SINGAPORE — Workplace transformation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with new data from LinkedIn’s inaugural “Work Change Snapshot” showing that 10% of workers hired in 2024 hold job titles that didn’t exist in 2000. Roles like Sustainability Manager AI Engineer, Data Scientist, Social Media Manager, and Customer Success Manager are now commonplace. In APAC, due to Generative AI (GAI), we expect skills to change by 70% by 2030, compared to 52% without it — marking an 18 percentage point faster pace of transformation, a trend mirrored across many markets in the region.
A LinkedIn study of over 5,000 global business leaders conducted earlier this year found that only one in 10 consider their organizations to be leaders in AI adoption, revealing a substantial opportunity for those poised to act. In APAC, however, the outlook is shifting: a recent survey shows that seven in 10 executives in India and Australia plan to prioritize AI technology and tools by 2025, signaling a regional momentum toward accelerated adoption. This urgency is driven by a growing recognition of the accelerating pace of workplace change — seven in 10 global executives acknowledge this trend, with even stronger agreement in APAC, where eight in 10 executives in both Australia and India share this view. Additionally, over 60% of global executives are actively developing new skills within their organizations to adapt, with APAC leading the charge as eight in 10 executives report similar efforts.
The benefits of embracing AI go well beyond increased productivity. Employees proficient in generative AI are five times more likely to develop essential soft skills like creative ideation, design thinking, and emotional intelligence — key qualities that drive success in today’s competitive workplace. In fact, the top five LinkedIn Learning courses across APAC markets are focused on these critical soft skills, including Problem-Solving Techniques, How to Think Strategically, and Communication Foundations.
“AI is not just reshaping the workplace — it’s revolutionizing it. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of professionals globally are feeling overwhelmed by how quickly their jobs are changing. While the pace of change can be daunting, it’s inspiring to see that more companies are stepping up, with a clear focus on adopting AI in 2025, as well as investing in upskilling and reskilling their employees. Embracing AI isn’t just about staying competitive; it’s about unlocking new potential, empowering teams, and creating a workforce that thrives in an innovative, dynamic world. Now is the time for businesses to champion AI, invest in skill development, and lead the charge into the future of work,” said Sumita Tandon, Director HR Business Partner, LinkedIn Asia Pacific.
LinkedIn announces new AI-powered tools to support HR, marketing and sales professionals
As businesses race to keep up with a rapidly changing world, HR teams are increasingly relied upon to guide this transformation. In India, 69% of HR professionals report that expectations of them at work have never been higher, a sentiment echoed in other key APAC markets, including 57% in Australia and Singapore. Additionally, six in 10 HR professionals across India, Australia, and Singapore admit that experience alone is no longer enough to stay competitive, with over half acknowledging that career growth now depends on embracing AI. To help HR teams focus on their most strategic, people-centric tasks — instead of the more time-consuming tasks, like synthesizing job descriptions, searching for candidates, and doing basic screen calls — LinkedIn has announced the launch of new AI products and tools.
- 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. Starting today, 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 personalized to each hirer.
- A new AI-powered coaching feature is being rolled out in LinkedIn Learning to help professionals practice their interpersonal skills through interactive scenarios using text or voice. The scenarios include practicing how to deliver performance reviews, having conversations on work-life balance, and giving feedback to a colleague. Over the coming months, LinkedIn is also bringing AI-powered coaching to global audiences for the first time by enabling content discovery in German, French, and Japanese, so learners can find high-quality content in their preferred language library faster
HR teams are not the only ones using GAI tools. Across APAC, 83% of knowledge workers are already using GAI tools, outpacing the global average of 75%. Notably, Marketing Managers and Sales Managers are also among the top non-technical roles using LinkedIn Learning to build AI proficiency.
Nine in 10 B2B marketing leaders in APAC are bullish on their team’s ability to drive revenue in the year ahead, and close to 70% are already using Generative AI applications in their marketing activities. To empower marketers, LinkedIn continues to enhance Accelerate, its AI campaign creation experience, which is now globally available for advertisers in all languages, with AI creative creation only available in English. With Accelerate campaigns showing up to a 42% lower cost per action1 compared to advertisers who run a Classic Campaign with LinkedIn, the company is introducing new functionalities to help B2B marketers tailor their campaigns to achieve their marketing goals. In addition to single-image ads, marketers now have the option to add a video or document ad, like an eBook or customer testimonial, when creating a campaign using Accelerate. To help them better achieve their marketing goals, it’s also introducing new campaign objectives, including brand awareness, engagement, website conversions, and video views.
Furthermore, with Live Video Events on LinkedIn up by 14.4% in the past year and Thought Leader Ads generating 2.3x higher click-through-rate (CTR) compared to single image ads, LinkedIn is introducing new features to allow marketers to maximize registration and participation in their events. For instance, marketers will be able to promote members’ posts about events using Thought Leader Ads that link directly to the event to drive registrations and engagement. They can also regionally target who they want to invite when setting up the event to promote a more personalized event experience. Furthermore, as brands look to reach and engage new audiences through authentic brand storytelling, they are now able to use Sponsored Newsletters to promote their own or members’ articles as Thought Leader Ads, enhancing engagement and establishing thought leadership.
AI is also becoming indispensable for sales leaders looking to build stronger buyer relationships. By automating time-consuming administrative tasks, AI can help free up an impressive one to one-and-a-half hours per week for salespeople, allowing them to focus on cultivating meaningful client relationships, something top sellers prioritize to drive more profitable growth. For sales teams, LinkedIn is rolling out innovative capabilities to elevate performance to that of top sellers and drive profitable growth. With tools like Lead Finder, Lead IQ, Message Assist, and new enhancements to Account IQ, LinkedIn is reimagining the Sales Navigator experience, ensuring teams are equipped for success in today’s competitive landscape.
LinkedIn has expanded its LinkedIn Learning library to over 1,000 AI courses, and these three AI professional certificates for talent leaders are free on LinkedIn Learning through the end of the year:
