AI Upskilling: Key Takeaways from Navigos Search’s “Growing Skills for the Future”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how businesses operate, how employees work, and the skills organizations need for the future. As AI adoption continues to accelerate, the challenge for businesses is no longer simply whether to use AI, but how to build the capabilities, processes, and workforce readiness needed to create meaningful value from it. On September 18, Navigos Search hosted “AI Upskilling: Growing Skills for the Future”, bringing together HR Leads, Managers, and Directors from Japanese companies in Vietnam to discuss the impact of AI on work and business operations. Through a keynote session and panel discussion, the event explored a central question: How is AI changing the way we work, and how can organizations prepare their workforce for this transformation?

AI Upskilling: From adopting technology to building workforce capabilities

A key message throughout the event was that AI transformation is not simply a technology initiative. The successful adoption of AI requires organizations to rethink how work is designed, how employees develop new capabilities, and how businesses measure the value created by AI. Several key perspectives emerged from the discussions.

1. Adaptation is becoming a continuous capability

As AI continues to reshape tasks and workflows, employees and organizations need to continuously learn, evolve, and adapt. AI may automate or augment certain activities, but its impact extends beyond individual tasks. It can change how teams collaborate, how decisions are made, and how responsibilities are structured. For organizations, this means AI upskilling needs to be viewed as an ongoing capability-building process, rather than a one-time training initiative.

2. Start with the business challenge, not the AI tool

One practical principle discussed during the event was the importance of starting with the business problem rather than the technology itself. Instead of asking, “Which AI tool should we use?”, organizations can begin by identifying:

• What business challenge needs to be addressed?
• Which processes could be improved?
• Where are the biggest opportunities to increase productivity or quality?
• What value should AI create for the business and employees? This approach helps ensure that AI adoption remains connected to business objectives, rather than becoming technology adoption for its own sake.

3. AI upskilling means redesigning how work gets done

Learning how to use AI tools is only one part of AI upskilling. Employees also need to develop the ability to work effectively with AI, including knowing when to use AI, how to validate its outputs, and how to combine AI capabilities with human judgment and expertise. At the organizational level, this can also require a broader rethink of job roles, workflows, and responsibilities. As AI takes on certain repetitive or time-consuming tasks, employees may increasingly spend more time on activities that require problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making, creativity, and specialized expertise. This makes work redesign and capability building important components of an organization’s AI transformation journey.

4. Governance and measurement need to accompany AI adoption

As organizations introduce AI into everyday work, responsible adoption becomes increasingly important. The event highlighted the need to consider areas such as data security, information validation, and the measurement of AI’s actual impact. Having access to an AI tool does not necessarily mean that it creates business value. Organizations need appropriate ways to evaluate whether AI is improving productivity, quality, efficiency, employee experience, or other relevant business outcomes. Clear governance can also help employees understand how AI should be used and where human oversight remains essential.

5. Experiment first, then scale what works

AI adoption does not necessarily need to begin with a large-scale transformation. A practical approach is to start with small, focused experiments, measure the results, learn from the implementation, and gradually scale initiatives that demonstrate value. This allows organizations to test AI use cases in real working environments while identifying potential challenges before expanding them across teams or functions. The process can be viewed as: Identify the challenge → Experiment → Measure → Learn → Scale Such an approach can help organizations move from AI experimentation toward sustainable AI adoption.

Preparing people for the future of work

The discussions at “AI Upskilling: Growing Skills for the Future” highlighted an important shift in the conversation around AI. The question is no longer simply what AI can do, but also how people and organizations can work effectively with AI. For businesses, preparing for the future may require a combination of technology adoption, workforce planning, skills development, work redesign, and responsible AI governance. For employees, continuous learning and the ability to adapt will become increasingly important as the nature of work evolves. Ultimately, AI transformation is as much about people and capabilities as it is about technology.

Navigos Search: Connecting businesses with the future of work

Navigos Search would like to sincerely thank our speakers Ms. Ngo Thi Ngoc Lan, Mr. Phan Thanh Hien, Mr. Vo Duy Luu, and Ms. Nguyen Nhi Ha, as well as all HR leaders and business representatives who joined the event and contributed valuable real-world perspectives. We also extend our special thanks to SBB Healthcare Premium for partnering with Navigos Search to make “AI Upskilling: Growing Skills for the Future” possible. AI is changing the way we work. Building the ability to adapt, learn, and work effectively with AI starts today. Navigos Search looks forward to continuing the conversation and connecting with businesses and HR leaders through our upcoming programs.