Reskilling at speed: How organisations can keep pace with AI-driven change

As AI continues to redefine the workplace, one message is becoming clear: The future of work will be shaped not just by technology but by the skills that power it.

In the second part of our conversation with Fabio Tiviti, Group Vice-President of Asia-Pacific and Japan Field Operations, Workday, we dive deeper into what a skills-based talent strategy really looks like, how organisations can accelerate reskilling efforts, and the pivotal role that leadership and culture play in ensuring long-term success. Tiviti also shares practical advice for HR leaders looking to futureproof their workforce—and insights from Workday’s own journey to becoming a skills-first organisation.

What does a skills-based strategy look like in practice, and how does it differ from the traditional talent management approach?
Fabio Tiviti: The state of the workforce today has exposed limitations of traditional talent management approaches that focus on paper qualifications. The reality is that many organisations in Singapore lack visibility into their workforce’s existing capabilities, with less than half of leaders in Singapore (46%) in our Global State of Skills survey reporting that they have a clear view of the skills within their workforce today.

Without this fundamental understanding, developing targeted strategies to address specific deficiencies becomes a challenge. Traditional approaches often rely on proxies like degree, past employers, or job titles—measures that don’t always reflect actual capabilities, leading to mismatches between people and opportunities.

This is where a skills-based talent strategy comes in. A skills-based organisation places skills at the centre of its workforce strategy, creating a new operating model to elevate humans and supercharge work. Skills-based organisations use skills as the data language to work, prioritising an individual’s capabilities over traditional credentials. This will allow organisations to address the skills gap through more agile, data-driven hiring and development of talent.

The transition is already well underway, with 43% of organisations in Singapore having begun implementing skills-based models. Rather than a theoretical future concept, skills-based talent management has become a present-day competitive necessity.

64% of leaders in Singapore agree this helps drive economic growth and boost workplace productivity and innovation. Organisations implementing skills-based strategies develop comprehensive skills inventories, create hiring processes directly assessing capabilities, and design career pathways based on skills adjacencies. This enables seamless talent mobility across the organisation.

Reskilling employees takes time, and 52% of leaders cite this as a challenge in Workday’s Global State of Skills report. What can organisations do to accelerate reskilling while ensuring long-term impact? Beyond technology, what role do leadership and culture play in making this shift successful?
Tiviti: Successful reskilling requires both practical execution and cultural alignment. Organisations can accelerate skill development by embedding learning directly within workflows rather than treating it as a separate activity. AI technology enables this transition by identifying skill patterns, matching capabilities to opportunities, and generating personalised development pathways. This data-driven approach supports more objective talent decisions, benefitting both individuals and organisations.

Beyond technology, leaders must also manage organisational change, especially if employees have to unlearn old practices and adopt new systems. Cultivating a positive culture in overcoming these barriers and supporting employees through reskilling. Leaders must champion these initiatives, creating environments where continuous learning becomes woven into everyday experiences. Organisations need to recognise the importance of knowledge sharing, invest in upskilling programmes, and position learning as a strategic priority rather than being viewed as just an HR initiative.

READ MORE: AI is here—but skills will shape the future of work

At Workday, we’ve implemented this approach through our EverydayAI initiative. We identified and addressed the primary barriers to AI adoption – lack of experimentation time, limited AI knowledge and skills, and entrenched work habits. By focusing on mindset activation, skills building, and habit formation through direct experience with AI tools and peer learning, we’re targeting a 20% increase in AI tool adoption across the organisation.

By integrating technology with strong leadership and a culture of continuous learning, organisations can accelerate reskilling and build a workforce that thrives amid technological change.

If you could give one key piece of advice to HR leaders looking to futureproof their workforce, what would it be?
Tiviti: I would advise putting skills at the core of your talent strategy. Move beyond traditional practices to focus on actual capabilities people possess and can develop. Invest in systems providing real-time visibility on skills in your workforce to clearly understand where your organisation stands and where you are headed.

To futureproof your workforce successfully, leaders need to be able to swiftly identify, develop, and deploy skills where they are most needed. This requires comprehensive skills inventories, skills-based hiring practices, and learning and development programmes focused on skills adjacencies.

HR leaders can start somewhere simple and avoid getting trapped in theoretical conversations about the distinctions between skills, competencies, and capabilities. Instead, focus on three practical steps: First, create a shared vision for skills beyond HR – make skills an enterprise priority. Second, invest in high-quality skills data – skills are the data language of work. Third, pilot, iterate, and learn – find a business challenge, run a pilot, gather data, and remain curious.

Alongside many of our customers, we’ve seen first-hand how our own skills transformation is delivering meaningful results and value to the business and our Workmates. With business-validated skills for 100% of our jobs and updated skills profiles for 90% of our employees, we’ve seen concrete improvements – time to hire reduced by 32%, offer acceptance increased by 11%, and significantly improved candidate experience.