Jo Cook chats with Euan Crosby, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Litmos, about how AI is reshaping skills, learning and careers. He shares why training often feels overwhelming, how personalised development makes a difference, and what organisations can do to keep people confident, engaged and growing as work evolves
Training Journal: With AI being so impactful, how can organisations encourage everyone to embrace something so big, and potentially overwhelming?
Euan Crosby: The opportunities for AI integration in today’s workplace are vast and, consequently, overwhelming for many employees. Coupled with the growing number of new AI-powered technologies, nearly a third of the workforce is burdened with pressures to adopt AI into their workflows and 16% are profoundly fatigued by the technology.
“83% employees consider professional development essential to their success”
To combat the uncertainty of AI and to encourage successful adoption, organisations must prioritise strategic corporate guidance and L&D initiatives surrounding AI integration in the workplace. Recent data found that 83% of employees consider professional development essential to their success, yet nearly a third never participate in company training often because it’s misaligned with their learning preferences and career goals.
The organisations that build workplace AI into their L&D strategy as a key component will maximise the technology’s impact while boosting employee engagement, productivity and retention.
For employees, clear and personalised training paths not only optimise skill development but also instill confidence, helping to reduce workplace stress and burnout.
TJ: The pace and volume of work is huge for most people, what strategies can they use to keep pace with new technologies?
Euan: To keep pace with emerging workplace technologies, today’s employees should prioritise regular engagement with professional development opportunities. Industry data found that 57% of employees participate in company training initiatives more than once a year, and with ongoing access to personalised learning opportunities, employees are more engaged, satisfied and productive at work.
Enhancing L&D initiatives with AI can also help employees keep pace in today’s fast-moving workplace. With AI-driven learning platforms, employees can unlock personalised and adaptive learning paths designed with real-time feedback and skill gap analysis, helping them learn and train more efficiently and effectively.
TJ: When thinking about developing skills or moving to a new role, how can people make the most of AI for learning opportunities?
Euan: Today’s employees value and prioritise learning and development opportunities in the workplace – in fact, 60% consider professional development tools to be highly important – and AI brings these opportunities to the next level. With AI-powered functionalities, workplace training becomes more personalised, and can align to each employee’s specific learning preferences and interests, which boosts training relevancy, engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, AI-powered learning assessments and real-time progress tracking support strategic skill development, which can help employees stay aligned with their career goals and aspirations. These technologies unlock strategic insights into the current and developing skills within an organisation, and can drive significant value for businesses.
For employees moving into a new position, AI-enhanced training can adapt role-specific content based on learning progress, allowing employees to practice new skills in a safe, learning-first environment with instant access to feedback. This builds employee confidence and supports retention as 40% of employees who fail to receive necessary job training will leave their position within the first year of employment.
TJ: What is talent branding and why is it important for people to focus on?
Euan: Talent branding is the big picture of an organisation, blending transparency, efficiency and detail to give applicants crucial, job-specific and organisational information up front, including information such as salary range, benefits packages and hiring timelines. A strong talent brand is often a key differentiator for job candidates when choosing between two competing opportunities, and research shows that companies with a strong talent brand attract 50% more qualified applicants.
For organisations crafting their talent brand, focus on showcasing the “What?” and “Why?” behind day-to-day organisational responsibilities, as well as the employee experience and how the company is performing, both from a product and growth perspective. When considering the employee experience, prioritise highlighting company values, culture, sentiment of current employees and the typical day-to-day workflow. It’s also essential to spotlight career progression opportunities, access to learning and development for employees and the candidate experience, including the hiring process and anticipated timelines.
Ultimately, a strong talent brand creates a quick yet defined picture and understanding of the organisation with special attention to detail. This helps to accelerate hiring, reduces attrition and even strengthens customer trust, as the way an organisation treats people internally is often a reflection of how it operates externally.
TJ: What are your top tips for people wanting to move to a new career path?
Euan: First – communicate. Share your goals with your manager – most will want to help you achieve this success. Also, identify colleagues, team members or leaders currently working in that career path, and ask them for industry-specific advice.
Secondly – learn. For almost every career path, there are a number of available courses that can help you develop the necessary skills. Seek advice on which courses are most relevant to the industry and role, and learn as much as you can. If there are opportunities to take on stretch projects that expose you to that career path, take them. If not, ask for them!
TJ: What is a standout personal learning experience you have had in your time working in talent acquisition?
Euan: Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to have opportunities to take on stretch projects that have broadened my professional skillset.
Specifically, a couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to take on the challenge of rebuilding the global job architecture and compensation function for an organisation. This was an area that sat adjacent to my work in Talent Acquisition for most of my career, but I had previously never contributed directly to this function. Ultimately, the project was a success, and on reflection, the reason for that stemmed from several key elements.
First, my manager recognised my transferable skills and allowed me to contribute directly to the project, providing guidance and mentorship where needed. Secondly, I was given ample time to learn the subject matter in-depth, building my knowledge and skillset so that when the project gained momentum, I had the ability to move things in the right direction and talk confidently with key stakeholders. Thirdly, I was given the bandwidth to continue developing my skillset, extending my learning throughout the duration of the project which is fundamental to successful professional development.
Euan Crosby is Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Litmos
