In the AI era, IT talent is more important than ever before

Advancements in AI continue to fuel the long-held fear that the technology will replace human workers. But the opposite is proving itself to be true – far from technology replacing people, generative AI is reshaping roles and creating new ones, demanding new skillsets from IT professionals.

Technology’s potential to increase productivity and creativity in the workplace means that understandably German businesses are highly motivated to advance their AI capabilities.

Our study showed that senior IT leaders predict that around half (51%) of their team’s current tasks will be automated by 2030. Three quarters of businesses have already begun their AI journeys, however, there is still some way to go, since for businesses to fully capitalise on AI’s potential, having the right skill sets in place will be essential. The data shows that only a fifth of senior leaders view their level of AI competence as expert.

Change is ahead for all IT operations

As a result, we’re seeing a demand for specialised AI skills across the whole scope of IT operations – from software development and cloud infrastructure through to the Internet of Things.

Let’s take security as an example. Cybersecurity experts predict that the rise of AI-driven hacking tools will drive a surge in the frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks. This demands new approaches from security professionals seeking to defend critical business networks and sensitive data from attacks which are more frequent and harder to detect.

The rollout of AI within a business also has security implications – without careful planning and oversight, AI tools can increase the risk of data being used or shared inappropriately, for example. Moreover, EU legislators approved regulations in March this year that will introduce a number of guardrails for the use of AI by businesses and in the workplace. Therefore it is critical that security professionals have a clear sighted awareness of the security risks and compliance requirements associated with AI capabilities, and are able to adapt their security approaches, policies and best practice guidelines accordingly.

The picture across other IT disciplines is just as complex. Competencies including helping organisations navigate governance issues; understanding how to harness AI technologies to augment human decision-making; and ensuring the accuracy, relevancy and fairness of AI-generated outputs are no longer a nice-to-have, but are critical skills demanded of IT teams.

Our recent data shows that the most in-demand technical skill will be the ability to assess AI solutions and guide the organisation through selecting and deploying the highest rated.

IT leaders are also recognising the importance of developing their team’s soft skills – such as creativity, teamwork and problem-solving abilities – if they are to leverage the full potential of generative AI.

Upskilling teams to build out AI capabilities

It’s no secret that Germany is facing a significant IT skills shortage – at the end of 2022, the market had a shortfall of 137,000 IT professionals. Given the skills gap, developing IT teams’ core AI skills through training and professional development is an attractive solution for many businesses.

Helping ensure IT professionals’ skills continue to develop in line with fast-changing AI requirements not only supports companies in achieving continued commercial success, but also serves to increase the retention of talent who are increasingly motivated by the need to keep their skills relevant.

Given generative AI’s rapid pace of change, it’s almost impossible to accurately predict exactly what technical skills might be needed by the business in 12 months’ time. So in addition to structured training on current AI competencies, it can also be beneficial for businesses to enable employees to seek out training based on their own individual interests. This can serve to help the business to organically build out AI skillsets.

Finding talent externally

When it comes to finding senior IT talent with the skills to help businesses get ahead using AI, it can also be helpful to look beyond a company’s four walls.

At the outset of an AI project, for example when the business is looking at potential use cases for generative AI, the required skillsets may be fairly general, meaning that a bigger pool of talent is available. But this starts to change once the business moves beyond the planning and experimental stages into the specific scenarios where AI can create competitive advantage. These later phases call for more specialist skills, and in turn, the talent pool reduces significantly.

Hiring for these more advanced stages can present challenges for HR generalists, who may not have the deep IT sector knowledge required to sift and identify candidates with the required specialised competencies.

As the business progresses from general use cases to advanced applications, it can be helpful therefore to turn to external recruitment consultants. These external experts can leverage the breadth and depth of their IT sector knowledge to help identify and secure IT talent whose skill sets align with the organisation’s complex AI needs.

Accelerating efforts takes a human-centred approach

When applied effectively, generative AI is poised to drive efficiency and innovation across the workplace, creating significant business growth. While it’s encouraging to see that the overwhelming majority of German businesses are already taking steps to integrate generative AI into their operations, it’s important to remember that the AI revolution will be human-driven as much as it is tech-driven.

For businesses, this means being open to bringing in external talent – especially at a senior level – and taking a dynamic and adaptive approach to team training to ensure skillsets keep pace with AI advances. To scale up AI and unlock its full potential, businesses must put their IT talent front and centre. 

Get in touch with us today to discuss your career or hiring needs.