How Can Leaders Measure the Return on Learning Investment (ROLI) for AI Training?

Why Do Most AI Upskilling Programs Fail Without Direct C-Suite Involvement?

Learn why organizations lag in AI adoption and how to fix it with Boston Consulting Group’s five-step upskilling framework. Discover strategies to overcome workforce resistance, build psychological safety, and bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application.

Read the full analysis to access the specific frameworks for calculating ROLI and the practical steps C-suite leaders must take today to future-proof their workforce against rapid technological shifts.

Recommendation

While business executives tend to agree that developing AI capabilities is a vital part of future-proofing their companies, many organizations are lagging behind when it comes to doing so. Gain insights from quantitative and qualitative Boston Consulting Group research into how to upskill workers most effectively at your organization, harnessing the potential of AI to drive value and innovation. Learn why it’s vital that C-suite leaders take the lead in driving the culture shift necessary to inspire change, and start your AI transformation journey today.

Take-Aways

• To upskill workers in AI, assess your company’s needs and measure business outcomes.
• Prepare workers for change and inspire willingness to learn.
• Make AI adoption a C-suite priority, combining theoretical learning with practical application.

Summary

To upskill workers in AI, assess your company’s needs and measure business outcomes.

Future-ready companies identify AI as “one of six key attributes” that enable them to drive innovation, unlock value, and withstand disruptions, yet many organizations are lagging when it comes to upskilling workers. When attempting to upskill their workforce and help employees harness the potential of AI — including GenAI — many companies face obstacles and are slow to scale change throughout their organization. Often, corporate leaders create bottlenecks, because, despite understanding the importance of upskilling teams, they don’t provide workers with sufficient opportunities to learn and put new skills into practice.

“There’s an argument to be made for initiating AI upskilling sooner rather than later. Companies that invest in AI gain a competitive advantage through superior innovation and readiness for the unexpected.”

Boston Consulting Group conducted quantitative and qualitative research into the best practices of organizations that adopted AI quickly. It found that among best-in-class organizations, those that spent time assessing needs and carefully measuring outcomes had more success in upskilling their workforce. To assess needs, C-suite leaders must define their organizations’ strategy and vision, identifying the AI applications that would unlock most value. When measuring outcomes, or analyzing the “return on learning investment,” or “ROLI,” at your company, consider conducting A/B pilots or tests with control groups to determine which factors have the biggest impact on business outcomes.

Prepare workers for change and inspire willingness to learn.

You can’t enact change at your organization without first preparing employees for transformation. Do so by raising awareness on three levels:

1. Individual level — Ensure workers grasp the many ways they can use AI tools in their roles, such as automating routine tasks and providing data-driven insights.
2. Team level — Workers must understand how their organization will integrate AI into team workflows. They should learn about AI’s potential as a project management tool and the ways in which AI can boost team coordination and communication, while streamlining processes, via collaborative platforms.
3. Organization level — Companies should consider launching change-management programs to ensure AI is embraced throughout the organization. It’s vital that workers have a sense of how AI is reflected in their company’s culture, which should support an ethos of learning, growth, equity, and innovation.

“Business or technology transformations such as adopting AI have three key components: people and processes, technology and IT, and algorithms. Of the three, the changes involving people and process are the most critical.”

Don’t be surprised if some employees are reluctant to adopt AI — many likely see it as a potential threat, as they worry AI systems will replace them or devalue their work. Create a culture of psychological safety, letting employees know that AI is not there to take their jobs, but rather, to augment their labor and create new opportunities. Take time to discover what motivates workers, as some people tend to be motivated more by intrinsic rewards, such as a desire for self-actualization, while others enjoy extrinsic rewards, such as recognition for a job well done. Empower workers by giving them the freedom and autonomy to steer their own learning journeys, while finding ways to make upskilling fun, perhaps by incorporating aspects of gamification.

Make AI adoption a C-suite priority, combining theoretical learning with practical application.

As a C-suite executive, you should be the biggest champion of AI adoption at your organization. Without your buy-in, efforts to change the culture surrounding AI and to enact the change to remain competitive will dwindle. Leadership teams and CEOs must take a leading role in developing AI objectives and ensuring they align with business goals. Leaders should also work to remove obstacles blocking AI adoption, while working with risk and information security executives to mitigate risks.

“Having C-suite support demonstrates to the rest of the organization the necessity of building upskilling muscle at every level.”

When guiding teams in the learning process, leverage the power of AI-based upskilling tools to put theoretical learning into practice. Over 100 new AI-based upskilling tools launched in 2023 and the first half of 2024 alone. They fall into the following categories: “skills, content, knowledge and performance support, and personalization.” Discern which tools will best align with your AI objectives, and harness network effects by embedding AI into workers’ daily tasks. Organizations that succeed in upskilling workers in AI will develop a competitive edge, while those that wait too long to adapt will fall behind.

About the Authors

Hean-Ho Loh, Vinciane Beauchene, Vladimir Lukic, and Rajiv Shenoy are professionals at Boston Consulting Group.