New research examines who owns skills strategy, how HR and L&D collaborate on it and why siloed skills data is leaving the workforce underprepared for what comes next.
Brandon Hall Group™ today announced the launch of the 2026 State of Skills study, a comprehensive survey examining how organizations define, track, and act on employee skills data. The research explores how HR and business leaders are building the skills strategies needed to support future workforce demands.
The study investigates a question at the center of every workforce planning conversation: Do organizations know what skills they have, what skills they need and who is responsible for closing the gap between them.
The research comes as organizations report growing pressure to close skill gaps in AI and machine learning literacy, data analysis, change management and strategic decision-making, even as many still lack a clear owner for skills strategy or a reliable way to track skills across the enterprise. The study will examine the full lifecycle of a skills strategy, from ownership and data infrastructure to the collaboration gaps between HR and L&D and the barriers keeping organizations from closing the gap between where they are and where they need to be.
“Skills have moved from being an HR initiative to becoming a business imperative. Organizations are making significant investments in AI, workforce planning, and talent development, yet many still lack a shared understanding of the skills they have today and the capabilities they will need tomorrow. This research reflects our commitment to helping leaders make better workforce decisions with evidence, not assumptions,” said Mike Cooke, CEO of Brandon Hall Group™.
“Every organization we speak with says skills are a priority, yet very few can clearly identify who owns the strategy or whether their data is reliable enough to support workforce decisions,” said Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer and Principal Analyst at Brandon Hall Group™. “This study will provide HR and L&D leaders with practical insights into where skills strategies are succeeding, where collaboration is breaking down, and what organizations can do to build a workforce that can adapt as business needs evolve.”
Key focus areas of the study include:
- Ownership of skills strategy across HR, L&D, IT, Talent Acquisition and business units
- Organizational readiness to reskill and upskill employees for evolving demands
- Frequency and quality of collaboration between L&D and HR on skills planning
- Tools and systems used to track employee skills, and their limitations
- Currency and accessibility of skills data across HR and L&D
- Clarity of role-specific skill requirements and the most pressing skill gaps
- Where HR and L&D collaboration breaks down, and the biggest barriers to progress
- Executive visibility into skills strategy and how organizations measure its impact
The study is open to all corporate HR and L&D leaders who are directly involved in learning strategy, talent development or workforce planning. Results will be shared with all survey respondents.
HR and L&D leaders interested in participating can access the survey at: https://www.research.net/r/MZJRCZH
Explore Hrtech Articles for the latest Tech Trends in Human Resources Technology
