The ideal skill sets for workers in the age of AI

CEOs face tough recruiting challenges in the coming years, given longstanding labor and skill shortages that undercut hiring and the more recent ripple effects of automation and AI on jobs and organizations.

Consider the acute gaps between labor supply and demand in these sectors, according to a November 2023 USA Today report :?

Share of job openings that remain unfilled:

• Financial services:? 63.5%
• Government: 63.4%
• Technology: 62.3%
• Healthcare: 55.6%

Solving those imbalances will require different tactics, such as reskilling existing workers . Another approach that can greatly expand the pool of job candidates is to focus recruitment programs on skills and lean less heavily on traditional criteria such as work experience or academic degrees.

Here’s why: Globally, talent pipelines can expand 10x when companies adopt a skills-first approach to recruiting, according to World Economic Forum research ; in the U.S., the candidate pool can grow by as much as 19x.?

If skills-based recruiting can deliver on that promise, it raises pivotal questions for leaders: What worker skills matter most in the age of intelligent machines? Which ones matter more specifically for companies racing to leverage the huge potential of generative AI?

Skills that can make gen AI a force of good

Two new reports in The Works offer expert insights that address both questions. To find out which worker abilities will enable employers to tap into generative AI’s potential, reporter Howard Rabinowitz canvassed top experts in the HR and recruiting world. They emphasized why skills such as critical thinking, creative prompting, and ethical decision-making can help organizations turn gen AI into a force for good in their organizations.

On the flip side, as Rabinowitz notes, workers who know how and when to call B.S. on ChatGPT when it spews occasional garbage are just as valuable as those who understand how to leverage business value when it delivers useful results.?

Heide Abelli , co-founder and CEO of educational technology company SageX, explains in our story: “Since generative AI can generate coherent nonsense, we need to have people asking the hard questions around its outputs.” Read the full story .

Skills to build future leaders

While generative AI is the most transformational technology to hit the workplace in a generation, it isn’t the only trend that should drive recruiting. Deepa Subbaiah , a senior director for HR at Freshworks, takes a longer view on skills for the all-digital era in an interview with Senior Editor Todd Krieger .?

A deep appreciation of data, high business acumen (especially when it comes to understanding customers), and adaptability to change are among the human skills that Subbaiah believes will not only help organizations to grow and succeed, but will help expand a company’s talent pool of future leaders. Read the full story .?

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