---
id: "contrarian-reskilling-not-hr"
type: "contrarian-insight"
source_timestamps: ["§ Reskilling Is the Responsibility of Every Leader and Manager"]
tags: ["contrarian-insight", "leadership", "corporate-strategy"]
related: ["claim-hr-silo-failure", "framework-five-paradigms"]
challenges: "The conventional view that training and reskilling are solely the domain and responsibility of the Human Resources department."
sources: ["reskilling"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-reskilling"
originDay: 10
articleStem: "hbr-edu-34-reskilling-in-age-of-ai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2023/09/reskilling-in-the-age-of-ai"
sourceTitle: "Reskilling in the Age of AI"
---
# Reskilling is a C-suite strategy, not an HR function

**Contrarian insight.** *Challenges the conventional view that training and reskilling are solely the domain of Human Resources.*

Conventionally, reskilling is treated as a corporate-learning function owned by HR. The authors argue this is a recipe for failure. Reskilling must be a **strategic imperative visibly championed by the CEO and COO**, and embedded into the performance metrics of every individual business leader. This is the argumentative core of paradigm two of [[framework-five-paradigms]] and rests on [[claim-hr-silo-failure]] (only 24% of firms connect reskilling to corporate strategy).

**Enrichment / counter-nuance.** Some experts partially push back: HR/L&D, when strategically positioned and data-equipped, can be the *central orchestrator* of reskilling. The deeper issue may be **governance, cross-functional collaboration, and clarity of accountability** — and over-correcting into "everyone's job" without clear ownership risks diffusion of responsibility and weak execution.


## Related across articles
- [[claim-hr-must-own-ai-strategy]]
- [[concept-talent-supply-chain-analysis]]
- [[concept-hr-as-product-org]]