New research from Attensi, a global leader in game-based simulation training, reveals a critical blind spot in onboarding: skills masking—the act of hiding or downplaying skill gaps to avoid judgment. The findings, based on a survey of 2,000 employees across the U.K. and U.S., show that this behavior takes root early, often within the first 90 days of employment. 

“Too often, onboarding is measured by checklists, not confidence, and mastery of skills,” says Trond Aas, CEO of Attensi. “When employees don’t feel safe learning in front of others, they mask their skills gaps rather than close them, and that’s a business risk.”  

Key findings from the report include the following.  

  • Most (82%) employees say their onboarding program needs improvement.  
  • Over half (58%) admit to skills masking. 
  • The majority (81%) of 18- to 24-year-olds say poor onboarding impacts their ability to retain information. 
  • More than half (60%) of young workers say it negatively affects their confidence. 
  • Over two-thirds (67%) of all respondents would use a confidential, AI-powered tool to practice job-critical skills. 

The research also highlights a generational divide: younger employees are more likely to experience skill-set anxiety, with one in three under 45 reporting frequent worries about being underqualified. Yet they are also more open to AI-powered, gamified training that allows them to learn by doing—privately and without fear of embarrassment.  

The report also reveals that 90% of respondents believe L&D is undervalued, with budget constraints and lack of awareness cited as key barriers. Yet 78% agree that better onboarding reduces employee churn, 71% say improved training impact analysis would help secure more L&D funding, and 92% of organizations measure onboarding success—but no single metric dominates, revealing a fragmented approach to evaluation.  

“Without the right tools to analyze and communicate impact, the true value of L&D teams remains invisibile,” Aas says. “If we want onboarding to be seen as a revenue driver, not a cost center, we need to move beyond activity metrics and start measuring what really matters: confidence, competence, mastery of skills, and long-term performance.”