The Great Resignation 2.0 is here. AI upskilling is how we stay ahead of it.

The Great Resignation didn’t end. It evolved.

Today, fewer people are leaving their jobs. It’s not because everything is working, but because the market has changed. 

Hiring has slowed, mobility has tightened, and the incentives to switch roles aren’t quite as attractive as they were before. Overall, people are choosing to stay put, seeing the benefit of stability over taking a risk. In fact, since its peak in early 2022, the number of people quitting has dropped by nearly one-third.

We’ve entered the next phase of the evolution, the Great Stay. 

This is a landscape where 65 percent of professionals say they don’t plan to look for a new job in 2026.

But staying put doesn’t mean things are working optimally. Across many organizations, people are dealing with a constant sense of uncertainty. Roles are changing quickly, leaders are asking teams to adapt quickly and deliver in new ways, and AI is reshaping how work gets done. At the same time, opportunities to move—internally or externally—feel less accessible.

This is the Great Resignation 2.0—not defined by people leaving, but by people staying without clarity, direction, or confidence in what comes next—resigned to the current climate. 

And it carries a different kind of risk. 

Key takeaways: AI upskilling and the Great Resignation 2.0

• AI upskilling helps organizations retain talent. When employees feel supported in learning how to work with AI, they’re more likely to stay, grow, and remain engaged.
• AI adoption requires more than tools. Organizations must build skills, trust, and governance so people can use AI effectively in their daily work.
• HR plays a critical role in AI readiness. By leading training, guiding managers, and supporting experimentation, HR teams help organizations adapt faster.
• Human skills remain essential in the age of AI. Collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are becoming even more valuable as AI automates routine tasks.
• Small steps can drive meaningful AI adoption. Auditing AI use, piloting micro learning programs, and partnering across teams can quickly build confidence and capability.

When mobility slows, it doesn’t mean that expectations don’t. People still want growth, relevance, and forward momentum. But when that path isn’t visible, uncertainty builds. Over time, that uncertainty turns into disengagement, lower confidence, and delayed attrition once opportunities reopen.

People are asking big questions about their future:

• What role will I play in an organization where AI is part of everyday work?
• Will my skills still matter as AI becomes part of how work gets done?
• What happens if I can’t keep up?

<<People are craving upskilling, and they’ll stick with companies that invest in it. Download the guide to see how to keep your best talent and attract more.>>

These concerns are understandable. People aren’t looking for a way out; they just want clarity. And the organizations that are thriving are the ones that can offer exactly that.  

AI literacy has become one of the most in-demand skills. But roles are evolving faster than ever, and many teams still lack the guidance and training to use AI confidently in their work. 

Simply adopting AI tools isn’t enough. Organizations rely on the skills, workflows, and trust that allow people to use them effectively and responsibly.

Just as importantly, AI performs best within systems designed to support it—where data is connected, governance is clear, and outputs are accurate, secure, and aligned with how the business actually operates. 

When people don’t see their company investing in AI skills training, guidance, and growth for everyone, engagement and retention can start to suffer. 

But there’s good news. HR is in the driver’s seat and well-positioned to turn uncertainty into opportunity.

AI uplift—the strategy of empowering your people to grow with AI—is how you close the skills gap.

Instead of focusing only on tools, AI uplift helps organizations build the skills, systems, and confidence people need to integrate AI into everyday work. That’s when you can truly start to reduce churn, ensure your people feel valued, and build trust at work. 

This guide explores how to stop the Great Resignation 2.0 in its tracks by supporting your people with AI uplift, building their confidence, and helping them stay professionally relevant before pressure turns into attrition.

Pressure is rising, but people aren’t quitting (yet)

Most people are staying put in their jobs for the moment. But many are still looking for more support, clarity, and momentum in their roles.

This isn’t just about workloads. It’s a more fundamental shift. The rules of work are changing. Automation and AI are reshaping expectations, skill demands are evolving overnight, and many people are looking for help keeping pace.

Research shows AI adoption is still limited

The use of AI at work is steadily climbing. Gallup research shows that daily use of AI in the workplace has risen from 10 percent to 12 percent, frequent use (at least a few times a week) has risen to 26 percent, and the total percent using AI in some capacity is now nearly half, at 46 percent. 

This shows that organizations are embracing AI’s potential. Though the question is whether they’re using it effectively—and whether they’re clearly communicating that use to their people.

