New research from Attensi reveals that confidence—not compensation or access to information—is the key factor driving workplace training engagement. The study found that 54% of U.S. hospitality workers ages 25–34 would prefer better training over a 5% pay increase. More than half (52%) of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said their primary motivation for improving skills is to feel more confident and capable on the job, reflecting the pressures of busy work environments and fear of making mistakes.
The findings come from Attensi’s Motivation and Skill Mastery in the Workplace 2026 study, a survey of 505 workers challenging foundational assumptions about what drives employee performance in the age of AI-powered training programs.
The research suggests that employees at large are not unmotivated, but under-practiced, due to poorly designed training:
- 86% of respondents report being motivated in their current role, yet two-thirds say most workplace training focuses on delivering information rather than enabling practice for real-world challenges — and that information-only training doesn’t fully prepare them to perform on the job.
- 77% say training that genuinely built their confidence would meaningfully change their day-to-day experience at work.
Better feedback and coaching (29%) and more realistic practice scenarios (27%) were the top requests, something Trond Aas, CEO at Attensi, argues employers today can remedy without asking more from managers: “Companies often design workplaces around extrinsic rewards because they are easy to measure.
But a large number of employees are telling us that becoming genuinely good at their job is more motivating than a slightly bigger paycheck. They understand the value of building competence and confidence – it’s worth more to them than a short-term pay rise.”
The data points to a self-reinforcing cycle that appears when training is designed well: practice leads to progress, progress builds confidence, and confidence drives motivation for more practice. When that cycle breaks down — due to training that is too passive, too rushed, or too disconnected from real job conditions — the result is stagnation.
Attensi argues that employee confidence, a metric most training programs are not equipped to track, should become a standard measure of training effectiveness. Aas says that requires employers to design training that makes progress visible. “Employees who can see themselves improving are more likely to keep practicing, and that sense of forward momentum is what converts effort into lasting confidence and better performance. Confidence is the result of tangible progress. It’s what tells you the training is actually working.”
See the full report here.
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