Millennials are leading the charge on AI skills development

Diversity concept image showing business professionals of all ages in an office meeting room, with Generation X, millennials, and Gen Z all pictured. — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Millennials are driving the AI revolution in workplaces by focusing on the necessary skills development, according to new research.

A study from Workday found the cohort had the strongest belief in AI and was taking a more proactive approach to capitalize on the technology through skills development — though millennials and Gen X staff both largely agreed on the matter.

Of course, millennials are hardly the youngsters in work anymore — the term refers to people born between 1981 and 1996, now aged 29 to 44. As a generation that has grown up with changing technology and now in positions of management, it makes sense that this cohort is leading innovation in the workplace.

The research showed that 60% of millennial leaders were concerned about a skills shortage, more than the 47% of Gen X leaders. Similarly, 92% of millennials were keen to pursue a more proactive approach to skills development, versus 76% of Gen X employees who were surveyed.

"Agentic AI is ushering in a new world of digital labor, where you can scale and transform with autonomous agents whilst augmenting the workforce," said Paul O’Sullivan, SVP Solution Engineering and UKI CTO at Salesforce, in a statement provided by Workday.

"This represents a unique opportunity to unlock new levels of productivity, autonomy, and speed only if leaders and workers reskill and upskill. All industries and teams need to be empowered to redesign and redeploy talent for the skills the AI-powered economy demands."

Workday has previously released research saying that AI could be the key to solving the UK's productivity problem, but earlier this year slashed 10% of its own workforce amid a strategic shift to AI.

Differing priorities

Notably, the study suggested Gen X leaders placed more importance on operational and specialist skills, including project management and engineering. This came in stark contrast to millennial leaders who prioritized "human skills" such as leadership and communication.

A majority of both generational cohorts saw focusing on skills development as a way to close productivity gaps, reduce unemployment, equalize access to opportunities, and increase inclusion, but on each point millennials were ten to 25 points ahead of their older colleagues.

Again, both groups see AI as a useful tool for shifting an organization towards a skills-based approach, but a third of millennials are concerned their employer lacks clarity on using AI to address talent shortages versus just 14% of Gen Xers polled.

Nine-in-ten of both cohorts say they believe their organizations are heading in the right direction, at least.

"The UK faces a pivotal challenge: our workforce models are lagging behind the pace of technological change," said Daniel Pell, Vice President and Country Manager for the UK and Ireland at Workday.

"To compete in an AI-driven economy, businesses must rethink how they identify and develop skills. This is not a question of technology alone, it is a question of leadership, agility and long-term competitiveness. The organizations that succeed will be those that treat workforce transformation as a strategic priority, ensuring both people and AI can work effectively together."