AI isn’t the threat – complacency is

As the hype around AI swells, organisations everywhere are facing a growing challenge in recruiting expertise due to a severe talent shortage. This limited supply of skilled professionals is slowing down adoption, leaving many at risk of falling behind the competitors that are harnessing these skills to boost productivity and innovation. 

The solution? If you can't hire AI experts, you have to make them. Fortunately for many employers, there will be professionals within the company whose existing roles will be transformed by tech and will benefit themselves from this training. 

However, this requirement isn’t leading to action. Every year, Hays surveys tens of thousands of employers and employees across the globe for our Salary Guides. We found that 44% of senior leaders aren’t promoting AI use within their organisation, citing a lack of understanding, support or training as the most common reason. 

At the same time, 89% of professionals are willing to upskill in AI, but only 51% have received training from their employer. 

It's not just organisations that need to embrace AI to stay competitive - professionals need these skills too. As generative tools handle tasks in a matter of moments, individuals who learn to use them will remain relevant, while those who don’t risk being left behind. 

This is why it’s vital that organisations and their people are dedicated to developing AI skills. As explored in our recent Future of Work report: “Rather than competing for a finite number of external candidates, organisations should explore opportunities to reskill those in ‘at-risk’ roles... With the right support, they are well placed to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.” The report also highlights the "multiple benefits” for employers, including longer tenure and therefore retention of key knowledge and processes.

While getting up to speed on these technological advances can seem daunting, the process becomes manageable when viewed through the scope of your responsibilities. 

“Not every employee needs an in-depth understanding of AI”, Nadine Wirkuttis, Head of Channel Data and AI for Hays Germany, reassures. “Depending on the role, your knowledge can vary from strategic to technical, while management should also learn about the ethical use of AI." 

Qasim Mohammad, Associate Director for Hays Malaysia, agrees that “there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach” to developing AI skills. Relevant training and knowledge will depend on the stakeholder’s seniority level and department: “Business leaders will benefit from being able to tie in AI with commercial ROI. For junior and mid-level professionals, the focus should be on improving productivity and their daily experience, which eventually will help the business too.” 

In a world where AI proficiency isn’t just required to get ahead, but simply stay level with the competition, both businesses and employees will need these skills. Let’s look at how everybody in the organisation can work together to ensure success in today’s digital workplace. 

Future focus: Equipping your organisation with AI skills 

What steps can you take to roll out this programme so that your workforce can develop as effectively – and sustainably – as possible? 

It’s vital to start small in order to ensure both suitability and success, says Travis O’Rourke, CCO at Hays Americas: “If you choose something and it doesn't do what it's supposed to, you're going to lose your audience very quickly. Pilot it in a test group so that you have proof of concept and case studies, and then expand out.” 

There are a number of ways to determine your focus group. Qasim recommends micro learning over macro learning, but suggests that: "First and foremost, you should understand your use case for AI, including how it aligns with business objectives. Begin by deploying what will benefit a particular department, experiment with them and then use what you’ve learned and make adjustments to see what works for others.” 

Alternatively, offers Nadine: “Identify the people who already have a strong interest in AI and, potentially, the right skills. That can be tricky, since those skills might not be connected to their current role, e.g. a hobby programmer in the finance department that’s using automated workflows”. These people can then test and offer feedback on any tools or resources you’re thinking of implementing. 

Once the pilot proves effective, scaling up ensures the wider workforce can benefit from streamlined processes, increased engagement and a shared sense of progress. However, success doesn’t just depend on choosing the right resources or early testing. Given the scepticism over AI’s impact on headcount, demonstrating to employees that these tools can in fact help them will be crucial to widespread adoption. 

As James Milligan, Hays’ Global Head of Technology, points out in his recent blog on employing a Chief AI Officer: “Buy-in and faith from senior leadership is important, but not the only ones whose backing you’ll require. Artificial intelligence’s benefits and impact will affect all of your people. In order to implement it effectively, you’ll need to bring them on the journey too.” 

Travis warns: “The big skill companies are missing right now is change management. When employees hear the noise about AI wiping out jobs and they see it coming toward them, it’s natural to think ‘Hang on a second, why would I prove to the company that this is actually working?’. Creating that safety is very important.” 

How can organisations do this effectively? Presenting relevant use cases formed during the piloting stage can prove that these tools will work for your people, rather than just your business needs. However, this narrative typically holds less weight when it comes from the top. Travis suggests finding change agents in the organisation who can promote these new skills and tools, rather than “a corporate voice” that may be less trusted. 

Career Corner: Futureproofing your employability 

In our recent blog, we stated that the message is clear: while AI may not take your job, an AI-skilled candidate probably will. 

Qasim says: “You need to be more AI savvy, irrespective of whether you work in tech. You don't need to know how to code or build an AI tool, but you need to be a really good user." 

What does this entail? The chances are that you’ve already tried using popular generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Copilot. However, incorporating these into your day-to-day activities effectively will take practice and patience. Nadine advocates for a “sustainable growth of AI knowledge” that aligns to long term career goals, rather than focusing on quick upskilling. It’s also important to check that you’re not breaking your employer’s data privacy or confidentiality clauses when testing new tools. 

“Go all in,” advises Travis. “Somebody on your team is going to be the best at using AI tools and, if you're ambitious, that should be you. Nobody likes the person who's resistant to change.”

Writing prompts that deliver the results you want requires an understanding of the purpose and parameters of what you’re trying to achieve. It’s also a test of your own imagination in understanding what you can ask AI to do and being able to do so consistently.  

Travis states that “being inquisitive and asking the right questions is the number one soft skill right now. Can you ask the right question and phrase it correctly to get the right results?”

Once you’ve begun to develop these skills, how can you demonstrate them when applying for your next role? 

Let’s start with CVs. In the same way that you’d explain the result of your actions in past roles, Nadine says, show how a new tool or skill supported your organisation’s objectives. If you have more time, Qasim suggests using AI to build projects aligned to the role you’re applying for.  

When it’s time to interview, Travis adds that “Unless you’re in a tech role, I wouldn't worry too much about the technical understanding. For every interview answer, try to talk about how you've used AI to be more efficient. Demonstrate that you’re ambitious and you think outside the box by trying to use AI in all sorts of different ways.” 

Whether you’re impressing your current employers or hiring managers, showing a willingness to learn and experiment with AI tools will be more attractive. Many people are already doing that and have the evidence – can you say the same?  

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