So for many organizations, the challenge isn’t access to AI tools but building the confidence, training, and governance needed for people to use them effectively.

HiBob data reveals rising anxiety and curiosity around AI

The emotional impact of AI is real. Our research shows that 44 percent of professionals are worried that AI could take their jobs. At the same time, 45 percent believe it could actually make them more productive.

That tension is playing out in deeper ways, too: 25 percent of people surveyed say AI has caused them to reevaluate their career plans, and 30 percent say it’s made them question the value of their current skills.

What does all this mean? People are looking for reassurance, practical support, and a clearer sense of what comes next. And they’re increasingly aware that they need new skills to stay professionally relevant. 

That’s why responsible AI adoption requires transparency, training, and clear policies. When people understand how AI supports their work, trust grows, and adoption becomes easier.

People don’t want out. They want support.

The need for support is real, but it also creates a clear opportunity for organizations to respond. People want their employers to step in with meaningful development and upskilling opportunities. They’re asking for training, clarity, and growth. 

The sooner support kicks in, the sooner organizations can reverse the coming tide of attrition.

And those that act early, before disengagement turns into attrition, can build loyalty and momentum. 

<<People don’t want to leave—they want support. Download the guide to see how AI training makes the difference.>>

A new mindset for a new market

On the employer side, the same shift is reshaping how companies think about hiring. With skills evolving so rapidly, many HR teams are starting to focus less on traditional credentials and more on potential. 

They’re looking for people who can adapt quickly, learn fast, and grow into new challenges. This strategy is smart in times of economic uncertainty and beyond, and it builds a workforce that can weather the storm and stay ahead of change.

AI is moving quickly, and readiness has become a priority

Across industries and functions, teams are increasingly embedding AI into their daily operations—from drafting content and analyzing data to forecasting trends and accelerating workflows. 

But while the technology moves fast, most organizations are still catching up. Research shows how important this shift has become:

• An IMF report found that nearly 60 percent of jobs in advanced economies are exposed to AI, signaling large-scale disruption and augmentation across the labor market
• Recent McKinsey research showed that AI has the potential to transform 60–70 percent of the time people spend working
• According to a survey by Microsoft, 71 percent of leaders would rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them

The disconnect is clear. Business leaders understand the scale of the change, but too few are translating that understanding into action. 

HiBob’s 2026 report: AI maturity benchmarks and where the workforce stands reveals that 75 percent of decision-makers expect moderate AI proficiency to become standard for most non-technical roles by 2028. Organizations are already making it a gatekeeper for career growth, with 67 percent linking AI skills to promotion criteria and 50 percent tying them directly to performance ratings.

The opportunity for early action is significant. As AI continues to transform more tasks and roles, the gap between what teams can do today and what they’ll need to do tomorrow is only going to grow. And while the workforce isn’t resisting the shift—many professionals are eager to evolve—many organizations are still building the infrastructure needed to support that evolution and address anxiety around AI.

Investing in upskilling now can close critical capability gaps, boost productivity, and give people a renewed sense of purpose and security in their roles. 

The future belongs to AI-savvy professionals and managers

The future of work isn’t just about adopting new technologies. It’s about empowering your people to thrive alongside them. 

AI is just the latest shift in how work gets done. It can streamline tasks and uncover insights, but its real power lies in how people leverage it to grow, lead, and make more meaningful contributions. When people feel empowered by technology and not threatened by it, they do their best work.

Trust needs to grow alongside technology. Additional HiBob research shows that only 43 percent of professionals trust their company to use AI responsibly. Even fewer—just 46 percent—trust their company to support and train them on AI. 

These trust gaps point to an important next step: clearer ownership of AI readiness. Who’s responsible for helping people build the skills they need to thrive in an AI-powered world? For many organizations, that answer is still unclear.

Globally, direct managers and team leaders are the number one group organizations expect to take responsibility for building AI capability across their teams. However, there is a massive gap between responsibility and readiness: Only 36 percent of organizations view their managers as highly prepared to upskill their teams proficiently.

But there’s a way forward. 

Research from Josh Bersin outlines a compelling vision: a future built by AI-enhanced professionals and managers. These are people who combine human insight with intelligent tools to deliver deeper impact, faster and more confident decision-making, and stronger outcomes. 

