Companies pursuing AI-driven cost reductions may be underinvesting in the workforce capabilities needed to achieve those gains. New Businessolver research finds that executives prioritising headcount reduction as an AI investment goal are significantly less likely to prioritise AI upskilling, highlighting a potential disconnect between workforce restructuring and AI readiness.

The business case for artificial intelligence is increasingly tied to productivity and cost reduction, but new research from Businessolver suggests some companies may be treating workforce reduction and workforce preparation as competing priorities.

Among the 27% of C-suite executives surveyed by Businessolver who identified cost savings through headcount reduction as a top AI investment goal, just 18% also said AI upskilling was a priority. That compares with 35% of executives who did not prioritise headcount reduction.

The findings come from Businessolver’s 2026 State of Workplace Empathy C-Suite Special Report, based on research involving 300 C-suite leaders and 1,000 employees.

The gap extends beyond training. Businessolver found that executives prioritising AI-driven headcount reduction were also less likely to prioritise predictive analytics, time savings and productivity improvements, and reducing employees’ administrative workload.

That distinction matters because AI adoption increasingly requires changes to how employees perform their existing jobs, rather than simply replacing individual tasks or roles.

Microsoft’s Work Trend Index has similarly identified AI skilling as an important component of workforce transformation. Its 2025 research found that only 39% of people globally who use AI at work had received AI training from their employer, while AI power users were more likely to receive role-specific training and guidance.

Businessolver’s research points to a related issue: employees and executives may have very different perceptions of how prepared the workforce is for AI.

Nine in 10 CXOs surveyed said employees were excited about AI. Yet 39% of employees said they were worried about their future, 31% feared falling behind and 49% said they had been left to figure out AI on their own.

Businessolver’s separate analysis of the same 2026 research found that only about half of employees reported receiving AI training, while 49% said they had been left to work out how to use AI themselves.

That disconnect could become more significant as organisations move from experimentation to broader deployment of AI agents and automated workflows.

Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index describes a shift toward employees working alongside AI agents and found that Indian AI users, for example, placed substantial emphasis on human judgment and quality control when working with AI. The implication for HR teams is that AI adoption can create new capability requirements even when technology is intended to reduce manual work.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 59% of workers globally would need training or reskilling by 2030 as job requirements evolve. AI and big data were identified among the fastest-growing skill areas, alongside technology literacy, while resilience, flexibility and lifelong learning were also expected to increase in importance.

For HR leaders, this puts AI transformation directly alongside learning and development, workforce planning and employee experience.

The Businessolver findings also show differences within the C-suite. Eighty-eight percent of CIOs and CTOs surveyed expressed concern that technology could outpace internal systems or workforce skills, compared with 63% of CFOs. That 25-percentage-point gap suggests that technology and finance leaders may view the operational consequences of AI adoption differently.

The distinction is relevant because AI implementation is rarely confined to the technology function. New tools can alter job responsibilities, workflow ownership, management practices and the skills employees need to complete their work.

The survey also found that companies reporting significant financial growth in the previous year reported both more layoffs and more recruiting than other organisations: 23% reported layoffs compared with 11%, while 37% reported recruiting compared with 29%. Businessolver interprets the combination as evidence of targeted workforce redesign rather than straightforward downsizing.

That pattern is consistent with a labour market in which companies can simultaneously reduce some roles, hire for new capabilities and redesign existing jobs around AI.

For employees, however, the transition can create uncertainty when expectations change faster than training programmes. If AI tools are introduced without clear guidance, employees may be expected to develop new skills independently while also adapting to changing performance expectations.

This is particularly important as enterprise AI moves beyond productivity assistants. Microsoft’s research has described a developing model in which human workers and AI agents operate as hybrid teams, with employees increasingly expected to manage, delegate to and evaluate AI systems.

That changes the role of L&D. Traditional training focused on specific software or processes may not be enough. Organisations may need continuous programmes covering AI literacy, role-specific workflows, critical evaluation of AI output, data handling and responsible use.

Businessolver’s research also raises a cultural dimension. Thirty percent of CXOs who prioritise AI-driven headcount reduction said organisational empathy gets in the way of their personal business goals, compared with 19% of other CXOs.

The finding does not establish that empathy causes or prevents successful AI transformation. It does, however, illustrate a tension between efficiency-oriented AI strategies and workforce concerns around change, job security and support.

For HR technology providers, that tension creates an expanding market opportunity around AI skills assessment, workforce analytics, learning platforms, change management and employee experience.

The central challenge is no longer simply getting employees to use AI. It is aligning AI investment with the capabilities employees need to use those systems effectively.

Businessolver’s research suggests that organisations pursuing AI-led efficiency are making different choices about that preparation. As AI adoption expands, the connection between workforce readiness and technology investment may become an increasingly important part of HR strategy.

Market Landscape

Enterprise AI is moving from experimentation toward workflow redesign, automation and human-agent collaboration. That transition is increasing demand for AI workforce readiness, including AI literacy, role-specific training, change management and skills measurement.

Microsoft’s research found a persistent training gap among employees using AI, while its more recent Work Trend Index research describes organisations moving toward human-agent teams.

At the same time, the World Economic Forum estimates that 59% of workers will require training by 2030 as skills requirements change.

This puts HR technology providers at the intersection of AI adoption and workforce development. Learning management systems, skills intelligence platforms, employee experience software and workforce analytics tools increasingly have a role in helping companies understand whether employees are prepared to work with new AI systems.

The Businessolver findings add another dimension: organisations can pursue AI-driven restructuring while simultaneously recruiting, reskilling and redesigning jobs. The resulting workforce model is less about simple headcount reduction and more about deciding which work should be automated, which capabilities should remain human-led and how employees should be prepared for the transition.

Top Insights

• Businessolver found only 18% of executives prioritising AI-driven headcount reduction also prioritised AI upskilling.
• Forty-nine percent of employees said they had been left to figure out AI on their own, according to Businessolver’s 2026 research.
• CIOs and CTOs were 25 percentage points more likely than CFOs to worry technology could outpace workforce skills.
• The World Economic Forum estimates 59% of workers will require training by 2030 as job requirements evolve.
• AI workforce readiness increasingly connects HR technology, learning, workforce planning and enterprise AI deployment.

Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights