Second wave of the survey on the development of training and skills in companies
In February 2026,IFOP conducted for Audencia the second wave of its survey on the development of in-company training and skills among executives in the private sector in mainland France.
The findings of the study :
For executives and business leaders alike, the technical skills to be developed as a priority are those linked to data and artificial intelligence. Managerial and organizational transformation skills, on the other hand, are the priority soft skills.
Executives tend to follow the pragmatic approach of managers, with a growing preference for shorter training courses linked to business needs. Although attached to their autonomy, executives prefer to be accompanied by a trainer.
When choosing a training organization, executives are more concerned with pedagogy and operational aspects, while managers are more concerned with cost. They are more inclined to choose traditional academic players, but also companies with a strong reputation in a given sector or trade.
The budget for executive training is likely to remain stable or decrease in 2026, which will encourage managers to find ways of maximizing the impact of their training, in particular by relying on managers. Measuring the impact of training is also a growing concern.
Find all the results in PDF format in the documents to download, and the results of the first wave here :
Managers’ and executives’ training aspirations – Ifop Group
@audencia @corporate&workexperience
