In a recent report by Workera, “2025 State of Skills Intelligence Report” and an article by ZDnet

The research surveyed 800 learning and development (L&D) leaders and 800 full-time professionals to get their perspectives on how they approach workforce transformation

CEOs now know AI is integral to the workplace

You may have seen the recent leaked internal memo from Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke in which he states “Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.” Not just developers. Not just analysts. Everyone.

He also goes onto say that, to hire a person now needs a justification that AI, cannot do the role

In other words, tasks are expected to be done by AI and that will mean that employees with have AI teammates

However, there's a disconnect between how business leaders and employees view AI and the best ways to upskill

According to the Workera report, "The majority of the issues we're going to run into in the coming years are people issues, not technology issues," said Kian Katanforoosh, founder and CEO of Workera. "We're going to have really good technologies coming in, but people are going to struggle to catch up." 

AI skills are in demand 

"AI has permeated almost every business sector and can help most professionals with their everyday workflows in some capacity

As a result, employers are giving more opportunities to employees who have developed the skills necessary to use AI more efficiently

"As a manager, if I'm going to give my project to someone, I would rather give it to someone who's mastered AI because it almost feels like you're giving your project to a group rather than a single person," said Katanforoosh

The survey found that 88% of business leaders report prioritizing AI skills over other skills within their organizations for promotions or job assignments

Furthermore, 84% of respondents prioritize verified AI skills over degrees in hiring decisions

AI skills are even factored into headcount decisions, with 88% of business leaders at companies with 5,000 to 9,999 employees saying AI is an important factor compared to 73% at companies with 10,000-plus employees

However, 80% of enterprise L&D leaders believe AI will lead their company to increase rather than reduce overall headcount

The employee / employer divide

Employees feel starkly different

The survey found that 54% of employees are not confident in their organizations' recognition of AI skills, only 4% feel like AI skills are always prioritized in promotions, and 47% believe having AI skills has no noticeable impact on career advancement

This situation leads to divergent perceptions on how close companies are to being AI-ready

Just one in five employees (22%) thought their companies would be fully AI-ready in the next two years, while 63% of business leaders believed their organization would be AI-ready in the next two years, according to the report

The research showed that an inability to adapt to new skills leaves companies vulnerable to falling behind, with 49% of leaders suggesting their organization is falling significantly behind competitors due to being unable to reskill or upskill effectively

Conclusion

In conclusion, while business leaders are racing to prioritize AI skills and embed them into hiring, promotion, and team structure decisions, there remains a significant gap between leadership vision and employee experience

The promise of AI-enhanced productivity and growth is clear, but without bridging the divide in perception, trust, and support around AI upskilling, organizations risk leaving much of their workforce behind

To truly become AI-ready, companies must focus not just on the technology itself, but on cultivating the human skills and confidence necessary to embrace it