Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), a subset of AI, has experienced an explosive demand in the competitive job market across sectors worldwide.
A report by staffing firm Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. mentioned that GenAI-related job postings have increased by 411 percent since 2019 across the world. Additionally, AR and VR jobs have increased by 154 percent and the share of automation and robotics job postings has increased by 36 percent since 2019.
As per Cornerstone’s SkyHive data, India led with 4.1 percent of its job postings focused on AI/ML and nearly 18 percent of data analytics jobs, reflecting its growing role in the global AI landscape between January and July 2024.
India also ranked second with 0.66 percent of its job postings focused on GenAI in the first half of the current calendar year.
Organizations are eager to be early adopters of GenAI technology. Notably, the surge in demand for GenAI skills is not just a tech story. Industries such as financial services, pharmaceuticals, and banking are also leveraging AI for their operations.
GenAI is gradually revolutionizing customer segmentation and personalized content creation by automating the analysis of vast
data sets, leading to more targeted and effective campaigns. In finance, it’s optimizing risk management and fraud detection through predictive analytics. In HR, GenAI is streamlining talent acquisition by automating resume screening and enhancing employee engagement with AI-driven feedback systems.
However, the demand for human skills, or soft skills, such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence, consistently exceeded the need for digital skills across regions (US, UK, India, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Japan).
In Asia, 21 percent of employers were looking for human skills in the first half of the current calendar year as per the SkyHive data by Cornerstone while 15.34 percent of employers were looking for digital skills.
In North America, human skills are in demand 2.4 times – and in Europe 2.9 times– more than digital skills, the data mentioned.
“While we can never fully predict the future, history remains a critical guide to understanding how technological advancements reshape industries and skill demands,” said Bledi Taska, Ph.D., Head of Analytics at SkyHive by Cornerstone.
Further, the report underscored a 40 percent surge in demand for remote or flexible work in Australia, New Zealand, and Western countries. Australia and Germany with 22.8 percent and 21 percent of their job postings were looking for remote or flexible workers. However, in India, only 6.3 percent of employers were looking for remote workers in the past six months.
As per the report, digital platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Uber, and Upwork have made it easier for individuals to find flexible work opportunities.
Millennials and GenZ, in particular, prioritize flexibility and work-life balance more than previous generations, the report added. s. For instance, 22% of Gen Z classify as NEETs (not in employment, education, or training), and a staggering 53% perform freelance work, indicating a shift away from traditional career-based roles.