One factor I hear persistently from enterprise leaders is that this: We consider within the promise of AI, however we’re nonetheless determining the best way to flip it into actual enterprise development.
At Cisco, that is the journey we’re on. Over the previous 18 months, we’ve invested in AI instruments and studying experiences designed to assist individuals improve their work and ship measurable enterprise outcomes.
To grasp whether or not these investments are making a distinction, the Individuals & Communities group stepped again and requested an even bigger query: When AI turns into integral to how our individuals work, how does it form engagement, efficiency, and development throughout Cisco—and what does that imply for the enterprise?
Over the previous yr, Cisco’s Individuals Intelligence group examined how workers have interaction with AI instruments, drawing on surveys, interviews, focus teams, and information evaluation. The findings ship a transparent sign: our strategy is working—and when paired with a tradition that encourages studying, experimentation, and belief, the chances for our individuals and our enterprise are limitless.
Key Findings:
1. AI Powers a Higher Worker Expertise
AI is greater than a device—its use positively impacts particular person engagement, retention, efficiency, and development.
- AI boosts particular person engagement: We’ve seen a robust, mutually reinforcing cycle emerge: engaged workers actively use AI, and AI use deepens worker engagement. AI customers who had been interviewed report higher enthusiasm for Cisco’s mission, stronger confidence in our future, and really feel extra challenged and empowered to develop in comparison with their friends who don’t use AI. Additionally they report having extra alternatives to make use of their strengths daily.
- AI strengthens retention: Opposite to claims that AI customers usually tend to depart, AI customers at Cisco keep longer—and use AI twice as typically every month as workers who exit the corporate.
- AI enhances productiveness and efficiency: Over 70% of workers surveyed report that AI helps them save time, enhance productiveness, and deal with routine work extra effectively. This enhanced productiveness seems to be contributing to efficiency, as workers who use AI instruments extra regularly are inclined to obtain barely increased Particular person Efficiency Issue (IPF) scores.
- AI accelerates profession development: AI customers usually tend to be promoted quicker, spend much less time in the identical grade, and are 40% extra prone to be designated Crucial to Retain. These advisable for promotion use AI 50% extra typically than those that aren’t. These patterns recommend that Cisco is changing into a spot the place AI abilities will not be solely developed however rewarded.
2. Driving AI Adoption Throughout Our Workforce
Understanding what drives and hinders adoption helps us create the precise setting for studying and innovation.
- Leaders who use AI amplify adoption: Workers whose direct leaders use AI are twice as probably to make use of it themselves. High-down modeling really issues. Even small actions like mentioning AI instruments in group conferences or 1:1s create alternatives to introduce sensible options, construct consolation, and normalize AI utilization.
- Flexible work environments assist AI utilization: Hybrid work and worker autonomy could assist extra AI utilization. Curiously, workers who select to come back into the workplace three or extra days per week are extra probably to make use of AI instruments than their friends.
3. Designing Efficient AI Skilling Methods
How workers be taught AI makes all of the distinction. Our findings reveal what works greatest to maintain our workforce on the forefront of AI innovation.
- Most workers are studying by doing: 87% of workers surveyed report studying AI by way of curiosity-driven, role-relevant experimentation with AI instruments. Entry to supporting alternatives and assets is essential to sustained confidence and adoption.
- Leaders want tailor-made assist: Director-level leaders surveyed report barely decrease confidence in utilizing our inner AI device than mid-level workers, in addition to decrease general satisfaction with AI instruments. These findings recommend that senior leaders could profit from tailor-made studying alternatives and focused assist to assist construct their confidence and satisfaction with AI, to allow them to extra successfully champion AI adoption throughout the group.
- Mid-level workers are searching for extra specialised AI abilities: The AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities Studying Path (a role-specific coaching for mid-level IT professionals supplied by way of Cisco U.’s Ladder Up program) noticed 3 times the enrollment of earlier choices. This surge displays a powerful demand amongst mid-level IT professionals to maneuver past foundational AI ideas and achieve extremely sensible, role-specific abilities, corresponding to deploying, managing, and optimizing AI methods in real-world environments.
4. Constructing Pleasure Round AI
Rising AI adoption at Cisco is grounded in optimism and a shared perception that expertise ought to elevate human work.
- AI is sparking pleasure: Whereas analysis corresponding to Pew Analysis Middle’s 2025 research on AI within the office finds that many employees are extra apprehensive than hopeful about AI’s affect on their jobs, Cisco workers who had been interviewed described feeling captivated with its potential.
- AI adoption is rising throughout Cisco: Each technical and non-technical teams present progress towards extra frequent AI utilization.
- Company guardrails are making a distinction: Cisco’s Accountable AI Framework, together with clear and constant messaging from management, is resonating. Workers who had been interviewed perceive that AI is only with human oversight and see verifying accuracy and making use of crucial pondering as important elements of utilizing AI properly.
Closing Ideas
AI is already making a significant distinction for Cisco’s workforce, and its affect is rising.
Every worker’s journey with AI is totally different, and everybody at Cisco has a job to play. As this transformation continues, we stay dedicated to equipping our individuals with the talents, instruments, and tradition they should thrive in an AI-powered future. By embracing findings like these, we’re evolving collectively, constructing on what works, and shaping what comes subsequent.
Methodology
Scope: Complete evaluation (August 2024 – October 2025) of AI device adoption, utilization, expertise, and affect inside Cisco, specializing in CIRCUIT (Cisco’s inner AI assistant), GitHub Copilot, and Ask Cody.
Information Sources: Anonymized and aggregated information from AI device utilization, AI studying, worker expertise surveys (Actual Deal, Engagement Pulse, IT@Cisco, AI@Cisco), worker demographics, collaboration information (Webex, occasion/workplace attendance), efficiency/rewards, abilities, and hiring/termination information.
Analytical Strategies: Hybrid strategy combining quantitative and qualitative strategies, together with descriptive statistics, statistical modeling (e.g., XG Enhance, OLS regression), worker interviews, and worker focus teams.
Acknowledgments
This analysis was made potential by way of the devoted efforts of the Individuals Intelligence group and IT companions:
Sponsors: Roxanne Bisby Davis, Matt Starr, Madison Beard, John Lagonigro
Leads: Hanqi Zhu, Might Liew
Researchers & Information Scientists: Mary Williams, Peiman Amoukhteh, Madi Brumbaugh, Erik Wangerin, Delia Zhou, Casey Bianco, Ty Busbice, Rachith KS, Sara Hardesty, Joshua Rickard
Assist Group: Kensleigh Gayek, Kate Pydyn, Grace Jain, Charlie Manning, Samantha Everett, Lauren Grimaldo, Elle Sawa, Shavonda Locke, John Misenheimer
IT Companions: Tammi Fitzwater, Jenna Tracy, Areebah Ajani, Dick Loveless