What does it mean to be “ready” for a role? In 2026, HR leaders will measure employee readiness not by course completions or scores, but by how quickly people can contribute, no matter what is happening arou

n

d them. “Readiness no longer means completing a training or passing a test,” says Jayney Howson, senior vice president of global workforce skills and talent readiness at ServiceNow. “It means showing up ready to perform in an environment that’s constantly evolving.” She describes this as a move away from passive consumption toward learning that is active, applied

and connected to daily work

. Jayney Howson,