LinkedIn's research illuminates how the world of work is changing — and the critical role of upskilling
This article was produced in partnership with LinkedIn Australia
Australia’s job skills landscape is predicted to undergo a dramatic shift, changing by as much as 66% by 2030 due to the impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), new LinkedIn research reveals. And almost three quarters or 71% of Australian employers have reported substantial changes in the skills and qualifications they are looking for in candidates.
With these changes taking place due to AI, Adam Gregory, Senior Director, ANZ, LinkedIn Talent and Learning Solutions, says the need for upskilling and providing learning opportunities is critical for companies to prepare the workforce with the skills they need to thrive in the new world of work.
“Investing in people’s growth is no longer a perk but a strategic imperative, considering that our workforce is the driving force behind companies’ success in an era being shaped by AI,” says Gregory.
And while a demand for AI skills is trending, LinkedIn’s data reveals it’s the core human centric skills like communication and leadership — alongside critical AI skills — that will be the true differentiators as the landscape continues to evolve.
LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Learning Report highlighted the increasingly important role of soft skills, finding 4 in 5 professionals want to learn more about how to use AI in their profession and 95% of Learning & Development (L&D) professionals in ANZ believe human-centric or soft skills are becoming critical in the era of AI.
Woodside Energy's approach to AI and soft skills development
One company that’s preparing for the skills changes is Woodside Energy, a global energy company focused on both upskilling on AI to increase productivity, while not losing sight of the importance of human-centric skills.
“Supporting the development of our people both technically and in leadership capabilities is front and centre,” says Scott Marshall, Head of Organisational Capability at Woodside Energy.
“Recognising the different ways in which people learn, the future skills required, and ensuring a blend of methods to support that learning is critical,” Marshall adds, noting that he’s seeing a significant shift towards AI learning within the LinkedIn platform, with 60% of learned content in the last six months alone being related to AI.
“LinkedIn is committed to supporting companies as they arm their workforce with the skills they need to thrive in the new world of work,” says Gregory.
For example, LinkedIn has been expanding its in-demand skill library, including AI courses that have seen a 5x uptick in learners as well as launching AI features to help with career development and upskilling like AI-powered coaching in LinkedIn Learning. This innovative product provides a chatbot that offers real-time advice and tailored content recommendations personalised for learners based on their job title, career goal, and skills they follow. In early March, LinkedIn also announced a new career development and internal mobility feature to help guide employees to critical skills, develop skills that matter to grow, and connect to the best-fit opportunity at their organisation.
“We have 500 people who have actively engaged with the LinkedIn AI Coach to create a specific career goal for their own development objectives,” says Marshall. “This demonstrates the importance to our people and eagerness to upskill.”
Empowering employers and employees to build necessary skills
To meet the new and emerging changes to jobs and skills, companies are taking a close look at retaining top talent. LinkedIn’s recent survey of Australian hiring managers revealed that internal mobility is critical and a top priority for many leaders in 2024. The Workplace Learning Report also found career development has risen to the top five L&D focus areas for 2024 — and offering learning opportunities is the top retention strategy for companies in ANZ.
AI is also impacting hiring processes and LinkedIn offers insights and innovative tools on this side as well. When it comes to sourcing top-tier employees, LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting Report found 62% of talent pros in ANZ express optimism about GAI’s impact on recruitment. Over half or 57% say it makes it faster and easier to write job descriptions and 45% say it helps them automate tasks to focus on more fulfilling work, allowing them to prioritise the human-centric aspects of their roles.
LinkedIn also recently introduced innovative AI-powered experiences in its product solutions. Featuring Recruiter 2024, LinkedIn’s AI-assisted recruiting experience, which enables hirers to quickly access high-quality candidate recommendations by using natural language search prompts and rich data from millions of professionals and companies. This capability ensures they are able to shortlist talent based on skills they need, Gregory says, adding that these features rolled out to all Australian customers at the end of February.
Overall, the world of work is in a state of flux and it’s time for employees and employers alike to arm themselves with the skills they’ll need heading into the future. In the current landscape, 35% of Australian hiring managers consider an individual's potential for growth and ability to learn as an important factor when evaluating internal and external candidates: they need to know people are ready and willing to adapt to the changes AI is bringing to the way we work.
“This year, companies which are directing their attention towards talent development and talent leaders have an enormous role to play in helping people develop the skills they need to keep pace with this change and thrive in the AI era,” Gregory notes. “At LinkedIn, we believe our role is just as big as we strive to empower companies and professionals to build the skills they need for today, tomorrow, and the next decade of work.”
To help with upskilling, LinkedIn has unlocked free AI courses until April 5 to help people across all industries androles invest in themselves and navigate this moment.
See how one LinkedIn customer, MinterEllison is embracing and upskilling on AI to help grow and develop careers.
About LinkedIn
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has more than 1 billion members and has offices around the globe. www.linkedin.com
