PHOTO
The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment has witnessed a meteoric rise globally, with a new LinkedIn report stating that job postings referencing AI skills have experienced an uptick in recent months.
Findings of the Future of Work report have revealed that English-language job postings mentioning GPT or ChatGPT have increased by 21 times on the careers platform since November 2022. The report further states that skills required for various jobs across industries have changed by 25% since 2015, with that number expected to reach at least 65% by 2030 due to the rapid development of new technologies like AI.
The Middle East job market is no exception with industry experts stating that there has been a recent ‘surge in demand for skills related to AI and data analysis’ by recruiters in the region.
Changing job description
A recent research paper by global management consulting firm Bain & Company revealed that demand for top tech talent has more than doubled between 2015 and 2019. The nature of the job has also evolved with 40% of the most in-demand jobs today not even existing in 2015.
PwC’s Middle East Workforce Hopes and Fears survey 2023, released in June, also found 52% of the individuals surveyed in the region believing their jobs will change significantly in the next five years, requiring them to acquire new skills and capabilities to boost AI literacy.
“The rise of AI has brought about significant changes in the job market, particularly for employees. Technology is automating routine and repetitive tasks across many industries, potentially leading to the displacement of jobs,” said Kamal Raggad, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of RemotePass, a global onboarding and payroll platform for remote teams.
Raggad said: “Simultaneously, there’s a surge demand for skills related to AI and data analysis. Individuals with expertise in machine learning, data science, and AI have become highly sought after. Moreover, many businesses are deploying AI tools to bolster productivity and decision-making, which augments the capabilities of employees in their daily tasks.”
According to Raggad, the landscape is also evolving rapidly for hiring managers, with the emergence of AI paving the way for the creation of novel job roles tailored to harnessing its capabilities. “In the realm of recruitment, AI tools are revolutionising processes by automating tasks like candidate screening, skills assessment, and matching the right candidates to the appropriate roles. Furthermore, to bridge the emerging skill gaps, there’s an increasing emphasis on investment in AI-focused training and upskilling programmes,” he added.
AI-driven platforms
According to a recent study by McKinsey, the MENA region is predicted to witness a significant workforce expansion of 127 million in the next decade, primarily driven by a burgeoning youth population.
As Gen Z enters the workforce, this has further led to an uptick in AI-driven resume building and job search platforms, with companies such as Bayt and GulfTalent using smart features to transform the way candidates and recruiters find, screen and shortlist opportunities.
Last month, Qureos, a UAE-based startup that specialises in personalised career matching across the MENA region, announced the launch of Iris, a recruitment platform that employs advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to aid hiring managers in candidate sourcing and evaluation.
According to the company, Iris can present an average of 47 relevant candidates per search in 26 seconds, ultimately reducing time-to-hire and slashing recruitment costs by up to 43%.
“Recognising that 30% of Middle East respondents, as per a PwC survey, are seeking new career opportunities, Iris serves as a critical catalyst for career advancement in the region,” said Alexander Epure, CEO & Co-founder of Qureos in a statement.
Industries embracing change
According to LindkedIn, industries that are seeing a shift towards AI-skilled members include Technology, Information, and Media, with the US also seeing significant movement in Education (1.2%), Professional Services (0.9%), Financial Services (0.9%), and Manufacturing (0.8%).
When looking at the speed at which members are adding AI skills to their profiles, the report states professionals in Financial Services (30x), Retail (29x), and Wholesale (24x) are pivoting toward AI faster than in Technology, Information, and Media (11x).
“The adoption of AI promises to bring profound changes to the job market. Industries built on repetitive tasks, such as manufacturing, data entry, and customer service, are more susceptible to AI-driven displacement. By contrast, fields that lean heavily on human creativity and interpersonal skills, like healthcare and the arts, might instead see evolving roles,” said Raggad.
He continued: “AI’s swift ascent in the technological world has dual implications. On one hand, there’s a palpable concern over job reductions, especially in sectors like retail and finance, where AI tools like chatbots and algorithmic trading are being swiftly adopted. On the flip side, sectors rooted in creativity, complex problem-solving, and those reliant on a human touch are likely to be more resilient. Moreover, AI’s rise is birthing entirely new sectors in cybersecurity and AI research, signalling a promising horizon for novel avenues of employment.”
(Reporting by Bindu Rai, editing by Brinda Darasha)
