Change is reshaping the future of work. LinkedIn shares how AI and soft skills can unlock talent potential
This article was produced in partnership with LinkedIn
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by Adam Gregory, Senior Director, ANZ Talent & Learning Solutions, LinkedIn
As the saying goes, change is the only constant. Throughout my career I’ve witnessed firsthand how industries and roles evolve. While core skills like communication and interpersonal abilities have remained vital, the landscape of HR has transformed significantly. Today, HR professionals must master a dynamic range of skills — from training and development to adaptability — to meet the demands of an ever-changing workplace, particularly as the roles of TA leaders continue to expand and evolve.
Today, this transformation is taking place at an even faster rate, accelerated by new technologies like Generative AI (GAI). To keep up and remain competitive, demand for new roles and skill sets are on the rise across organisations. In fact, more than 10% of workers hired today globally have job titles that didn’t exist in 2000. In Australia, skills needed for a job are expected to change by a staggering 66% by 2030 due to the impact of AI vs 50% without AI - marking a 15 percentage point faster pace of transformation.
Today’s workforce is defined by its ability to learn, unlearn and relearn. Talent leaders play that critical role in facilitating this as experts in growing and tapping into human potential — here are three ways they can do so, to enable change within your organisation while building trust and partnership with employees.
The first step is to leverage AI to empower humans to focus on uniquely human tasks. Most organisations are excited about AI’s potential, with about 8 in 10 executives in Australia recognising at least one way GAI will help their employees — the top three benefits being reducing time spent on mundane but necessary job tasks, increasing productivity, and freeing up employees’ time for strategic and creative thinking. In fact, I encounter many HR professionals who are bogged down by routine tasks like synthesising job descriptions, searching for candidates, or doing basic screening. AI now enables us to focus on more meaningful tasks such as building relationships and driving strategic talent initiatives to support employee growth. At LinkedIn, for example, we announced the future launch of our first AI Hiring Assistant to help HR professionals dedicate more time to impactful work.
In fact, HR is one sector that’s leading the charge in embracing AI to enable teams. Barry Harvey, Talent Acquisition Lead at AirServices Australia, explained, “The move towards AI is interesting because it allows recruiters to drop some of the more administrative and repetitive tasks. We aim to substitute those tasks with augmentation or automation, which frees recruiters to focus more on engaging with candidates and hiring managers to make better, more informed decisions. I see AI playing a big role in this shift, and in shaping the future role of recruiters and talent professionals.”
Luke Collard, reflecting on his experience as a talent acquisition lead, agreed in a 2024 interview: “With AI in talent acquisition, the first win is automation—getting rid of some of the more administrative tasks and refining the process. We’re starting to use it for writing job advertisements, position descriptions, and interview guides, which allows us to focus on more strategic and impactful areas of recruitment.”
Beyond HR, AI is transforming processes across organisations. For example, RMIT University leverages GAI as a productivity "co-pilot" that enhances efficiency, relevance, and customer engagement. AI helps their staff communicate more effectively with large groups while maintaining a personal touch, enabling new ideas and formats to emerge. It also uncovers skills that might have otherwise been overlooked. Tim Gardner, Employee Branding Manager at RMIT University, shared, "AI enables us to look at new ways of engaging with people and uncovering skills that may not have been on our radar before. It’s about being more efficient, more effective, and more personalised in our approach."
That said, we see that AI implementation remains a challenge for many organisations. The gap between companies embracing Generative AI (GAI) and those falling behind is widening. Only 10% of executives in Australia report that their organizations are leading in AI adoption, while 40% say they have made limited progress. Nearly two-thirds of professionals globally are overwhelmed by how quickly their job is changing and many are unsure of how to make AI’s potential a reality in the day-to-day of work.
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GAI doesn't just drive efficiency but also empowers employees to think differently, focus on higher-order skills, and connect more deeply with the human aspects of their roles. Our data shows employees who have GAI skills are also 5x more likely than others to develop soft skills like creative ideation, design thinking, and emotional intelligence. The top LinkedIn Learning courses in Australia are also focused on critical soft skills, including Problem-Solving Techniques, The Three Pillars of Effective Communication, and How to Speak with Effortless Confidence.
These are also the skills that truly unlock our potential, and spur organisational agility. In challenging times, it’s heartening to know that your talent within the organisation can think outside the box, know how to solve problems, and develop forward-looking strategies.
The future of talent acquisition is about blending technology with human connection. Collard shared: “While AI can certainly streamline administrative tasks and enhance efficiency, it will never replace the core human element of recruitment. In my 20-plus years in the industry, there’s always been talk of technology replacing recruiters, but that has never come to pass. I don’t believe AI will change that, either. Recruitment is fundamentally about human-to-human interaction. The future of talent acquisition will likely see a return to core recruitment skills, especially communication. For many of us, communication and storytelling remain at the heart of what we do, and that will never change. While AI can simplify certain tasks, the human touch will always be essential.”
Scott Marshall, Head of Organisational Capability at Woodside Energy, had a similar perspective: “What we're seeing at Woodside is a real desire to understand what AI is. Our people have a need and an interest in developing skills that help them do their jobs. AI is about efficiency, cutting out repeatable tasks, and creating think time for strategic work. It’s not about replacing people but augmenting their roles. While AI may change the way we work, the fundamental skills that make us human—like empathy, leadership, problem-solving, and effective communication—will always be key.”
Developing these skills requires close collaboration between Talent Acquisition (TA) and Learning & Development (L&D) teams. Taking a holistic view of the organisation’s existing skills landscape is crucial—identifying strengths, addressing gaps, and aligning hiring strategies with targeted upskilling efforts. Not just with hard skills like AI know-how, but also soft skills that unlock human potential. By integrating recruitment and development initiatives, companies can build a more agile workforce where human abilities shine through.
Fostering a culture where employees can learn new skills and move across roles will not only enable professional growth, but also help organisations build agility and resilience, without losing out on great talent.
Internal mobility rates globally have increased by 6% globally year-over-year, and we expect this trend to continue, including in Australia where internal mobility is up even higher at 7%.
“Learning to unlearn and then relearn” will become a critical approach for organisations developing talent that can thrive in a fast-evolving workplace. According to Tania Dowling, Head of Talent Acquisition, RMIT University, “In terms of the future of work, two key trends stand out: lifelong learning and digital literacy. We know that two-thirds of today’s roles didn’t exist 20 years ago, and the future of work is evolving rapidly. There’s a real skills shortage, so it’s crucial that we provide ongoing development and training for our employees to ensure they remain relevant. Digital literacy, particularly related to AI and generative AI, is also key. We must work to remove the fear and stigma around these concepts, helping our workforce embrace AI.”
Employees want to work for a company that supports continuous growth and career development, and they want to feel like they’re being supported as the world of work evolves. Taking this approach when it comes to talent strategies will not only help unlock employees’ potential, but also with retaining good talent.
Fundamentally, the talent and job landscape is ever-evolving, and change is the constant we can expect. Today’s talent leaders understand that companies that succeed do so because they have the best talent, not simply the best technology. Just as we’d upgrade our tech stack, companies will need to upgrade talent playbooks to stay ahead and unleash all that’s possible — while paving the way to more fulfilling and more meaningful work for us all.
To support this shift, LinkedIn is leading the charge with innovative solutions, including a new AI-powered coaching feature in LinkedIn Learning to help professionals develop their interpersonal skills through interactive scenarios. Additionally, LinkedIn has expanded its LinkedIn Learning library to over 1,000 AI-focused courses, and is rolling out an AI assistant within LinkedIn Jobs to help small businesses post jobs and hire qualified candidates more efficiently.
