In an age where AI is increasingly embedded in the workplace, perceptions are continually shifting around what skills are most important.
By 2030, the World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of workers’ core skills will have changed, and this shift is leading companies to use workplace training to fill the gap. Businesses across the country are starting to dedicate more hours to upskilling and training their people: according to a new report from ATD, the average worker clocked 16.7 hours of formal learning last year, up from 13.7 hours in 2024.
Nonetheless, higher investment and more training hours do not always convert into greater levels of learning and business impact. According to the new Frontline Workers Skills Index from Chegg – which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S.-based employers and employees across ten frontline-heavy industries – more than one-quarter of employers (26%) describe the skills gap in their industry as “serious” or at “crisis level”.
The report also finds that 30% of employers spend more than eight hours every week compensating for workforce capability gaps. Mistakes, rework, burnout, and overtime are among the most common outcomes, and 45% of employers have considered quitting their job as a result of stress brought on by understaffing or skill gaps.
Training would ordinarily be a primary way in which to plug skills gaps and remedy this situation. So why is it seemingly having no effect? One theory is that this failure originates in a profound disconnect between what employers need training programs to accomplish and what motivates employees to engage.
Employers and Employees Have Different Expectations of Training
One of the most striking findings from Chegg’s report is that, while 77% of employers say their training programs are effective, 71% of employees say training has had no impact on their pay or role. Many employees simply haven’t seen the payoff from the training they’ve been offered.
Employers and employees also have markedly different attitudes towards what skills are most lacking in the workplace. Employers identified AI and automation skills (cited by 36% of employers), followed by digital and IT skills (24%); however, employees identified leadership and people management (25%) as the skill most lacking, followed closely by communication and teamwork (24%).
Putting these two findings together, it seems that employers are prioritizing immediate business needs such as AI tools and other technical skills, whereas employees place greater value on skills that are traditionally held to support career progression, such as leadership and communication. Neither side is right or wrong: each perspective is valid, and the challenge for training providers is to find ways to satisfy both priorities.
Employers and Employees Perceive AI Differently
On AI specifically, further differences between employers and employees also came to the surface. While 83% of employers say they feel confident using AI tools, only 44% of employees said the same. Similarly, just 3% of employees believe AI proficiency is becoming critical for career advancement, compared with 18% of employers who hold that view.
Interestingly, a separate survey of workers across the UK, US and Canada by the US consultancy firm Section found that 40% of workers in white-collar jobs do not feel that AI is saving them any time, whereas just 2% of C-suite executives surveyed said the same.
This disconnect suggests that while senior leaders often perceive AI as delivering significant productivity gains, many employees have yet to experience these benefits in their day-to-day work.
It’s also possible, however, that employers are in a better position to discern where the wind is blowing when it comes to AI and workplace skills – while this awareness is taking longer to filter down to employees.
Closing the Gap
The range and urgency of skills gaps in today’s workplace may be unprecedented. Training is capable of filling these, but before it can do so, employers must ensure their training is designed with employers’ and employees’ differing expectations in mind.
While training must provide the skills that employers need, its effectiveness will be compromised if employees are not well motivated to engage. A worker who is helped to meet their own career goals through training is much more likely to apply the skills imparted than one who views it merely as a compliance or box-ticking exercise.
For businesses facing persistent skills gaps, the disconnect between employers’ needs and employee expectations may help explain why workforce challenges continue despite years of investment in learning and development. None of this means training initiatives are doomed, but it does mean that training must cater to both the immediate needs of the business and to employees’ ambitions. It can do so by providing employees with skills for their current positions, while simultaneously outlining clear ability-based routes toward career advancement and higher earnings.
Until organizations close this gap, workforce development efforts may look good on paper, with high completion rates and participation metrics – but the impact of training will continue to fall short.
