Dive Brief:
- Basic AI skills are depreciating in value, according to a report published Monday by Workday. Among 550 employers using Workday Recruiting human resource management software, demand for basic AI skills rose through late 2025, peaked in January 2026 and then fell by a quarter over the following months.
- Two in 5 business leaders expect AI to increase productivity among existing employees, while 28% anticipate headcount reductions, Workday found. At the same time, employee advancement is stalling — more than half of employers said moves to new roles inside their company had fallen, while promotions stayed flat.
- “There's a gap right now between what organizations are asking of workers and what we're giving them to meet that ask,” Phil Willburn, vice president of people systems, intelligence and support at Workday, said in an email. “Closing that gap comes down to three things. First, acknowledge openly that roles are changing. Second, connect that change to a strategy people can see themselves in. Third, give people real agency over their own reskilling.”
Dive Insight:
Amid shifting job expectations, employers who expect workforce productivity gains should articulate a clear AI adoption roadmap.
“Organizations that skip straight to 'be more productive' without doing that groundwork are the ones seeing their most capable people quietly start to disengage,” Willburn told Channel Dive.
Nearly 4 in 5 workers said they know what skills they need to succeed, but only two-thirds said their employer has helped them develop those skills, according to Workday, which surveyed 6,000 full-time employees for the report.
Willburn said employers must identify which tasks are actually being automated or augmented with AI so that employees aren't guessing, invest in upskilling and provide managers the bandwidth and recognition tools to help coach people through role shifts. Helping employees adjust as roles evolve, and identify areas for job advancement, are essential.
While demand for basic AI skills declined, the need for technical capabilities, including automation and engineering skills, rose steadily, climbing 51% between September 2025 and July 2026, according to Workday.
