Less experience, more AI knowledge wins jobs

Seven in ten companies are reluctant to hire individuals without AI skills.

Artificial intelligence now influences both work practices and hiring, with seven out of ten companies reluctant to hire individuals without AI skills.

Similarly, the "2024 Work Trends Index Annual Report" by Microsoft and LinkedIn found that companies prefer hiring less experienced candidates with AI skills over more seasoned ones without.

Microsoft and LinkedIn said this trend offers a massive opportunity for employees itching for a career change and willing to skill up on AI.

“2024 is the year of AI at work. The use of generative AI at work has nearly doubled in the last six months. LinkedIn is seeing a significant increase in professionals adding AI skills to their profiles,” the report stated.

Employers acknowledge the significance of AI in hiring and operational practices, with 83% believing their company must adopt AI to stay competitive.

Correspondingly, 84% of employees use their own AI tools at work. 

Frequent AI users at work, known as "power users," regularly seek feedback from colleagues on effective prompts and explore various AI applications.

Power users are 26% and 38% more likely to engage in these behaviours, respectively.

AI power users are also more inclined to receive training, with 12% obtaining general guidance, 33% focusing specifically on prompt creation, and 10% learning how to tailor AI use to their specific roles or functions.

"The pace of diffusion of generative AI tools at the workplace is remarkable. Employees are empowering themselves by adopting agile and innovative tools, oftentimes not pausing for the rollout of a coherent AI vision and roadmap from their organisations,” said Ahmed Mazhari, president of Microsoft Asia.

“Leaders must demonstrate more appetite for rapid experimentation to realise the benefits of both productivity and increased metabolism in the industries they operate in,” added Mazhari.