Degreed: AI training is not enough – confidence & success comes from doing
Having employees who are confident with AI is good for business, but it is hard to achieve. With the help of CEO David Blake, UNLEASH unpicks new data from the learning tech giant to find out how to drive up AI confidence in your workplace.
News In Brief
Learning is not enough to get employees confident with AI - they need to use it in their day to day. That's according to new research from Degreed.
“HR and business leaders must shift from 'training as an event' to 'learning as a habit,' weaving Al practice into daily workflows. That's how we close the capability gap and turn investment into impact”, David Blake, CEO & Co-Founder of Degreed, tells UNLEASH.
Read on to get the full story.
Organizations are jumping on the AI bandwagon, but most of their workforces aren’t actually ready for the technology.
While there’s been significant investment in AI training to get employees up to speed, particularly around newer innovations like Gen AI, this upskilling is missing the mark.
That’s according to new data from learning giant Degreed.
Degreed surveyed 2,700 professionals from across the world and found that most AI training is too theoretical; it stays in the classroom and isn’t practically applied by employees in their work.
78% of people surveyed said they lack confidence in using new Gen AI capabilities; this means just 22% felt very confident in using AI use at work.
This is a problem because there’s significant business value unlocked by generating confidence. Not taking action “isn’t just a learning issue. It’s a business transformation risk”, stated Degreed’s report.
Credit: Degreed.
Moving the needle on Gen AI confidence is much easier said than done; where should HR leaders start?
‘Confidence isn’t a trait. It’s a result. And it’s within reach’
As David Blake, CEO & Co-Founder of Degreed, exclusively tells UNLEASH: “Our data is clear: confidence with Gen Al doesn’t come from another webinar. It comes from embedding the tools into real work.”
People learn best by doing, and confidence in Gen AI is built through action.
HR and business leaders must shift from ‘training as an event’ to ‘learning as a habit,’ weaving Al practice into daily workflows. That’s how we close the capability gap and turn investment into impact”, adds Blake.
It is crucial that leaders get out of the mindset that some people are just naturally more confident and competent with AI – in fact, as the Degreed report stated: “Confidence isn’t a trait. It’s a result. And it’s within reach”.
Those employees who see themselves as very AI confident are twice as likely to use Gen AI daily, four times as likely to apply it real problems, and 77 times more likely to engage with and become proficient using Gen AI.
Credit: Degreed.
They are also “20 times more likely to report having the best tools, support, and adequate infrastructure to build their skills”, shared the report.
Success around Gen AI comes from the C-Suite working together – CHROs, CLOs and CIOs need to align people, learning and IT strategies to get the most business benefit out of Gen AI.
“When CHROs and CIOs align on AI upskilling, cross-functional collaboration, and ethical governance, companies are three times more likely to develop a Gen AI-ready workforce”, shared the report.
Ultimately, “highly proficient Gen AI organizations emerge where organizational support, strategic leadership, and personal initiative converge”, concluded Degreed’s data.
