Q1. With AI rapidly transforming the skills landscape, how should professionals and organisations in India prepare for the future?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we all work and putting more emphasis on skills. To keep pace with the shifts happening around us, we need to start seeing jobs as collections of tasks, not titles. We can then better identify which tasks AI can help with, and which tasks require uniquely human skills.
Our [LinkedIn] data shows that skills needed for jobs will change by 64 per cent in India by 2030, accelerated by AI. This level of change makes it clear that the best way to stay on top of – or better yet, get ahead of – job changes will be with a skills-first mindset. In India, we’re already seeing this shift in action with professionals increasingly immersing themselves in learning, particularly in AI-related subjects like machine learning, generative AI, and deep learning. Our data shows that India now leads the world with AI Engineering skills being 2.7x more prevalent among professionals here than the global average.
Employers also play a critical role in building skills-first workplaces. Looking beyond traditional qualifications can help organisations expand their talent pools, upskill current employees, and build agile teams that can more easily adjust to the new world of work. Interestingly, the Microsoft and LinkedIn 2024 Work Trend Index indicates that 80 per cent of leaders in India now prefer to hire candidates with AI skills, even if they are less experienced, over more seasoned professionals who lack these skills. At the same time, people skills like communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving have become even more important as companies are looking for talent that can create innovative, agile, and collaborative teams.
Q2. Like any significant shift in the workplace, AI’s impact can be disproportionate, especially for those who may not have easy access to skilling and learning opportunities. How do you see public-private partnerships playing a role in bridging any gaps?
AI holds the promise of greater inclusivity and a more equitable labour market, but we must be intentional about ensuring that the benefits reach everyone. While the growth of AI skills in India is encouraging, we recognise that access is not yet equal for all. For instance, our data shows that AI talent among women in India has grown by 322 per cent since 2016, one of the highest rates globally. Yet, there’s still work to be done to close the gender gap as the overall share of AI talent among women stands at about 25 per cent today.
Public-private partnerships are essential in bridging gaps by leveraging resources, expertise and data to create opportunities that are accessible to all. Through our collaboration with charcha curated by The/Nudge Institute, we’re able to share meaningful knowledge about the skills that professionals and businesses need to succeed in these changing times.
Partnerships are also a great way to scale efforts and one way we work with our nonprofit partners is by helping the communities they support access the benefits of LinkedIn Premium. Through our “Train-the-Trainer” programme in India, we are providing dedicated instruction for nonprofit leaders on how to best use LinkedIn Premium. These leaders are then better equipped to help professionals overcoming barriers maximise the benefits of their complimentary LinkedIn Premium access, including AI tools and learning courses.
Q3. How can a skills-first approach lead to a more equitable future of work in the era of AI?
Every minute on LinkedIn, seven people are hired, more than 13,000 connections are formed, and 138 hours of learning content are consumed. This activity, from over one billion professionals worldwide, gives us a front-row seat to real-time shifts in the labour market.
As AI transforms the way we work and the skills needed to succeed, our data shows that more than 50 per cent of recruiters on LinkedIn are now hiring candidates based on their skills. This indicates that upskilling is not only crucial for individual workers but is also becoming an organisational imperative for business growth.
A skills-first approach helps level the playing field for individuals who may not have had opportunities to gain the qualifications employers historically looked for – and this approach works. When companies prioritise skills over traditional experience, our data shows that they expand their talent pools by 12x in India and 9.4x globally. We’re focused on helping organisations more easily shift to skills-based hiring practices with tools like Skills Match within LinkedIn Recruiter, which enables recruiters to identify candidates whose skills align with the roles they are hiring for. We’re also supporting job seekers and learners with gaining in-demand skills by offering many of our top LinkedIn Learning paths, including Career Essentials for Generative AI, for free through 2025.
Q4. Nonprofits play a key role in solving societal challenges and driving positive change. With technology making it easier to connect people with opportunities, how can nonprofits leverage AI to boost their social impact efforts?
AI is opening up new ways for nonprofits to make a bigger difference by handling everyday tasks like data entry and freeing up time to focus on the most high-impact work: connecting with donors, building strong community relationships, and solving the issues that impact lives.
Unlocking the full potential of AI requires the right balance of technology and talent. To get started with AI, nonprofits should identify which time-consuming tasks AI can help with and explore what tools are available to them. As just one example, 38 per cent of nonprofit professionals indicate that they find it very competitive to attract talent over other employers. When it comes to getting in front of the right candidate, AI can be a powerful tool. For example, our AI features within LinkedIn Recruiter, such as AI-Assisted Messages, make it easier for nonprofits to create personalised messages to potential candidates based on their LinkedIn profile. This frees up time for hirers to have conversations with those individuals and identify the right candidate for the role. In fact, our customers are seeing a 40 per cent higher acceptance rate when using AI-assisted messages.
Talent is the other critical piece of this equation—92 per cent of knowledge workers in India already use AI, outpacing the global average of 75 per cent. Like all organisations adjusting to this new world of work, nonprofits need to focus on providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities to ensure that teams are prepared to leverage AI tools and strengthen soft skills like communication.
While building programmes with AI might feel intimidating, nonprofits can take small steps to integrate AI. Identify what an AI “win” looks like and what it will take to achieve that win and build from there. Testing and learning are critical with AI so focus on absorbing key learnings along the way and applying those learnings in the future.
This Q&A has been framed by Meg Garlinghouse, Vice President, Social Impact, LinkedIn.
At charcha ‘24, organised by The/Nudge Forum, India’s foremost collaborative convening, a multitude of industry experts and partners will converge to explore various topics. With 35+ sessions spanning across 12 immersive, livelihood-intersecting themes, supported by 20+ sector-leading co-hosts, charcha is convening to collaborate towards the shared goal of Viksit and Inclusive Bharat by 2047.
Charcha is an initiative toward closing the distance between samaaj, sarkaar and bazaar, (society, government and markets) and will be held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi from August 20-22, 2024. ThePrint is a media partner for charcha.
To know more, visit: charcha 2024