HR is uniquely positioned to cultivate these capabilities at every level of the business.

<<Curious minds are using AI—whether you’re ready or not. Download the guide to learn how to guide that curiosity.>>

But what does AI-enhanced work look like in practice?

• A recruiter using generative AI to draft job descriptions, personalize outreach, and summarize candidate feedback, freeing up time to focus on sourcing and candidate experience
• A marketing manager tapping into AI to extract competitive insights and run sentiment analysis on customer reviews—fueling sharper, data-driven campaigns
• A finance analyst building smart dashboards that automate reporting and flag anomalies in real time, transforming static reports into proactive insights

And increasingly, it looks like orchestration. Instead of one-off prompts in one-off tools, teams are starting to use AI agents that can coordinate tasks across systems—pulling the right data, routing approvals, updating workflows, and handing work back to humans when judgment is needed. This is what AI-enhanced work looks like in practice: It connects the dots across tools, steps, and teams, and turns “assist” into execution at scale. 

In each case, AI doesn’t replace the professional. It amplifies them. And the businesses that thrive won’t be the ones with the most AI tools. They’ll be the ones with the most prepared, confident people using their tools wisely.

HR can lead the shift by:

• Offering targeted, role-specific AI training. For example, “AI for hiring,” “AI for planning,” or “AI for individual contributors.”
• Recognizing and rewarding AI fluency, not just usage. This includes knowing when not to rely on AI.
• Normalizing learning. Great ways to do this are creating secure and visible learning moments through opt-in showcases, peer demos, or lunch-and-learns that spotlight practical use cases. 

When you design this training and support, it’s best to focus on governance and judgment over technical coding. 

HiBob data shows the most critical everyday AI behaviors employers need are:

• Proactively reviewing output quality (52 percent)
• Documenting workflow decisions (52 percent)
• Handling sensitive data appropriately (52 percent)

Meanwhile, basic coding capabilities rank as the lowest-rated skill.

By prioritizing these high-value behaviors, these strategies will help your people feel empowered by AI rather than threatened by it, ensuring they’re ready for the future. 

They help people build confidence. They make AI practical. And they show people that they’re not being replaced—they’re being invested in. 

When HR takes the lead, that readiness becomes real. This is what sets future-ready companies apart.

Durable skills need digital scaffolding

AI is not here to replace human skills. When it’s used optimally, it acts as a multiplier.

Many of the most in-demand skills in the age of AI aren’t technical. They’re human and durable. Things like collaboration, adaptability, creative thinking (and critical thinking!), and communication aren’t becoming obsolete. They’re becoming even more essential. 

As AI reshapes roles across industries at every level of organizations, these human skills are what help people stay effective, confident, and prepared for what’s next.

Our research at HiBob shows that people are hungry to build these skills. Professionals consistently ask for more support in developing creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving skills that help them work better with more confidence and efficacy, regardless of role or industry.

But there’s a gap. 

Communication skills need renewed attention, especially among younger or less experienced professionals. And many managers simply don’t have the time, tools, or training to coach team members effectively in these skills.

This is where AI can make a positive difference. Because it’s not just about automating busywork or replacing soft skills. Now, it’s about creating space and structure for people to lead, listen, and grow. 

AI can scaffold soft skill development by: 

• Clearing away repetitive tasks to make space for collaboration and creativity
• Offering real-time support and simulations to help people communicate more clearly
• Providing nudges, prompts, and feedback to help people think more critically, strengthen decision-making, and build confidence in real-world interactions 

That’s where AI’s real ROI lives—not just in speed or automation, but in how it supports the skills that help teams thrive. 

How HR can drive AI uplift right now

Change can start small. What’s great is that you don’t need a five-year roadmap or a massive overhaul of your processes to get started with AI uplift. Small, targeted moves can drive real impact, especially when they’re cross-functional, people-centered, and scalable.

Here are five high-impact actions your HR team can take to lead the shift on AI uplift and start putting them into practice right away:

1. Audit informal AI use

Even if you don’t have a formal AI policy yet, chances are your people are already experimenting. That’s not a red flag. It’s a sign that curiosity is alive and well in your organization.

How to make this move:

• Run a quick pulse survey. Ask questions like “Have you used generative AI at work? If yes, how and with what tools?”
• Host a 30-minute listening session with key departments to understand where and how people are using AI and where it’s blocked. 
• Map what you learn. Use these findings to map your organization’s “shadow AI” activity and identify where you need the most enablement, policies, or training.

