Only a quarter of employees have been given access to new technology, such as generative AI, to support their roles in the past year, according to a new survey from Skillsoft.
The Workplace Preparedness Survey, based on the responses of more than 2,100 full-time employees in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, highlights a disconnect between business leaders and employees. The findings suggest UK companies are unprepared for the challenges of 2025, as half of the respondents do not believe their skill sets align with their current roles.
Among the surveyed employees, less than half (48%) have been informed of their organisations' strategic goals and priorities for the coming year. Of these, only 40% feel extremely clear about their role in achieving these goals, and just a third believe their skills are well-aligned with the objectives. The perceived top priorities for organisations are likely to be improving operational efficiency (48%), increasing revenue and profitability (46%), and enhancing the customer experience (39%).
However, the survey indicates that the lowest priorities for companies are strengthening data privacy and security practices (17%), closing skill gaps (19%), and improving leadership and management (19%). Respondents identified talent acquisition and retention (31%), meeting customer expectations and satisfaction (28%), and effective leadership and management (27%) as the biggest challenges for their organisations in 2025. Nearly a quarter (23%) also foresee skill and competency gaps.
"Boosting operational efficiency, revenue, and customer satisfaction should undoubtedly be business priorities," said Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft. "However, it is nearly impossible to deliver on these goals without first breaking them down into measurable actions, clearly communicating these actions to their entire workforce early and often, and providing an environment where employees can develop new skills in service of this strategy." Harrington emphasised that by fostering a strong foundation of talent through training and strategic communication, employees will be better equipped to adapt, innovate, and contribute to their organisation's long-term success.
The survey reveals that only 23% of respondents feel extremely prepared to handle future work-related challenges. Contributing to this uncertainty, a fifth of respondents identified a lack of training and skill development opportunities as their primary work-related challenge over the past year. Less than a third (31%) reported receiving new training and upskilling opportunities or access to technologies such as GenAI tools to achieve their professional goals.
To improve preparedness, respondents expressed the need for personalised, role-based training options, more frequent and updated training, and access to mentoring and coaching. Beyond addressing preparedness, such measures were also linked to stronger relationships with colleagues, increased confidence in tackling new challenges, and enhanced creativity and problem-solving skills.
"Access to training and new technologies nurtures continuous learning and adaptability, empowering employees to tackle future challenges," Harrington continued. "An investment in talent is an investment in the future of your company and its competitive edge."
Clear communication of goals and priorities is seen as essential for fostering workforce confidence and eliminating uncertainty. Only 25% of respondents expressed extreme satisfaction with their current roles, citing unpreparedness for future challenges (86%) and a lack of visibility into organisational goals (43%). Moreover, just 21% are highly satisfied with their organisation's culture, with a notable 54% of dissatisfied respondents somewhat or extremely unsatisfied with company culture.
The survey also highlighted significant dissatisfaction among Gen Z respondents (25%) compared to other age groups. Among those dissatisfied with their roles, 81% believe their skills are misaligned with their organisations' strategic priorities.
Over the past year, the most pressing work-related challenges included burnout and exhaustion (39%), decreased motivation and engagement (35%), and overwhelming workload and responsibilities (35%). Skillsoft suggests that investing in talent development could build essential time management skills, offering another opportunity to engage and motivate the workforce.
The survey also explored the anticipated impact of the recent U.S. presidential election on workplaces, with 73% of respondents expecting it to have a slight to extreme degree of impact on their organisations in the coming year. A positive impact was anticipated in areas such as employee development and career pathing (71%) and the use of AI tools in the workplace (69%). Conversely, respondents expected a negative impact on regulatory compliance requirements (35%) and employee morale and engagement (34%). Managers shared similar sentiments but believed the most significant negative impact would be on employee development and career pathing.
