By Elaine Mason, Taproot’s Chief Strategy Officer
As organizations pour billions into technical AI training, they are missing “last mile,” human-centered skills and leadership required to navigate a digital-enabled world. This article explores how Learning and Development (L&D) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can unite to use pro bono service as opportunities to build the adaptive skills that traditional training simply can‘t accomplish.
In my recent piece, AI Can’t Empathize: How Pro Bono Service Builds Human Skills at Work, we explored why experiential learning is uniquely positioned to build the human skills AI cannot replicate. The next question leaders are asking is not whether human skills matter—they want to know how companies can build human skills intentionally inside their organizations. Taproot’s recent Human Skills at Work report answers that question, uncovering a powerful tool for sharpening employee’s problem-solving, adaptability, and collaboration: pro bono service.
The corporate world is in the midst of a historic reskilling push. Organizations are spending billions to ensure their workforces can become exponentially more productive with AI at their side. As mentioned in Taproot’s Human Skills at Work report, Microsoft has committed $4 billion to its “Elevate” initiative; Amazon has pledged $1.2 billion; and Walmart is investing $1 billion into its own skilling programs. Yet the majority of these investments are directed toward technical certifications and STEM-based curricula.
Here’s the problem: technical proficiency is only the entry price. The real differentiator in the age of AI isn’t how well you can use the tool; it’s how well people can leverage the tool. We are currently underinvesting in the last mile of business value —human skills like judgment, empathy, and adaptability that determine whether AI adoption drives productivity or just generates more workslop.
To bridge this gap, Learning and Development (L&D) leaders have an opportunity to evolve their strategy. Rather than relying solely on traditional modes of learning or on-the-job experience, they should intentionally partner with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) teams. CSR programs already create human skill-centric experiences through pro bono service.
Imagine what would happen if L&D and CSR partnered to connect employees to pro bono engagements that are unparalleled, real-world laboratories for talent to develop the adaptive, human-centered skills that traditional training cannot simulate.
The Systemic Context: The Limits of Traditional Learning
The urgency is supported by data. 82% of respondents in our Human Skills at Work report see human skills as on par with technical skills in terms of workplace importance. Furthermore, a recent Workday study found that 83% of professionals believe the rise of AI will make human skills more vital, and 76% are craving more human connection as automation increases.
However, we are trying to teach adaptive leadership and collaboration through traditional learning and JIT models that are better suited for technical upskilling. Research from Harvard Business Impact suggests that 70% of organizations recognize the need for leaders to widen their skill sets beyond technical expertise, yet standard curricula frequently fail to simulate the real world complexity required to build true judgment. Forbes has similarly critiqued traditional models for their speed over stamina approach, which fails to provide the on-the-job context that leads to actual behavioral change.
This is where pro bono service emerges as a high-impact instrument for learning and development. Unlike a standard simulation, a complex pro bono project places employees in a high-stakes, real-world setting characterized by limited resources, diverse stakeholder needs, and intense ambiguity. It isn’t just volunteering; it is a gig-era experience for the very conditions AI is creating in the corporate world.
The Impact: The Silo Surcharge on Productivity
From my vantage point overseeing global talent at Splunk, learning innovation at American Express, and technical learning at Paramount/MTV, I’ve watched L&D and CSR functions vie for the same pool of funds and the same limited employee attention. This internal competition is more than just an administrative headache; it creates inefficiencies that cost us engagement, productivity, and ultimately the top talent every organization wants.
When L&D operates in a vacuum, we get leaders who are trained but not tested. When CSR operates in a vacuum, we get volunteers who may provide value to nonprofits but miss the opportunity to translate that experience back into their corporate roles. By keeping these functions operating in isolation, we are essentially creating a silo surcharge on the organization.
The consequence is a leadership cohort that can manage a predictable P&L but falters when asked to lead a cross-functional, AI-augmented team through a period of rapid change.
We need human-in-the-loop (HITL) interactions that are high-judgment and high-empathy. Without experiential learning, we are essentially giving our most expensive talent a Ferrari (AI) but never teaching them how to drive on a winding mountain road.
The data confirms this mismatch: 70% of professionals in Taproot’s recent report described strengthening human skills like problem-solving and adaptability through pro bono service, outperforming traditional training modes. In fact pro bono experiential learning was rated as more effective than classroom or online training for five critical human skills: problem-solving, collaboration, communication, relationship building, and adaptability.
The Solution: Designing the New Learning Flywheel
It is time to treat pro bono as a core learning strategy, not a peripheral benefit. To do this, L&D and CSR must work together to and start co-designing. Here is how organizations can start:
- Designate Pro Bono as a Skills Lab for Critical Talent: Rather than ad-hoc volunteering, L&D should identify 3–5 core human skills, as identified in Taproot’s report, and partner with CSR teams to source complex pro bono engagements specifically to exercise these muscles. Use the high-stakes, low-ego environment of a nonprofit to let leaders learn quickly.
- Pair Service with Structured Mentorship: Our report found that while experience is the primary driver of skill, mentorship is a critical amplifier, especially for relationship building (64%) and adaptability (59%). Every major pro bono engagement should be paired with a Learning Coach who helps the leader translate their nonprofit experience back into their corporate leadership context. This is especially important for early-in-career talent.
- Move from Transactional to Collaborative Partnerships: The greatest return on investment occurs when pro bono is approached as a collaborative learning partnership. This means co-creating projects with nonprofits that have clearly scoped business outcomes and learning objectives for the volunteer. When we elevate the volunteer experience, we boost the L&D return on investment while simultaneously expanding the capacity of social sector partners.
The path forward is clear. Technology investment is already underway. The next frontier is ensuring human skills capability keeps pace. By integrating pro bono service into our skilling strategies, we don’t just build better leaders; we build a more resilient society.
About the author:
Elaine Mason is a strategy and HR executive focused on the intersection of workforce transformation and purpose. As Chief Strategy Officer at Taproot Foundation, she is helping shape the future of pro bono and advancing research on human skills in the AI-enabled workplace. Elaine previously held senior leadership roles at Cisco, American Express, and Paramount Global and is a frequent speaker on the future of work and people analytics.