Tip: Frame this as exploration, not enforcement. You’re here to build understanding and support progress, not slap wrists.

2. Use engagement data to identify training opportunities

Your HR platform already has indicators that tell you where your people need more support, enablement, or capacity. AI training won’t solve every issue, but it can help lighten the load in the right places.

How to make this move:

• Filter engagement survey data. This could be by team, tenure, or role to spot pain points in workload, confidence, and enablement.
• Cross-reference with performance data. Which teams are under pressure? These are likely to be the ones with high accountability and low enablement.
• Ask managers where the bottlenecks are. What’s slowing your team down? Could AI tools or training help?

Tip: Look out for low “tools and resources” scores or manager feedback on time-consuming manual tasks. They’re perfect for trialing AI uplift and its effects.

<<Burnout is high. Budgets are tight. AI uplift helps your people do more—and feel good doing it. Get the guide to learn how.>>

3. Partner with people managers

Managers play a critical role in driving change. They don’t need to become AI experts, but they do need tools to support their teams through change.

By embedding AI skills development into regular check-ins and performance reviews, managers can turn everyday interactions with their team members into opportunities for growth. 

How to make this move:

• Build a short “AI uplift” guide. This could include talking points, coaching questions, and example stretch projects.
• Encourage managers to use check-ins. This is the perfect opportunity to explore how their team members could experiment with AI.
• Recognize and reward. Curiosity, experimentation, and sharing around AI are all big positives, especially when they reduce burnout and improve performance.

Tip: Keep it simple. Embed AI skill-building into what’s already happening. That way, there’s no need to launch another program from scratch.

4. Pilot micro upskilling programs

You don’t need six months or more of training to build momentum. Short, focused learning experiments embedded in the normal flow of work can create the momentum you need without overwhelming your teams. 

How to make this move:

• Launch a “30 Days of AI” sprint. Involve everyone from managers and ICs to C-level decision-makers. 
• Focus on one tool or use case each week. Experiment with tools like summarizers, chat assistants, and planning tools.
• Include live demos. Show real-time experimentation and peer showcases, like “Use a summarizer in your next team update.”
• Track what worked. Find out what saved time, sparked ideas, or helped people feel more capable using AI.

Tip: Remember that you’re not training experts. You’re building comfort, capability, and confidence. 

5. Involve other teams early

HR can’t do this alone, and it shouldn’t. It’s an organizational team effort. Cross-functional partnerships have a more sustainable impact and make AI-enablement scalable, safe, and relevant across the business.

How to make this move:

• Co-create AI usage norms. Collaborate with Legal, IT, and Risk to ensure adoption is safe and sustainable.
• Work with L&D. Together, you can find ways to plug AI literacy into current leadership or upskilling frameworks.
• Bring departments into the conversation early. Talk to other teams, like Marketing, Sales, Ops, or Product, and highlight team-specific use cases, making it relevant to their day-to-day work.

Tip: Don’t wait until after launch to align. Build buy-in from the start by bringing your partners in early, and position AI uplift as a business initiative, not just “an HR thing.”

Uplift your people

Today’s workplace is evolving fast. Economic pressure, shifting priorities, and rising expectations are pushing businesses to rethink how they operate and how to better support their people.

In the middle of it all, people are being asked to do more with less, and faster than ever before. But while the pressure is real, so is the opportunity.

Modern professionals aren’t looking to jump ship for the sake of it, and their fears aren’t grounded in paranoia. They’re looking for purpose, clarity, support, and growth. They want to feel equipped for what’s next, valued for what they bring, and confident that their employer is invested in their growth as they navigate change.

That’s where AI uplift makes a real difference. When used intentionally, AI isn’t just a productivity tool. It’s a people strategy. It helps people do their best work: It frees up time, supports skill-building, and helps teams stay sharp, collaborative, and future-ready.

HR doesn’t need a sweeping strategy or a five-year roadmap to lead the way. It just needs a few smart and targeted moves, a people-first approach, and a clear commitment to turning change into momentum.

The Great Resignation 2.0 is well underway. But with the right support, your people and your company can rise above it. The potential is within your grasp. 

<<Employee expectations are shifting again. Discover how AI upskilling can help you stay ahead. Download the guide.>>