The recent Skills on the Rise report by LinkedIn provides a snapshot of the employment market in Australia. With artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst, the report claims, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030. Furthermore, professionals entering the workforce today will most likely hold twice as many jobs over their careers, compared to those entering just 15 years ago.

This portrays a constantly shifting workforce where skill progression is critical. It isn’t just a future scenario; the skills required for many jobs are already shifting, even for employees staying in the same role. While many professionals are proactively adapting by upskilling and reskilling themselves, the report suggests that organisations may be struggling to keep up. Only 1 in 500 jobs are advertised with AI literacy in the selection criteria, yet this seems to be a critical skill gap for many organisations.

Companies need individuals with AI skills and agility who have the capability to advance their skills and move through different roles and stages. Yet many organisations and their employees struggle to balance skill development, not finding the time or the pathways to pivot towards future skills. The report suggests that this may not be a choice in the future. Many current skills will not be required in a few years in the quantities they are right now, or even at all.

Here are three lessons Australian organisations can learn from the Skills on the Rise report.

1.     Recruit people with AI knowledge and agility

There is a gap in AI literacy within many organisations, which means it is essential to incorporate AI into job descriptions and interview questions. While mapping requirements for the role is ideal, if you don’t have the internal capability to do that, start recruiting people with knowledge.

Here are a few examples of questions you might ask: 

• What function does AI play in your current role, or your previous one?
• How did AI help you to achieve a result, expand your possibilities, create new discoveries?
• What have you discovered as you worked with AI?
• How are you developing your AI skills, or plan to in this role?

When developing AI questions, consider them in terms of efficiency, creativity, and transforming current practices. Refer to Bayside Group's Employer Interview Guide for further information and question examples.

2.     Use workforce planning to reshape your future workforce

Prioritising workforce planning is essential for organisations and HR. When undertaking strategic workforce planning, it is advised to incorporate headcount planning one year ahead, succession planning for up to two years, and planning for skills and capability building across two plus years. This provides some space for upskilling, but also time to identify and address organisational gaps through recruitment.

Understanding future skills and how they may apply to your organisation is a necessary step. The Skills on the Rise report suggests that the best way to understand AI’s influence is through the lens of skill development.  And as the use of AI increases in the workplace, human skills matter more — curiosity, communication, creativity, compassion and courage — can help us better prompt, collaborate, and adapt to rapid change.

3.     Invest in training and upskilling

There are varying stages to any organisation’s AI journey. Some are still figuring out where to begin, while others are starting to see early success. It's worth noting that just because an organisation hasn’t implemented AI tools, it doesn’t mean they are not being used. Many companies use AI via existing software or free tools, with mixed results.  

However, it is those organisations strategically adopting AI that are reporting success. The LinkedIn report cites a recent survey of global businesses, stating that 51% of those already adopting GAI reported a revenue increase of 10% or more. Companies embracing AI are helping employees shift away from tedious and time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on more impactful work. This is perhaps the business case to invest in training and upskilling when budgets are tight.

While 70% of HR professionals say their organisation is prioritising upskilling initiatives in 2025 to help build skills from within in areas such as AI, soft skills and green skills (sustainability), these statistics were cited when the economic outlook was more positive. It is important to ask the question, what is the opportunity cost of not investing?

For assistance in recruiting top talent, contact Bayside Group today.