LinkedIn AI survey reveals businesses must boost staff AI skills — especially women

Want to close the skills gap and the gender gap? Then offer AI training, explains Nicole Kobie

Fewer than half of UK businesses are helping their employees gain AI skills, and the fast rise in that technology could leave the industry facing a skills gap, according to a survey from LinkedIn — and a separate survey suggests the figures are even worse for women, potentially exacerbating the gender gap.

The fast rise of generative AI — sparked by the public release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022 — has raised concerns about job losses but also promises productivity gains for companies. However, research suggests the seemingly sudden arrival of this technology has left workers struggling to keep pace with the required skills.

LinkedIn survey says AI skills gap will widen

LinkedIn asked business leaders about the rise of generative AI and its impact on their companies, with just 44% saying they were helping their staff gain skills in the technology. Because of that, the skills gap will widen over the next five years, according to seven out of ten hiring managers surveyed in Europe.

Janine Chamberlin, Vice President and UK Country Manager at LinkedIn, believes that companies that invest in upskilling their employees in generative AI now will have an edge over their competitors later.

“AI presents a huge opportunity for professionals and businesses, but people will need new skills to truly capture these opportunities,” says Chamberlin. “Despite this, less than half of companies in the UK are helping employees improve their AI literacy skills.”

Women in AI

Separate research from recruiters Randstad revealed that just a fifth of AI and automation specialists are women, though that differs across markets, with India and Australia closer to half.

That’s little surprise, given women and people from minority backgrounds continue to struggle to win space in the tech and IT industries — just a quarter of people in the tech industry are women. The rise of generative AI could be an opportunity to support the career progress of such groups of people, while also helping to counter issues inherent to AI such as bias.

Randstad suggested that companies should provide flexible training and clear career pathways for AI-focused roles, as well as offer scholarships and mentorships in AI and automation to female employees. All of this could (and should) also apply to other minority groups in the sector, too.

Filling the AI skills gap

Such efforts will benefit companies by ensuring they have AI skills available among their existing employees, as hiring to fill such gaps will prove difficult. Randstad says employees with AI and automation skills are five to eight times more difficult to recruit than the market average, with the job vacancy ratio for senior AI staff 89% higher than average.

“Addressing this issue is not only essential to creating a more equitable workforce where everyone reaps the benefits presented by AI, it’s also a strategic business imperative,” Myriam Beatove Moreale, Chief Human Resources Officer of Randstad, said in a statement.

“Demand for AI skills are at an all-time high, yet they are the hardest to recruit for. Businesses need every player on the pitch to avoid intense AI talent scarcity and to ensure a diverse industry with different perspectives and viewpoints.”

Three-quarters of those surveyed by LinkedIn believe AI literacy will boost their career progression — though hurdles remain, with four in ten respondents saying their employer lacks the education and development resources to help them change to a career focused on AI.

“Creating a culture of continuous learning will help employees develop the skills needed by the business, and they will also benefit from finding it easier to access new internal opportunities,” adds Chamberlin. “This will keep employee motivation high and ensure businesses remain agile in the face of change.”