A new report from people development company Lepaya reveals that 82 percent of employees feel workplace demands are evolving faster than their skills.

The Evolution of Skills 2030 report indicates that advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), are outpacing employee skill development. According to the report, 40 percent of employees identify technological advancements as the primary driver of evolving workplace skills.

With skills now having an average lifespan of just 2.5 years, the report suggests that organisations without relevant, up-to-date skill sets are at greater risk of layoffs and employee burnout. To counter this, HR priorities are shifting toward intentional learning – a method that encourages employees to reflect on and apply acquired skills in an evolving work environment.

Digital and AI Transformation Pose Greatest Challenge

According to the Evolution of Skills 2030 report, 35 percent of HR, learning and development (L&D), and business leaders cite digital and AI transformation as the most significant challenge currently facing businesses. Talent retention and shifting customer priorities follow, with 27 percent and 24 percent of respondents highlighting these as concerns, respectively. The report points to a need for renewed focus on skills such as basic AI proficiency, creative thinking, and resilience to manage the impacts of these evolving demands on the workplace.

René Janssen, CEO and Founder of Lepaya, said, “Organisations need to adapt to a new reality that, with advances in new technology such as AI continuing to gather pace, the shelf-life of some skills is rapidly decreasing. In order to catch-up with advances in the workplace, organisations need to be more intentional with their training programmes to remain resilient and agile.
“Organisations that adopt a mindset of continuous learning and invest in future-proof skills will not only navigate change more effectively but will turn disruption into opportunity.”

Intentional Learning Gains Momentum

Lepaya’s research shows a rising interest in intentional learning. Since 2022, this approach has seen a steady increase in popularity, with over 6,000 hours of intentional learning recorded across more than 500 businesses in the first half of 2024 alone. The report’s data suggests that intentional learning has become the second-most trained skill.

This emphasis on intentional learning aligns with findings that HR leaders are encouraging employees to take a proactive approach to skill development by self-identifying areas for growth. The report suggests that such initiatives allow employees to better navigate the demands of emerging technology and respond to organisational changes with greater flexibility.