● 84% of professionals took upskilling in the last 12 months
● 92% believe long-form degrees carry the strongest career signaling value
● 64% reported a direct positive impact on appraisals, and 42% saw a promotion, role
enhancement or salary hike within 18 months
Mumbai, 17th June 2025: As India’s workforce redefines its approach to career growth, a new study by
TeamLease Edtech reveals that a significant majority of professionals are taking charge of their learning
journeys. The report “Impact of Upskilling on Performance Appraisals” highlights that only 23.9% of
employers offered full sponsorship for upskilling, while 46% of professionals chose to self-fund their most
recent learning initiatives.
Based on responses from over 14,000+ employees across functions like technology, finance, sales,
operations, and human resources, the report brings to light the evolving expectations around
performance, learning, and advancement. An overwhelming 84% of professionals reported engaging in
some form of upskilling over the past year, driven by long-term career planning and a desire for future
readiness.
More than 64% of professionals reported a direct positive impact of upskilling on their appraisal
outcomes. Interestingly, 42% witnessed promotions, salary hikes or enhanced roles within just 18 months
of completing their upskilling, reinforcing the role of learning as a short-to-mid-term lever for growth.
Timing has also emerged as a key factor, with over 40% of respondents stating that they intentionally
pursued upskilling closer to appraisal cycles to maximise visibility and impact.
Employees who self-funded their courses were more likely to report appraisal gains compared to those
who didn’t upskill at all. Additionally, professionals from Technology and Finance backgrounds showed
the highest self-upskilling rates (78.3%), often without organizational learning support. In contrast, 80% of
Sales and Marketing respondents preferred short-term certifications and online tutorials, emphasizing the
growing relevance of just-in-time, low-cost learning formats tailored for immediate application.
Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech, stated, “This study makes one thing very
clear. The professionals who take initiative, especially those who invest in their learning, stand to gain not
just skills but also recognition, responsibility, and real career momentum. For organizations, this is a
wake-up call to invest more strategically in structured upskilling paths that align with performance cycles.
For employees, they need to act now, learn smart, and think long-term.”
Employers are encouraged to align learning budgets with appraisal cycles, recognize self-funded learning
efforts, and build structured upskilling tracks, especially for high-impact functions like tech and finance.
For individuals, the data suggests clear gains from timing learning closer to performance evaluations and
from prioritizing programs that match their long-term career aspirations.
With just 23.9% employer sponsorships, Indian professionals arefunding their own learning, finds TeamLease Edtech
