Cutting-edge tech and digital skills key to retaining talent

Research finds that UK IT leaders see the value of AI, yet employees’ emerging technical, and skill demands, and the career expectations of younger staff, are all adding to the urgency of the business case.

New research commissioned by Microsoft reveals 40% of ITDMs feel that their organisation is falling behind in terms of technology, due to a lack of budget. This is despite ITDMs themselves seeing the value of key emerging technologies - 89% of ITDMs who use AI on a daily basis, say they would use it even more if they had the right tools.

The report, ‘The AI + Talent Equation', identifies the urgent need for ITDMs to build a business case for additional technological investment, not least to maintain a competitive edge, but as the report suggest, to also meet the emerging technical and skill demands of the workforce.

Employees demand quality tech

Based on surveys of 602 ITDMs and 1,029 employees, the research reveals concerns as to whether enterprise PC and devices portfolios are AI ready. One in four (25%) workers do not feel that their work PC is powerful enough to operate AI, with this figure rising to more than a third (35%) of Gen Z employees.

29% of employees surveyed believe their current PC or device is slowing them down in their day-to-day job, and more than a quarter (26%) say their work PC regularly crashes or freezes.

Digital skills needs coming to the fore

Yet the findings suggest that employees aren’t being equipped to succeed in an era of AI at large. Less than a quarter (24%) of Gen X feel they have the skills needed to leverage AI in their day-to-day work, with this figure rising to just over a third (36%) for staff generally, and 56% for Gen Z employees.

Perhaps unsurprisingly then, 60% of those currently looking to change employer say they would likely stay longer if their current company enabled them to develop more digital skills. The findings show that 1 in 2 Gen Z workers (50%) say they’re taking active steps to future proof their careers, and that Gen Z are twice as likely (41%) to be planning on switching companies, specifically to future proof their career than the average employee (19%).

Alan Slothower, Head of Surface Commercial, Microsoft UK, comments: "The rapid adoption of AI in the workplace necessitates higher specification technology and digital upskilling. For IT decision makers (ITDMs), it is imperative to prioritise and provide AI-ready PCs and effective training. Empowering staff in this way is especially important to younger generations, with these tools is crucial for retention and career engagement."

An examination of how Atlassian’s Rovo and Teamwork Graph introduce AI-driven automation into...
Johnson Controls introduces its Innovation Studio across Europe, aiming to demonstrate energy...
inforcer launches its latest solution to provide complete threat detection and response, aiming to...
The DCA teams up with the Carbon Trust to support sustainable digital infrastructure, aiming to...
Smartsheet extends its AI integrations, offering enterprise teams new capabilities with Smart...
Nordic data center provider atNorth announces the acquisition of land in Norway for its new data...
NetApp and Cisco introduce updated solutions with FlexPod, aiming to empower enterprises in...
Keepit earns top marks in SaaS backup and recovery, helping demonstrate customer satisfaction and...