AI and Workforce Skills: Who Should Act and Why Now?

AI and Workforce Skills: Who Should Act and Why Now?
Workforce

03 of 12

This insight is part 03 of 12 in this Collection.

Technology

03 of 12

This insight is part 03 of 12 in this Collection.

July 30, 2025 8 mins

AI and Workforce Skills: Who Should Act and Why Now?

AI and Workforce Skills: Who Should Act and Why Now?

As technology transforms industries, organizations must strategically equip their workforce with the necessary skills to thrive in an AI-driven future. Here’s a roadmap for getting there.

Key Takeaways
  1. Three out of four companies now have roles that require AI skills, yet just 31 percent have successfully implemented comprehensive AI strategies.
  2. HR is uniquely positioned to shape the impact of AI on the workforce. Start with identifying skill gaps and implementing targeted upskilling and reskilling programs.
  3. Data and analytics tools and new AI assessments can help determine key skills needed to successfully integrate AI into workforce strategies.

Waiting to see how AI will impact the workforce is no longer an option. As automation accelerates, organizations face pivotal questions, such as:

  • What kinds of jobs will AI create, augment or make obsolete?
  • Is the value of deep expertise eroding as AI capabilities grow?
  • Do today’s workers truly have the skills needed for tomorrow’s roles?

Organizations that act now to upskill and reskill their people will be better positioned for the AI-driven future, while those who wait run the risk of falling behind.

Quote icon

We're the last generation to manage 100 percent human teams. As we navigate the integration of AI agents, it’s clear that our approach to AI literacy, reskilling and upskilling must evolve.

Melissa Champine
Partner and Head of Aon’s Assessment practice, Talent Solutions, North America

Understanding the Impact of AI on the Workforce

Organizations now increasingly view AI as both a critical skillset for workforce development and a powerful tool to drive business outcomes. Both approaches require significant investment. There is a clear “AI premium” in the labor market, with 75 percent of organizations creating roles that require AI-related skills.1 However, only 31 percent have successfully developed comprehensive AI strategies. Cost remains the primary barrier to AI adoption.

52%

of technology leaders say embedding AI skills into existing roles is the top AI adoption challenge.

Source: Experis

Here are four ways to optimize the use of AI in the workforce:

  • Augmentation and Task Replacement

    AI can enhance tasks such as content generation, process management and contract oversight — necessitating new skills. Conversely, it can replace certain tasks, including call center operations and invoice management.

  • Skill Proximity and Adjacency

    Identifying skill gaps and aligning current skills with future requirements helps determine who needs reskilling versus upskilling. Jobs that are diminishing can be identified, providing room for employees to be upskilled and transitioned into growing roles with targeted training.

  • Intersection of Human and Digital

    AI in the workforce creates a dynamic intersection between human and digital capabilities, enhancing productivity, innovation and competitive advantage. With new hybrid roles emerging — often combining technical proficiency with human-centric capabilities — job families and levels require regular review.

  • The Evolving Role of HR

    HR departments must now focus on strategic workforce planning, identifying skill gaps and implementing targeted upskilling and reskilling programs. Robust AI governance and cross-functional collaboration are essential for responsible and effective AI adoption. HR professionals must navigate ethical considerations and regulatory developments, such as the European Union’s directive on pay transparency.

75%

of organizations now have roles requiring AI skills, yet just 31 percent have effectively implemented company-wide AI strategies.

Source: Aon’s 2024 Artificial Intelligence Study

“While AI is often seen as the domain of IT, technology, data analytics or operations, HR is uniquely positioned to shape how AI influences work, how tasks are performed and how work is valued,” says Marinus van Driel, a partner in the workforce transformation advisory team in North America. “By leading the AI charge, HR can ensure that the integration of AI into the workplace is done thoughtfully and ethically, maximizing benefits for both the organization and its employees.”

Maintaining and Assessing Workforce Skills

Organizations must continually update their understanding of employees’ strengths and areas for development. Integrating skills data into HR information systems helps connect job requirements with targeted upskilling initiatives and learning opportunities.

“At the heart of this strategy are three essential pillars: skills on jobs, skills on people and maintaining this data over time,” explains Ernest Paskey, head of workforce transformation and analytics for North America.

  • Skills on Jobs: Identify key skills for various roles by analyzing tasks and responsibilities.
  • Skills on People: Assess current employee skill levels and identify gaps.
  • Keeping Skills Updated: Continuously update skills data to reflect changes in job requirements and employee capabilities.

