LinkedIn’s inaugural Work Change Snapshot highlights how the UK workplace is evolving at an unprecedented pace. New data from LinkedIn reveals that 10% of workers hired globally in 2024 have job titles that didn’t exist in 2000, including roles such as AI Engineer and Sustainability Manager. 

In the UK, nearly three quarters (74%) of business leaders believe that the pace of change at work is accelerating. With the rapid development of technologies such as AI, LinkedIn’s data also shows that the skills needed for jobs in the UK are expected to change 65% by 2030 (since 2016), highlighting the need for businesses to adapt.  

While 80% of UK business leaders see the potential of AI to improve their team’s performance, only 8% feel their organisations are leading in AI adoption, signalling a major opportunity for companies that are prepared to embrace AI transformation. 

The pressure on HR teams 

As businesses compete to keep pace in a fast-changing world, HR teams are being relied on to navigate these shifts – with more than half (51%) of UK HR professionals saying expectations of them at work are higher than ever before.   

However, this pressure is creating a huge burden on UK HR professionals’ time: more than a third (35%) of UK HR professionals say they are overwhelmed by the volume of decisions they have to make each day, with 15% spending up to a quarter of their week searching for the right information and insights.

Janine Chamberlin, UK Country Manager, LinkedIn, says: “The one thing we can count on in today’s workplace is change. The modern workplace is constantly evolving. And while new technologies such as AI hold great potential to improve our day-to-day work, many businesses are still figuring out how to maximise that potential. HR teams have a depth of knowledge and insight, and it’s great to see business leaders leaning on their HR teams to understand where the opportunities and the challenges are. However, these teams need to be equipped with the right tools, resources and training so they can effectively guide their organisations through these workplace shifts.”  

LinkedIn’s AI-powered tools  

Last year, LinkedIn began reimagining how people hire with Recruiter 2024, its first generative AI hiring experience. And over the past year, we’ve seen how it’s helping hirers meet their goal of finding qualified candidates faster. Hirers using AI-assisted messages have seen a 44% higher acceptance rate and are accepted over 11% faster by job seekers, compared to those who do not use AI-assisted messages.  

Today, LinkedIn has announced the launch of:  

• Introducing Hiring Assistant – LinkedIn’s first AI agent, Hiring Assistant, is designed to take on a recruiter’s most repetitive tasks so they can spend more time on their most impactful work – like advising hiring managers, connecting with candidates and creating exceptional candidate experiences. Recruiters can choose to delegate time-consuming tasks to the Hiring Assistant including finding candidates and applicant review. While recruiters will be able to spend significantly less time on these tasks, they will be in full control throughout the process. Hirers will be able to provide feedback on the candidates throughout the entire process, helping the Hiring Assistant to continuously learn each recruiter’s preferences and become more personalised to each hirer. LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant is available today in charter to a select group of recruiters – in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore and the United States – from companies such as AMD, Canva, Siemens and Zurich Insurance. It will be rolled out to additional global customers over the coming months.  

• Expanding capabilities for LinkedIn Learning’s AI-powered coaching – LinkedIn is rolling out a new AI-powered coaching feature within LinkedIn Learning that helps learners practise interpersonal skills through interactive scenarios using voice or text. Learners can practise delivering performance reviews, having conversations on work-life balance, and giving feedback. LinkedIn is beginning to roll this out today to people who have LinkedIn Learning Hub accounts. Over the coming year, LinkedIn will roll it out to all global learners who have a LinkedIn Learning Hub account or LinkedIn Premium. Our core coaching experience will also launch in new languages with content discovery in German, French, and Japanese—bringing AI-powered coaching to global audiences for the first time.   

Mike Demarest, Talent Acquisition Leader, Siemens, says: “At Siemens, our focus is on our people- which means it’s so important for our recruiters to have the time they need to get to know candidates, and recognise the unique capabilities and perspectives that they bring to the table. We’re excited to be part of the charter for Hiring Assistant – it will take away some of the repetitive sourcing work so our team can get back to doing what we do best – helping people to find the right opportunities for their careers.”    

Jessica Aguilar, Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Zurich Insurance, says: “At Zurich Insurance, our Talent Acquisition teams are critical to us attracting the right talent to open positions. They ensure we have the skills needed to thrive. Through the introduction of LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant, TA colleagues will be freed up from repetitive and labour-intensive tasks and better able to focus on identifying and recruiting the best people for our company.” 

Jo-Ann Feely, Head of Innovation, AMS, says: “Our teams are experts in talent, and they are focused on helping businesses succeed by having the right people in the right roles. Partnering with LinkedIn’s AI-assisted messaging has enabled AMS teams to better source, attract and engage the talent our clients need – AMS consultants have sent more than 11,000 AI-assisted InMails this year, and our AI-assisted InMails have seen a 44% higher acceptance rate than the industry average benchmark.”    

More information on these tools can be found here.