Digital skills can decay before workers realize they are obsolete

Digital transformation is not only creating demand for new skills, it's also weakening the value of digital skills employees already possess, according to new research by Ioannis Zervas of the University of Macedonia. The study finds that disruptive technologies can accelerate digital skills decay, increase employability anxiety and make workforce sustainability depend more heavily on early reskilling and stronger human resource systems.

Titled Digital Skills Decay and Obsolescence in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: Implications for Sustainable Human Resource Management and published in Sustainability, the study examines how workers across European Union (EU) countries perceive the loss of value in their digital competences as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, cloud platforms, data analytics and other technologies change workplace demands. The findings show that workforce sustainability depends not only on training provision, but also on whether organizations can detect weakening skills before they become obsolete.

Disruptive technologies are changing the value of existing skills

Organizations have spent years focusing on digital skills gaps, asking whether employees have the technical abilities needed for new systems. The study points out that this framing misses a growing workplace problem: employees may already have digital skills, but those skills can lose fluency, relevance and practical value as technologies change.

Digital skills decay, as the author defines, refers to the gradual weakening of existing competences, often because employees use certain tools less often, tasks become automated or digital routines shift. On the other hand, digital skills obsolescence refers to a deeper problem: skills may still exist, but they no longer fit current work systems, platforms or expectations. For instance, a worker may still know how to use an older reporting tool, database system or digital process, but the organization may have moved toward AI-supported analytics, automation or new cloud-based workflows. In that case, the worker’s skill has not disappeared, but its value has declined.

The study links this to a broader workplace shift where digital transformation is judged by its impact on workers, not just productivity. Workforce sustainability, in this view, is not simply about keeping employees on payroll or offering occasional training. It's about ensuring workers remain employable, adaptable and included as job roles and digital systems change.

Digital skills should not be treated as fixed assets, the author argues, adding that their value depends on continuous use, updating and alignment with changing work processes. If organizations wait until skills are already obsolete, employees may experience insecurity, loss of professional relevance and weaker participation in new forms of work.

Survey links technology disruption to skill decay and anxiety

The study is based on a quantitative survey of 932 employees and business professionals working in European Union countries between October 2025 and March 2026. Respondents belonged to varied professional backgrounds, including private-sector, public-sector, non-profit and self-employed settings, with most of them reporting regular exposure to digital technologies in their work.

The analysis used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, with Bayesian regression used as a robustness check. The model examined relationships among perceived disruptive technological change, digital skills decay, digital skills obsolescence, employability anxiety, reskilling intention, sustainable HRM practices, organizational learning culture and workforce sustainability.

The outcomes supported the proposed model. Employees who perceived stronger technological disruption were more likely to report digital skills decay. Digital skills decay was then positively associated with digital skills obsolescence, suggesting that the weakening of skills can become a pathway toward their perceived loss of workplace relevance.

Both digital skills decay and digital skills obsolescence were linked with higher employability anxiety, which means employees who felt their digital abilities were weakening or becoming outdated were more likely to worry about whether they could remain useful, competitive and secure in future work roles.

The study shifts from a purely technical discussion to a human one. The loss of value in digital skills is not just an operational issue for organizations. It becomes a psychological and career-related concern for employees who may fear that the skills they built over time no longer protect their employability. The results also show that employability anxiety has two sides. It was negatively associated with workforce sustainability, meaning insecurity can weaken employees’ sense of long-term professional stability and inclusion, but it was also positively associated with reskilling intention, suggesting anxiety may push workers to seek new learning when they believe action is possible.

Sustainable HRM and learning culture shape workforce resilience

The study finds that reskilling intention supports workforce sustainability. Employees who are willing to learn new digital skills and participate in technology-related training are more likely to remain adaptable and relevant as work changes. However, the study does not place responsibility only on employees. Sustainable HRM practices and organizational learning culture were also positively associated with workforce sustainability, highlighting the role of employers in creating conditions where workers can renew skills before they fall behind.

Sustainable HRM practices include organizational support for training, professional development, adaptation and long-term employability. The study suggests these practices should be built into workforce planning rather than treated as a reaction after technology has already disrupted job roles.

Organizational learning culture also matters. Workplaces that support continuous learning, knowledge sharing, management-backed skill development and everyday learning opportunities are better positioned to keep employees included in technological change. The findings suggest that reskilling should be linked to career development, not framed as a corrective measure for employees who are failing to keep up. When training is treated as remedial, workers may feel blamed for falling behind. When it is treated as part of sustainable workforce planning, it can help convert employability anxiety into constructive action.

The study calls for earlier detection of digital skill devaluation. Employers could use periodic digital skills audits, role-based self-assessments, supervisor feedback and HR analytics to identify where skills are weakening, becoming less used or losing relevance. These tools could help organizations intervene before decay turns into obsolescence.

Practical responses could include modular training for new tools, peer learning groups, mentoring between digitally experienced and less experienced employees, internal mobility pathways and role-based reskilling plans. These approaches aim to keep human capital active and adaptable rather than allowing workers to become professionally marginalized by technological change.

Implications and limitations for sustainable workforce planning

For organizations adopting AI, automation and other disruptive technologies, digital transformation can erode human capital if employers focus only on new tools and not on the changing value of existing skills. Workforce sustainability depends on protecting employees from gradual skill devaluation as much as preparing them for future roles.

For HR leaders, the findings suggest that training should start before employees reach crisis points. If organizations can identify digital skills decay while employees are still confident and engaged, they have a better chance of preventing obsolescence, anxiety and exclusion from emerging forms of work.

Reskilling is becoming a continuing part of working life for employees and the study clearly shows this shift. Digital skills can no longer be assumed to retain value indefinitely. Workers may need repeated opportunities to update, apply and test their skills as platforms, workflows and digital expectations change.

For policymakers and business leaders, the research adds a sustainability dimension to digital transformation. A workforce cannot be considered sustainable if employees remain formally employed but feel unable to keep pace with the technologies shaping their jobs. Sustainable digital transformation therefore requires both technological investment and structured human capital renewal.

The study also highlights the importance of organizational responsibility. If employability anxiety is treated only as a personal problem, employers may miss its roots in changing work systems. The findings suggest that anxiety can signal a mismatch between existing skills and new technological demands, making it a management issue as well as an employee concern.

Notably, the study's cross-sectional design means the findings show associations rather than proven causal sequences over time. The study relies on self-reported perceptions, so future research could combine employee responses with HR records, training data, performance reviews or supervisor assessments. The sample included employees and professionals from EU countries, but it was not statistically representative of the entire EU workforce and did not allow detailed country-by-country or organization-size comparisons.

Future research could use longitudinal designs to track whether digital skills decay develops into obsolescence and whether early HR interventions slow that process. More detailed sectoral, national and organizational comparisons could also show where digital skill devaluation is most severe.