People-Connected, Technology-Enabled

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company: 2025 BEST Award Winner, #3

Columbus, Ohio

2-Time Winner

Photo | Ryan Kurtz

In an industry facing rapid technological disruption, one US insurance company is meeting the challenge head-on by equipping its workforce of nearly 24,000 associates with the skills to leverage generative artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly.

Nationwide recognized early that AI adoption would be crucial to maintaining competitive advantage in the fast-evolving insurance and financial services landscape. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human talent, the company developed a comprehensive learning strategy focused on empowering employees across the organization.

Three levels of learning

The methodology, which the company developed in 2023, takes a persona-based approach with customized learning paths for three key groups: general users, solution leads, and builders.

General users are all associates; this foundational level ensures everyone has access to AI learning through the company's Future of Work Center, including virtual courses; four-week, cohort-based sprints; enterprise-wide tools such as Microsoft Copilot; and an internal tool called Chat With Your Data.

Solution leads are process owners who manage the innovation of using generative AI in their business processes. Those employees are a priority target audience and comprise the group Nationwide is trying to rapidly move forward in terms of knowledge and experience. Solution leads also have access to the company's AI Accelerator, which includes internal and external learning labs, learning circles, mentors, experimentation opportunities, and a Microsoft Teams online community.

Builders are the expert-level associates comprising specialists with deep technical expertise who develop generative AI solutions for production. They are engaged as mentors, content advisors, and coaches for other learning participants.

The tiered approach to users empowers the enterprise L&D team to meet associates wherever they are on their AI journey. Likewise, the team developed a multidimensional learning architecture for deploying the information: education (assessments, sprints, learning paths, and certifications); experiences (gig project assignments, in-the-flow practice activities, and learning labs); exposure (mentoring, learning circles, and external connections); and environment (online collaborative communities, sandboxes, and tool accessibility).

Rollout at scale

Building an enterprise-wide AI learning strategy wasn't without obstacles, however. Designing a learning architecture that is scalable to learners with a range of needs and interests was a challenge, the company notes. Additionally, creating technical programs for apprehensive nontechnical audiences and coordinating learning opportunities in a decentralized model required careful consideration.

L&D team members overcame those hurdles in stages. First, they developed an AI foundation in 2023; then, they laid the required groundwork for generative AI in 2024. In 2025, the team is focusing on accelerating enterprise and business impact. As part of a new, cross-functional steering committee with representatives from all stakeholder groups, the L&D team embraced activities that had already taken place across the organization—such as a sandbox, webinars, and showcases—as key elements of the generative AI learning solution.

By focusing resources where they could drive maximum business impact, the generative AI framework has delivered results: Within six months, associates rating opportunities to use AI on the job as "favorable" increased from 56 percent to 66 percent, while ratings of "neutral" and "unfavorable" decreased 5 percent each. AI-related skills adoption grew from 15 percent to 21 percent of the workforce in 2024. The company's prompt library has received more than 12,600 views, and staff submitted 115 use cases by November 2024, with the company already activating 31, piloting nine, and scaling five.

Beyond measuring quantitative metrics, L&D team members are tracking qualitative progression in how employees think, speak, and act regarding AI. They want staff to progress from seeing AI as having "potential to help" to viewing it as "a valued co-worker or team member." In communication, the goal is movement from expressing interest in learning about AI to declaring that generative AI "is changing how we work and serve our customers." For behavior, L&D is tracking progression from exploration to AI integration in daily work to adaptation to entirely new operating models.

Nationwide intentionally plans for qualitative impact. That forward-thinking approach ensures the company captures both immediate results and long-term cultural transformation.

An on-target skill

As AI technology continues to advance, Nationwide is evolving its learning strategy to keep pace. The organization has identified specific AI skills for general users and solution leads, and designated AI as one of 12 targeted enterprise skills for 2025. Associates can add those skills to their career hub profiles with self-ratings; associates and their leaders have meetings to provide feedback on skills ratings as well as discussing additional learning.

The Gen AI Capability Accelerator also will continue to grow with more advanced content for solution leads. The company plans to use external experts to help design and deliver key content. It is also using solution leads and builders as mentors and coaches as well as using experiences such as hackathons, competitions, and awards to motivate Accelerator member participation in hands-on, real work scenarios.

The Accelerator serves as a dynamic learning community, with membership growing steadily as more associates complete the qualifying requirements. Completing the first two sprints or a designated external learning path or certification are requirements for admission to the Accelerator. Nationwide is developing a third sprint focused on generative AI uses. Ongoing collaboration with internal technical experts and external partners will ensure the learning content remains relevant as technology evolves.

"We want all associates to have the opportunity to use Gen AI in their work. We are committed to uplifting the overall AI associate capability at Nationwide by equipping all associates with the necessary knowledge, skills, and guidelines to leverage AI effectively and responsibly, making early adoption feasible," says Kathy Smith, vice president of talent management and development.

By empowering employees at all levels with skills to leverage AI effectively, the company is positioning itself for continued success in an increasingly AI-driven industry landscape.

View the entire list of 2025 BEST Award winners.