61% of HR professionals say it has become harder to find qualified talent
Across every industry, professionals are experiencing a turning point. AI, once a futuristic concept, is now integrated into daily workflows. For HR leaders, this moment represents a unique opportunity to embrace AI as a partner in productivity and reshape how talent is discovered, hired and engaged.
Recruitment, in particular, stands at the centre of this evolution. While most recruiters enter the profession with a passion for helping people find meaningful work, their days are often consumed by repetitive tasks - sifting through resumes, managing job postings, and coordinating candidate communications.
In Asia Pacific (APAC), nearly two-thirds (61%) of HR professionals say it has become harder to find qualified talent, according to LinkedIn. Over a fifth (24%) are spending three to five hours a day reviewing applications, and 64% report that less than half of those applications meet all of the criteria listed. The need for smarter, more human-centred tools has never been clearer.
In fact, access to hiring technologies, including AI-powered tools, is the #1 thing HR professionals (54%) in APAC say would make the hiring process easier, with nearly three-quarters (78%) saying AI makes it easier to find qualified candidates.
Enter Hiring Assistant, LinkedIn’s first AI agent. Built to reduce the administrative burden on recruiters, Hiring Assistant automates repetitive sourcing tasks, allowing talent professionals to focus on what they do best: building relationships, offering strategic counsel, and delivering a stellar candidate experience. And the results speak for themselves.
“At Siemens, our focus is on our people - which means it’s so important for our recruiters to have the time they need to get to know candidates and recognise the unique capabilities and perspectives that they bring to the table,” said Mike Demarest, a talent acquisition leader at Siemens. “We’re excited to be part of the charter for Hiring Assistant. It will take away some of the repetitive sourcing work so our team can get back to doing what we do best, helping people to find the right opportunities for their careers.”
For recruiters in fast-paced regions like APAC, the tool is proving its value early.
“Overall, I think the tool is quite robust in translating job descriptions, intake notes, and our own words into project details and candidate qualifications,” said Bhavana Preet, Senior Recruiter at Verizon, APAC. “The top-rated candidates are a good showcase of the thorough search that the system is conducting on my behalf. So far I have been impressed with the quality of candidates that the tool has presented.”
Hiring Assistant builds on the momentum of Recruiter 2024, LinkedIn’s first generative AI hiring experience launched last year. This platform continues to support recruiters with two game-changing features:
But LinkedIn’s AI vision isn’t only about efficiency, it’s also about upskilling. With rapid changes reshaping job functions, organisations must invest in both AI capabilities and core human skills to remain competitive. LinkedIn is addressing this through its expanded Learning library, now offering over 1,000 AI-focused courses alongside new tools designed to scale development in communication, negotiation, and other essential human skills.
This skills-first approach reflects broader labour market shifts. Data from LinkedIn shows that more than one in 10 workers hired in 2024 have job titles that didn’t exist in 2000. Entry-level recruitment roles won’t disappear, but they will evolve - therefore recruiter revolution is a must. As many as 78% of HR professionals in APAC say their organisation is prioritising upskilling initiatives in 2025, in areas such as AI, sustainability, and soft skills. In order to really stay ahead in these changing times, it’s a case of upskill or fall behind.
To power this shift, LinkedIn has unlocked 27 AI Skill Pathways through July 31, 2025. These include over 150 AI Professional Certificates, certification prep, and role-based Learning Paths aligned to the LinkedIn AI Upskilling Framework - empowering professionals to build, practise, and prove in-demand AI skills.
For business leaders and people managers, LinkedIn is also offering targeted learning programs, such as AI for Organizational Leaders, Building an AI road map to success, and AI for Managers. Each one is designed to help leaders make smarter decisions, roll out AI with confidence, and lead teams that thrive in a world where AI is part of the job.
Because the future of hiring isn’t just about using AI, it’s about knowing how to lead with it.
