concept coined by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella—has never been more urgent than it is now.

While an increasing number of CEOs I speak with embrace the idea of adopting a learning culture, their ranks are still markedly low. Our recent survey of more than 80 leaders of tech-focused US companies reveals that just 28 percent of organizations plan to invest in upskilling programs over the next two to three years. Meanwhile, we have found that more than 90 percent of companies plan to increase their investments in AI over the next three years.

“The real magic of upskilling happens when organizations use it to boost efficiency while helping employees reach their full potential.”

Many frontline employees are actually ahead of executives in identifying the need for upskilling. Nearly half of the employees we surveyed say they want more support and training. In fact, employees view the need for new or different skills as the top barrier to expanding their career opportunities.

To address that need, leaders need to step up and create more effective upskilling opportunities for employees through formal training and other resources such as coaching, mentorship, and job rotations. The days of one-size-fits-all, academic-oriented trainings are over. Upskilling programs should be personalized and emphasize practical learning with immediate real-world applications. They should help employees feel more comfortable and confident about collaborating with and supervising AI agents. 

One CEO I recently worked with explained that he wants to create a culture in which everyone feels responsible for assessing and addressing their skill gaps. To establish a robust culture of learning and ownership, organizations must allow employees to take charge of their own learning journeys and focus on accumulating new skills—including human-centric capabilities—that are tied to the organization’s long-term strategy.

A key factor in enhancing an organization’s upskilling approach is reimagining and strengthening the role of the learning and development function itself. For many years, companies viewed learning and development as part of the HR department’s menu of responsibilities for getting new employees up to speed. Leaders must now view learning and development as a critical enabling function—and take accountability for helping to infuse it into every level of the employee life cycle, from goal setting to incentive plans to career development. Executives also need to be held accountable for the impact of upskilling programs on business outcomes. AI technology can be of assistance here, helping to reshape learning for the benefit of employees. For instance, AI can help companies develop effective upskilling approaches across functions and quickly analyze feedback to provide timely suggestions about how to improve learning experiences. 

In this new environment, leaders are also on their own learning journey. They need not only to keep up with the breakneck pace of innovation and identify the best strategic uses for new technologies but also to reimagine their own roles. In the age of AI, the best leaders will blend digital fluency with human depth. Strengthening traditional soft skills—for example, being more vulnerable, inspiring, compassionate, and humble—will help them lead employees through this period of massive disruption. More than ever, leaders must learn to become powerful storytellers who can give their employees a sense of meaning, purpose, and vision.

AI advancements will continue to have wide-ranging effects on why and how companies enhance their upskilling efforts in the years to come. But as leaders sharpen their focus on the technology and its promise to boost productivity, they must still remember to put people first.

—Edited by Eric Quiñones, senior editor, New Jersey

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Brooke Weddle is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Washington, DC, office.