Technology is changing the way we work, and AI in the workplace is reshaping the skills needed to succeed. As generative AI catches the attention of employers and meets rapidly changing job requirements, it's important to equip everyone from new hires to managers with the right skills and certifications. Employers need a skilled and certified workforce to foster innovation.
To better understand which skills employers prioritize, Microsoft commissioned International Data Corporation (IDC) to interview more than 800 business and IT leaders around the world. Here are the findings from the newly released IDC InfoBrief: Thriving in an AI-driven future: Defining the skills and tools that will matter as your profession evolves,* Emphasizes the need to develop not only technical and AI-related skills, but also human skills. This report examines roles in IT and line-of-business (LOB) areas, including marketing, sales, HR, operations, and finance, to see which skills and tools are most important for success.
“Skills development has moved from a core experience in higher education to an ongoing experience as part of the workflow. Whether you are starting as a new graduate or an experienced professional leader, the end goal is to adapt and learn the most important tools to drive productivity, business, and organizational success.” – Dr. Amy Loomis, Vice President of Research, Future of Work IDC
Read the IDC InfoBrief Thriving in an AI-driven future: Defining the skills and tools that will matter as your profession evolves Learn about the key skills and tools critical to success in the workplace.
Key Results: Build proficiency in productivity tools and people skills
As technologies like AI become more prevalent, it becomes increasingly important for workers to build proficiency in productivity tools with generative AI built in, including the tools they already use.
The findings from IDC's InfoBrief, Thriving in an AI-driven Future, reveal the three top technology capabilities ranked by the percentage of respondents from two groups: IT and LOB. The technologies are ranked as follows: Microsoft Office 50% IT, 66% LOB; Data Management 35% IT, 39% LOB; Project management is 34% IT and 35% LOB.
When it comes to technical skills prioritized by IT and business leaders around the world, Microsoft Office proficiency ranked as the most important technical skill for career success across IT and business leaders. This was far ahead of the next technology listed.
Two statistics about the applications you need to know for business from the IDC InfoBrief, Thriving in an AI-driven Future. 65% of respondents say Microsoft Teams is the best tool. 65% of LOB managers report that Microsoft Office is most important to their team's success.
Additionally, 100% of respondents said they use Microsoft Office every day for communication and collaboration, and 65% of LOB managers chose Microsoft Office as the most important solution for their team's business success.
Microsoft Teams was also identified as important. When asked to rank the top three collaboration tools for work overall, respondents ranked Microsoft Teams as the top collaboration and productivity application for work, with Microsoft Office also ranking in the top three.
Two bar graphs from the IDC InfoBrief, Thriving in an AI-driven Future, list the human and business skills that are important for experienced and new professionals, according to respondents. The skills listed for skilled professionals are problem solving (49%), communication (45%), data analysis (44%), organizational skills (42%), and flexibility (42%). The skills listed for new professionals are flexibility (42%), creative problem solving (41%), creativity (35%), organizational skills (34%), and problem solving (34%).
In addition to a working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams, experienced professionals and managers indicated that success in future new hires will require the following human and business skills:
- problem solving
- Communication
- flexibility
- creativity
- data analysis
“Our tools are the foundation for success in the knowledge economy. As a leading provider of AI technology, these tools with built-in AI capabilities will help prepare students for the next step in the world of work.” – Paige Johnson, Vice President of Industry Marketing, Education and Media, Microsoft
Certification is important to employers.
According to recent LinkedIn data, 20% of U.S. jobs no longer require a four-year degree, and employers are adopting a “skills-first” approach to hiring. This approach emphasizes what the candidate can do and their willingness to learn new skills.
IDC InfoBrief confirms this trend. Among the IT and LOB managers responding:
- 74% say technology vendor certification is important when hiring new candidates.
- 70% say certifications are as important as degrees when it comes to hiring new professionals.
- 50% say vendor certification provides greater career mobility.
- 45% agree that certification leads to more attractive roles and higher salaries.
“We’re excited to see industry credentials provide an opportunity to demonstrate proven technical skills with an industry-recognized certification to stand out in a competitive job market.” – Christina Thoresen, Worldwide Education Solutions Strategy Leader, Microsoft
In addition to the value employers look for in certifications, the IDC InfoBrief also provides company and organizational guidance on AI and hiring practices.
- Align around the core technologies of your business and IT.
- Invest in generative AI technology and training.
- Reinforces the importance of core human and business skills.
- Consider which supplier certifications are most important to you.
- Partner with educational institutions to encourage better skills linkages for graduates.
Learn how Microsoft Credentials support growth and proficiency through role-based certification for new scenario-specific applicable technologies.
Preparing your workforce for AI
IDC's findings and Microsoft's New Future of Work report confirm that the need for an AI-enabled workforce is already here. Today's graduates are expected to be able to use Microsoft Copilot and other AI technologies as they advance from the classroom to the workplace. Skills such as critical thinking and analytical judgment, complex problem solving, and creativity and ingenuity are new core competencies that are not just needed for technical roles or AI professionals.
As AI reshapes work, human-AI collaboration will become the next-generation work pattern. The ability to work iteratively using AI will become a core skill for all employees. We are already seeing it. Here's what stands out in the November 2023 Work Trends Index Special Report:
- 70% Copilot users say they are more productive 68% He said the quality of work has improved.
- Overall, users 29% A series of operations (search, write, summarize) become faster.
- Users could catch up on meetings they almost missed. 4 times Faster.
- 64% of users said that Copilot helps them reduce the time they spend processing their emails.
- 85% of users say Copilot helps them write good drafts faster.
- 75% of users said that with Copilot, “I can find everything I need in my files and save time.”
- 77% of users said they didn't want to give up after using Copilot.
Get started with Copilot today and learn how it can help you as an educator. Learn more about Copilot for Microsoft 365, an add-on that integrates AI support into the apps you use every day.
Explore resources to build core skills
Explore these additional resources to learn more about the key skills and tools critical to your future success.
*Document #US51794024, March 2024