New Report Proves Leaders Are Prioritizing AI Skills When Hiring

Microsoft recently published its fourth annual Work Trend Index, and this year the tech giant partnered with LinkedIn to provide helpful insights into how artificial intelligence (AI) is being integrated across many sectors in the workforce.  

The 2024 report reveals a remarkable 75% of knowledge workers say they now employ AI technologies at work — a testament to its rapidly growing influence and use cases within the modern workplace. 

However, the widespread addition of AI tools is not just about automation. Perhaps a more important aspect is how these tools are fundamentally changing day-to-day tasks. A reported “78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work,” which could help explain the massive productivity gains reported. 

“Employees, overwhelmed and under duress, say AI saves time, boosts creativity and allows them to focus on their most important work,” according to a blog post published by Microsoft. “While 79% of leaders agree AI adoption is critical to remain competitive, 59% worry about quantifying the productivity gains of AI, and 60% worry their company lacks a vision and plan to implement it.”  

The trend has not only improved employee productivity but has also opened the flood gates to numerous career opportunities for those willing to learn and master AI skills. 

According to the report, leaders in the workforce have expressed preferences regarding candidates with AI skills: 

• 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. 
• 71% say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them.  

Junior-level job candidates may also have more professional development opportunities, with 77% of leaders sharing that with AI skills early-in-career talent will be given greater responsibilities. 

The report, however, also reveals a critical roadblock in how AI should be implemented. The hesitance from leadership threatens to stall career progress for employees willing to learn how to use AI tools at work.  

This could lead many professionals to seek out new opportunities elsewhere. In the U.S., LinkedIn research shows a 14% rise in job applications for each role since last fall, with 85% of professionals contemplating a job change this year. 

Moreover, the potential for AI to create new kinds of job roles is also clear. 68% of LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise in the U.S. this year represented positions that did not exist two decades ago. This rapidly evolving job market, driven by new AI tools, also presents new opportunities and challenges that require a forward-thinking approach to both technology adoption and talent management. 

Microsoft and LinkedIn are encouraging companies to transition from simply experimenting with AI to fully integrating it, making AI tools fundamental to business strategies and operations. 

By fully embracing AI, businesses can achieve more than just small improvements — they maintain their competitive edge in a workforce increasingly influenced by digital communication tools and AI.