One factor I hear persistently from enterprise leaders is that this: We consider within the promise of AI, however we’re nonetheless determining the 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 folks improve their work and ship measurable enterprise outcomes.
To grasp whether or not these investments are making a distinction, the Individuals & Communities workforce stepped again and requested a much bigger query: When AI turns into integral to how our folks 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 workforce examined how staff 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 probabilities for our folks 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 staff actively use AI, and AI use deepens worker engagement. AI customers who had been interviewed report larger 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 on daily basis.
- 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 staff who exit the corporate.
- AI enhances productiveness and efficiency: Over 70% of staff surveyed report that AI helps them save time, increase productiveness, and deal with routine work extra effectively. This enhanced productiveness seems to be contributing to efficiency, as staff who use AI instruments extra continuously are likely to obtain barely larger Particular person Efficiency Issue (IPF) scores.
- AI accelerates profession development: AI customers usually tend to be promoted sooner, spend much less time in the identical grade, and are 40% extra more likely 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 turning into a spot the place AI abilities aren’t solely developed however rewarded.
2. Driving AI Adoption Throughout Our Workforce
Understanding what drives and hinders adoption helps us create the fitting surroundings for studying and innovation.
- Leaders who use AI amplify adoption: Staff whose direct leaders use AI are twice as seemingly to make use of it themselves. Prime-down modeling actually issues. Even small actions like mentioning AI instruments in workforce conferences or 1:1s create alternatives to introduce sensible options, construct consolation, and normalize AI utilization.
- Flexible work environments help AI utilization: Hybrid work and worker autonomy might help extra AI utilization. Apparently, staff who select to return into the workplace three or extra days per week are extra seemingly to make use of AI instruments than their friends.
3. Designing Efficient AI Skilling Methods
How staff study AI makes all of the distinction. Our findings reveal what works greatest to maintain our workforce on the forefront of AI innovation.
- Most staff are studying by doing: 87% of staff surveyed report studying AI by curiosity-driven, role-relevant experimentation with AI instruments. Entry to supporting alternatives and sources is vital to sustained confidence and adoption.
- Leaders want tailor-made help: Director-level leaders surveyed report barely decrease confidence in utilizing our inside AI device than mid-level staff, in addition to decrease total satisfaction with AI instruments. These findings recommend that senior leaders might profit from tailor-made studying alternatives and focused help to assist construct their confidence and satisfaction with AI, to allow them to extra successfully champion AI adoption throughout the group.
- Mid-level staff are in search of extra specialised AI abilities: The AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities Studying Path (a role-specific coaching for mid-level IT professionals provided by 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, equivalent 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 equivalent to Pew Analysis Heart’s 2025 research on AI within the office finds that many staff are extra fearful than hopeful about AI’s influence on their jobs, Cisco staff 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. Staff who had been interviewed perceive that AI is simplest with human oversight and see verifying accuracy and making use of important considering as important elements of utilizing AI properly.
Closing Ideas
AI is already making a significant distinction for Cisco’s workforce, and its influence is rising.
Every worker’s journey with AI is completely different, and everybody at Cisco has a task to play. As this transformation continues, we stay dedicated to equipping our folks with the abilities, 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
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Scope: Complete evaluation (August 2024 – October 2025) of AI device adoption, utilization, expertise, and influence inside Cisco, specializing in CIRCUIT (Cisco’s inside AI assistant), GitHub Copilot, and Ask Cody.
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Knowledge 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.
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Analytical Strategies: Hybrid strategy combining quantitative and qualitative strategies, together with descriptive statistics, statistical modeling (e.g., XG Increase, OLS regression), worker interviews, and worker focus teams.
Acknowledgments
This analysis was made attainable by the devoted efforts of the Individuals Intelligence workforce and IT companions:
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Sponsors: Roxanne Bisby Davis, Matt Starr, Madison Beard, John Lagonigro
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Leads: Hanqi Zhu, Might Liew
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Researchers & Knowledge Scientists: Mary Williams, Peiman Amoukhteh, Madi Brumbaugh, Erik Wangerin, Delia Zhou, Casey Bianco, Ty Busbice, Rachith KS, Sara Hardesty, Joshua Rickard
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Help Group: Kensleigh Gayek, Kate Pydyn, Grace Jain, Charlie Manning, Samantha Everett, Lauren Grimaldo, Elle Sawa, Shavonda Locke, John Misenheimer
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IT Companions: Tammi Fitzwater, Jenna Tracy, Areebah Ajani, Dick Loveless
