‘Wildflowering’ Is Taking Root and Blooming in the Workplace

The reshaping of jobs by artificial intelligence (AI), fears of losing relevance in a competitive labor market and genuine curiosity are all driving “wildflowering” in the workplace, as workers seek to broaden their skills in ways beyond traditional career development.

Research by talent management consulting firm Robert Half found 89% of working professionals are “actively upskilling,” often by seeking out opportunities to develop new skills on their own — an organic approach that has coined the “wildflowering” term. However, more than half find support of such efforts from their employer lacking.

“People are stepping back and thinking, if they can keep expanding what they do, they can be more relevant and more nimble,” said Robert Hosking, the administrative and customer support practice executive director at Robert Half. “Your role is going to change. Being ahead of it is likely a better spot to be.”

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FOBO: The Fear Factor

Concerns about AI and other workplace changes are key drivers of the wildflowering trend. According to the 2026 Human Progress Report from Educational Testing Service (ETS), a nonprofit education and talent solutions organization:

• 78% of more than 15,000 surveyed American workers felt adaptability is essential to job security;
• 54% said their priorities have shifted from seeking job security to staying relevant;
• 58% have experienced a fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO) — this figure rises to 74% for technology workers and 73% for those in financial services.

According to Robert Half’s research, 28% of workers said AI has already changed their role, with 10% stating it has completely transformed it. These concerns aren’t limited to seasoned professionals. Separate research by consulting firm Korn Ferry suggested younger workers are twice as likely as their older colleagues to believe they will become obsolete.

“FOBO thrives in ambiguity,” said ETS CEO Amit Sevak. “When people can’t see which skills will matter, where their jobs are heading or how to prepare, uncertainty grows.”

A Proactive Approach

Workers aren’t waiting for their employers to provide upskilling. The ETS study showed 71% are proactively developing skills proactively. Learning to work with AI is a clear focus, with 48% of workers in Robert Half’s research saying they are developing AI skills or learning how to use the technology more effectively.

According to Hosking, the need to branch out also stems from workplace changes.

“Everyone’s playing a role where they’re crossing lines into different functions they don’t have experience in,” he said. “All of a sudden, they’re spread across different departments and responsibilities.”

Barriers to Blossoming

Fifty-seven percent of employees find it difficult to get employer support for skills development, according to the ETS report, which found time, cost and access the other key barriers. For example, while 67% of respondents are interested in credentialing programs, only 41% have access to them — a 26-point gap that Sevak said points to a need for greater assistance.

“The future of workforce development isn’t a one-sided investment,” he said. “It’s a shared commitment between employers and employees, grounded in clear signals about what skills matter, how they are measured and where they can lead.”

The flattening of the organizational chart is another reason why companies must “rethink the mental model of career growth,” said Macaire Montini, the vice president of people and culture at HiBob, a human capital management platform company.

“There simply aren’t enough management positions for [the flat organization] model to work for everyone. More importantly, not everyone wants to manage people,” she said. “The opportunity is to make growth less dependent on moving up and more focused on building skills, taking on greater complexity and gaining experiences that expand what someone is capable of.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Career Growth
• Employee Benefits
• Employee Experience