By focusing on these areas, companies can ensure that employees are equipped to meet evolving job requirements, while also keeping their skills relevant and up to date.

Sentiment Toward AI by Generation
  Baby Boomers Gen X Millennials
AI will create new opportunities and require new skills in my field 14% 18% 26%
AI makes me more motivated to develop new skills to stay relevant 24% 31% 37%
I am somewhat or very confident that my employer will invest in my skills development for the future of work 83% 78% 86%

Source: Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study

Managers need a unique set of skills as they increasingly oversee not only people but AI. Scenario-based assessments now comprise over 17 percent of all leadership evaluations.2 These mirror real-world challenges and help prepare managers for the realities of a digitally augmented workplace. Leaders must use these tools to demonstrate sound judgment, adaptability and effective decision making alongside AI.

Other new assessments to measure AI literacy include personality work style assessments, situational judgment questions and multiple-choice questions to evaluate someone’s learning agility, skills capabilities, conceptual understanding of AI, ethics and data approach.

A Top-Down and Employee-Led Strategy to Assess AI Skills

Gathering multiple data sources to assess and develop workforce skills supports targeted training programs for future needs.

  • Top-Down Assessment: Systematically identify future skills required for critical roles and compare them to the current capabilities present in the workforce. By conducting such structured evaluations, organizations can pinpoint skill gaps and invest in targeted upskilling and reskilling initiatives that align with anticipated needs.
  • Employee-Led Assessment: Gathers insights directly from employees regarding their existing skills, experiences and career interests. Based on this feedback, organizations can map the strengths and aspirations within their teams and tailor learning opportunities to support both individual growth and organizational goals.

“Organizations can develop targeted strategies to bridge the gap by identifying the skills that will be needed tomorrow and comparing them with the skills that make people successful today,” says Rhys Connolly, commercial director of assessment for the United Kingdom in Aon’s Talent Solutions. “This allows for focused investment in upskilling and reskilling initiatives, helping the workforce adapt as technology progresses.”

How Aon Partnered with a Telecom Client to Enhance its AI Workforce Strategy

Case Study

How Aon Partnered with a Telecom Client to Enhance its AI Workforce Strategy

Aon partnered with a multinational telecom company to refine its AI workforce skills strategy. Utilizing our AI data and analytics tools, we established a benchmark for the skills employees need to integrate AI-enabled technologies into their work. Additionally, Aon conducted a job-skills adjacency analysis to identify opportunities for upskilling and reskilling. These insights informed the telecom company's discussions on people and technology investments. It highlighted where skilled talent could be transitioned to higher-value roles and areas where further AI investments could optimize work, enhance employee impact and achieve cost savings.

Learn More

Balancing Technical and Behavioral Skills for an AI Future

Adapting to AI requires thoughtful change management strategies that go beyond one-size-fits-all training, with tailored support and communication.

Cultivating resilience across the workforce — regardless of level of experience — ensures that individuals can manage disruption, navigate uncertainty and emerge stronger as their roles evolve.

64%

Entry-level employees report uncertainty about AI’s impact, reflecting widespread apprehension as organizations transition toward roles shaped by new technologies.

Source: Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study

Quote icon

Companies must embrace the concept of ‘job 2.0,’ and identify new value-creating tasks and responsibilities while equipping employees with the necessary skills to thrive in these evolving roles.

Marc Pajarillo
Partner, Talent Solutions, North America

Balance investment in digital fluency with efforts to nurture core human capabilities. By combining top-down strategic direction with meaningful employee feedback, companies can empower all individuals to adapt, collaborate and innovate.

Learn how Aon can help your organization with its workforce skills strategy. Contact us to start a conversation.

Aon’s Thought Leaders
  • Melissa Champine
    Partner and Head of Aon’s Assessment practice, Talent Solutions, North America
  • Rhys Connolly
    Commercial Director of Assessment, Talent Solutions, United Kingdom
  • Marc Pajarillo
    Partner, Talent Solutions, North America
  • Ernest Paskey
    Head of Workforce Transformation, Talent Solutions, North America
  • John McLaughlin
    Chief Commercial Officer, Talent Solutions, Europe, the Middle East and Africa
  • Marinus van Driel
    Partner, Workforce Transformation Advisory, Talent Solutions, North America

1 Aon’s 2024 Artificial Intelligence Study
2 EMEA Leadership Guide

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

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