Building the workforce of tomorrow starts today

In a world where skills are evolving in real time, one question defines your company’s future: is your workforce ready for what’s next? 

Despite technological advances, people remain at the core of every organization’s ability to grow, adapt, and compete. But the landscape is shifting faster than ever. Digital transformation, evolving roles, and generational shifts are creating unprecedented pressure to close skill gaps—and do it at scale.

That’s why forward-thinking organizations are reimagining learning and development. They’re not just reacting to skill needs. They’re activating continuous, AI-powered development that aligns with business priorities and keeps pace with change.

Want to see how they’re doing it? Download the Strategic Guide: Build a Productive Workforce of the Future.

Why skills are now a C-Level priority

For CHROs, CIOs, and L&D leaders, skills have become strategic. The link between workforce capability and business performance is too strong to ignore.

Key stats to consider: 

• 63% of IT leaders say a lack of skills has delayed digital transformation by 3–10 months (CIO.com).

• 39% of today’s skill sets will be outdated by 2030 (World Economic Forum)

• 60% of employees lack adequate on-the-job coaching (Harvard Business Review)

When skills fall behind, the business slows down. Whether supporting back office or frontline workers, organizations must leverage AI to align the right learning experience to the right employee or employee population at the right time to meet its current compliance and skilling needs. But it doesn't end there. To build the workforce of tomorrow, they must have organization-wide skills visibility and invest in continuous learning programs to adapt as skills and jobs simultaneously decline and emerge.

The cost of an under-skilled workforce includes:

• Compliance risks and exposure

• Productivity loss

• Increased labor costs

• Declining satisfaction and retention

• Missed innovation and revenue opportunities

• Brand and reputational damage

The real reason skills gaps persist

Many organizations do not have visibility into their workforce skills and job composition. As millions of roles decline and emerge, this puts them at a disadvantage in trying to keep pace with change, often leading to regrettable attrition, higher recruiting costs, and lost productivity.

Most companies have L&D programs, but gaps remain. Why?

Common challenges: 

• Traditional training models (classroom-based or static eLearning) don’t match today’s dynamic, personalized needs of the modern workforce

• Lack of personalization across a multigenerational workforce

• Learning programs are delivered as one-time events

• Little visibility into actual skills, progress, and learning ROI

• Lack of holistic technology ecosystem with a common skills language that supports the employee lifecycle

According to SHRM, modern CHROs today lead a workforce made up of workers from five generations: the Silent Generation (2.0% of workers), Baby Boomers (18.6%), Generation X (34.8%), Millennials (38.6%), and Generation Z (6.1%). “Effectively leading a multi-generational workforce requires executives to understand each generation’s journey—while challenging stereotypes about generational preferences. Serving one group and ignoring others could cause conflict and lead to disconnected cultures. It could also heighten attrition, as “workers are more likely to leave if they realize they’re working for an employer whose values don’t align,” notes Mika Cross, workplace transformation strategist and leader of strategic initiatives with FlexJobs.

What future-ready learning looks like

Top organizations are moving beyond compliance checkboxes and one-size-fits-all content to an always on approach to workforce intelligence and talent development. They’re investing in AI-powered learning ecosystems that enable:

• Smart skill tagging and gap analysis

• Personalized, AI-driven learning recommendations by role, location, and proficiency 

• Continuous development with real-time feedback

• Unified views of workforce capability and training impact

• Balance of regulatory, soft, and strategic skills

• Seamless learning in the flow of work—anywhere, any time 

Solving for compliance, productivity, and growth

Operationalize compliance 

Many organizations are challenged to manage certifications and compliance at scale effectively. A key factor is an organization's ability to deliver relevant learning content and experiences to the right people at the right time, including certifications and recertifications across the workforce. A lack of compliance adherence exposes an organization to regulatory violations, work stoppages, output or productivity losses, and costly fines. It can also impact human or environmental safety and organizational reputation.

Solution: 

• Automate assignments, recertifications, and audit tracking

• Deliver relevant content by role, location, or regulation

• Use dashboards to track completions and report on risk exposure

• Align compliance training with behavior change and performance

Accelerate time to productivity 

Organizations that don’t have structured onboarding or cross-boarding programs risk delayed time-to-productivity, higher turnover or quick quits, poor engagement, and manager dissatisfaction. Intentionally designed programs that help employees through their first year provides the connective tissue and enablement that employees need to contribute and perform effectively and with confidence.

Solution: 

• Design onboarding experiences aligned with business needs

• Enable role-specific, AI-driven learning journeys

• Blend compliance with job-ready, scenario-based learning

• Foster peer mentorship and collaborative learning environments

Customer results: 

• 50% improvement in time-to-productivity (GeoStabilization International)

• 82% increase in internal promotions (FirstBank of Tennessee)

• $2.4M in productivity savings over 3 years (average with Cornerstone) (Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact Study)

Meet learners where they are 

In today’s fast-paced world, employees expect learning experiences that are personalized, relevant, and accessible on-demand. Organizations must go beyond passive forms of training to include dynamic, immersive experiences that provide real-world practice, examples, and application. Employing traditional learning methodologies will impact employee engagement and retention as they seek opportunities for development outside of the organization.

Solution: 

• Offer multi-modal learning: virtual, in-person, mobile, on-the-job

• Provide real-world scenarios, labs, and immersive simulations

• Use AI to recommend learning in the flow of work

• Deliver continuous learning tied to business outcomes

What employees want: 

• 67% want more opportunities to practice in real-world scenarios (Skillable)

• 55% want feedback on how they’re progressing (Skillable)

Don’t just train employees, build your workforce 

With Cornerstone Learn, you can: 

• Orchestrate scalable training and compliance with confidence

• Deliver AI-powered onboarding and upskilling journeys

• Provide hands-on, personalized learning that drives results

• Unify the learning ecosystem for better development and skill insights

• Support hybrid and frontline workforces with mobile-first experiences

“Cornerstone has enabled us to build a learning culture that is adaptable, innovative, and aligned with our mission. It’s not just about compliance. It’s about empowering employees to be their best.”
— Angie Roach, Director of L&D, Exact Sciences (read case study)

Ready to build the workforce of the future? 

Download our new strategic guide and discover how leading organizations are closing the skills gap—with a modern learning strategy built for agility, growth, and performance.

Get the Guide: Build a Productive Workforce of the Future