Dive Brief:
- AI skills don’t necessarily have AI in the title. In a report from Heidrick & Struggles published earlier this month, advanced analytics and database architecture skills emerged as two categories that grew exponentially for businesses in the past six months. These skills specifically mapped to capitalizing on AI investments.
- Advanced analytics skills more than quadrupled, according to the recruiting firm’s analysis, while database architecture and data management skills jumped 150%. The company compared the demand for skills between January and July with the previous six months.
- “AI is only as strong as the data it’s built from, which is why organizations need talent who understand how to build solid data foundations, strengthen governance, improve data quality and turn that information into useful insights,” Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner of the on-demand talent practice and partner-in-charge of Heidrick & Struggles’ Los Angeles office, said in an email.
Dive Insight:
Businesses working to retool their operations are drawing deep into the tech talent pool, prioritizing talent with analytics and database skills, among other areas of expertise that support ongoing AI adoption.
More than half of employers are aiming to attract workers with AI fluency, but the supply isn’t keeping up with demand, according to Indeed. Dice similarly flagged a rise in job postings for roles that feature AI in the title, which grew 173% year over year during the first quarter of 2026, according to the report.
Expertise in the technologies that underpin AI adoption has become a hot commodity, showing up in the most recent set of official labor data. Cloud infrastructure, data processing and hosting, information services and semiconductor manufacturing helped curb tech unemployment in July’s job report, a CompTIA analysis found.
CIOs that want to support businesses in their pursuit of coveted talent have a role to play, Ackerman said. Executives should focus their attention on creating an environment where technology is clearly tied to business goals and viewed as a strategic priority.
“The strongest candidates will be drawn to organizations where technology has visible executive sponsorship, teams can work across functions and leaders have a clear mandate to turn investment into measurable results,” Ackerman said. “For many companies, this includes moving away from legacy systems and disconnected data.”
A mix of permanent hiring and continuous learning with interim talent when specialized skills are needed quickly can aid businesses in pursuit of rapid change, according to Ackerman.
