UK workforce unready for change says Cornerstone OnDemand study

Cornerstone OnDemand has released findings from a new study revealing that a significant portion of UK executives, 63%, regard their workforce as unprepared for change. This comes with a stark warning for companies, as workers without access to proper training were found to be five times more likely to express difficulty adapting to change.

The study highlights what Cornerstone describes as the “Workforce Readiness Gap”—a crucial mismatch between the skills employees currently possess and those required for evolving business landscapes. This gap poses serious challenges for companies striving to remain competitive, address skills shortages, and keep their employees agile and motivated.

To combat this issue, Cornerstone has launched the AI-driven platform Cornerstone Galaxy, designed to bridge the Workforce Readiness Gap. According to their announcement at the Connect Live World Tour kickoff event in Chicago, this new tool seeks to build high-performing, future-ready people and organisations. Cornerstone Galaxy aims to identify skills shortages undermining corporate performance and provide solutions to improve workforce agility and retention. External studies and internal experience measures suggest that organisations could see a positive business impact of up to $7 million by leveraging workforce agility through this platform.

“We’ve long held the belief that when people are at their best, organisations are at their best,” said Himanshu Palsule, CEO of Cornerstone. “Today we’re making it easier than ever for organisations to elevate their people, support their skilling and development, and transform their workforce to not only meet the ever-changing needs of today’s landscape but also to continually adapt, thrive and grow. Cornerstone Galaxy is an acceleration for Cornerstone and its customers, offering a holistic and continuous strategy of workforce agility to meet the future.”

Further affirming the need for Cornerstone Galaxy, Derek Blake, Divisional Vice President of Global Learning & Development at Encore Global, stated, “Our biggest needs are all people focused. We have to ensure that we retain our top talent, grow their skills, skill up our new talent, and make sure they’re all engaged so they stay. These are the things that keep me up at night and Cornerstone Galaxy helps me sleep better. With Cornerstone Galaxy we can give our people more control over their growth, which means they’re more engaged with it, and we have more insights into who on our team is best suited for any role, and it’s not always the first person we used to think of.”

Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst, added, “Our new research on Dynamic Organisations points out that high-performing companies have dynamic, developmental, and supportive people practices. Cornerstone’s focus on Workforce Agility is precisely what companies need as the urgency to reskill, redeploy, and reengage workers becomes ever-more mission-critical.”