More Than Half of Managers Say Employees Are Assigned Work They Don't Have the Skills to Do, Skillsoft Research Finds
Business Wire•15/10/2026•08:30 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤54% of managers say employees frequently or always receive work beyond their skills
- ➤77% of managers report workplace skill gaps, creating execution risk
- ➤38% of managers spend more time reviewing or verifying AI-generated work
- ➤Managers cite quality issues as skill gaps’ top consequence, affecting 31%
- ➤Delayed or unsuccessful AI adoption affects 23% of managers
Expert Statements
Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft
“Organizations do not need more evidence that skill gaps exist. They need a clearer view of where those gaps will affect successful delivery of the work.”
Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft
“When skill gaps remain hidden until deadlines are missed, quality suffers, or business outcomes fall short, leaders are forced to react after the fact. Managers step in to provide additional oversight, employees spend extra effort compensating for the gap, and execution ultimately suffers. This is not simply a learning problem. It is a skills gap manifesting itself as an execution problem.”
Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft
“The organizations that pull ahead will not necessarily be the ones that adopted AI first.”
Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer at Skillsoft
“They will be the ones that understand the skills their business depends on, know whether people and AI are ready to do the work, and can close gaps before execution suffers. Adopting AI without the skills to use it effectively can create as much risk as moving too slowly. The real differentiator will be how well organizations develop and deploy their combined human and AI workforce against business outcomes.”
More Than Half of Managers Say Employees Are Assigned Work They Don't Have the Skills to Do, Skillsoft Research Finds
New report reveals how poor skills visibility is creating execution risk, slowing AI adoption, and increasing employee burnout
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