AI, Automation and Upskilling: How Tech Leaders and Professionals Can Stay Ahead

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By George Denlinger, President of Technology Talent Solutions, Robert Half

Whether you're leading a tech team or managing your career advancement as a tech professional, mastering new and emerging tools is only half the equation. The other half is about reshaping how you work, collaborate and lead in a world transformed by rapid technology changes.

I explored this theme during a recent LinkedIn Live panel, Robert Half Real Talk: Tech Debt, Transformation and Talent, with fellow industry leaders. We agreed that the organizations poised to thrive aren’t just those with cutting-edge tools—but those where both technology and talent evolve in tandem.

During the session, the panelists and I discussed the ongoing issue of skills gaps within technology departments and strategies for building teams ready to tackle critical priorities like digital transformation and technical debt. We also responded to questions asked by tech leaders and professionals from the audience. Some questions went unanswered due to time limitations, and I’d like to address them now.

Which emerging skill sets and roles will be critical for tech teams in the near future that leaders might be overlooking today?

Because brand-new skill sets and roles are becoming indispensable so quickly in an AI-driven world, even the most forward-thinking tech leaders—and increasingly, leaders across all business functions—can inadvertently sideline some important ones as they reassess the skill and role mix on their teams.

Take designing, deploying and working with AI tools, for example. These are skills sure to become essential as more businesses prioritize AI initiatives. In addition, cross-functional project management skills that bridge technical implementation with business strategy may not be getting the attention they deserve. The same is true for AI governance literacy for understanding ethical implications and compliance requirements that affect organizations. But leaders are learning fast. More than half already recognize that they need to hire for different skills due to advancements in AI and automation, according to Robert Half research.

Our company has also identified some emerging tech roles that we see gaining traction in the employment market, like agentic AI engineer, AI strategy consultant, AIOps engineer and LLM engineer. Keep your eye on these and other roles, as they continue to evolve and grow in demand as companies integrate new and advancing technologies.

As automation reshapes tech roles, which human-centric skills (e.g., complex problem-solving, cross-functional collaboration) do you think will become even more critical in the next 3-5 years?

Besides technical gaps in AI expertise and top tech skills for 2025 like cybersecurity and cloud computing that leaders are laser-focused on, there is a variety of soft skills for tech jobs that successful leaders are putting emphasis on and resources behind as they evolve their teams. Human-centric skills will absolutely grow more essential as advanced tools continue to emerge. Examples include:

Data storytelling

As teams become more cross-functional, tech professionals must hone the ability to simplify concepts and communicate them to the rest of the company. Leaders can help by integrating data storytelling workshops, including analyzing data to create clear narratives and visualizations, and peer-led "explain it like I’m five" challenges into ongoing learning programs.

Systems thinking

Today’s challenges require systems thinking—the ability to see how decisions ripple across departments, customers and society. AI ethics is inherently systemic: Ethical challenges in AI such as fairness, accountability, transparency and privacy cannot be addressed by focusing solely on technical components.

Change management

Many tech leaders underestimate the emotional and operational toll of change. Rolling out new tools or processes without a clear transition strategy can leave teams confused, resistant or disengaged. Change management should include empathy, communication and helping people navigate uncertainty. Leaders who prioritize this skill for themselves and their teams foster smoother tech adoption, higher morale and better ROI on investment.

Addressing technical debt with more than tech fixes

Robert Half’s Building Future-Forward Tech Teams report identifies technical debt as a growing burden that businesses can’t ignore. It’s another example of the need for tech teams to know how to collaborate and communicate. Strong communicators can explain to non-technical decision-makers how reducing technical debt requires sufficient budgets for system modernization over quick fixes. Without these human-centric skills, technical debt reduction efforts often stall due to poor stakeholder alignment and inadequate organizational buy-in.

Consultative skills

Digital transformation is reshaping traditional tech roles into strategic partnerships. Professionals across the technology organization—from project managers to business analysts to senior engineers—now need consultative skills. These are a set of interpersonal and analytical abilities used to understand a person's or organization's needs and recommend tailored solutions. When hiring, leaders should focus on soft skills for tech jobs such as emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust, ask insightful questions and navigate ambiguity.

Do companies invest as much in developing their employees' skills as they do in developing technology?

How can my growing AI expertise enhance my value to the organization and unlock new career opportunities? How does my proactive upskilling position me for leadership or advancement within the company?

Your growing AI expertise positions you at the forefront of skills gaps facing organizations today. According to our 2025 Building Future-Forward Tech Teams report, 65% of tech leaders report a skills gap within their department, and they ranked AI and machine learning as the area where these skills gaps are most evident. And, 87% report difficulty finding skilled candidates. This scarcity directly translates to enhanced organizational value and career advancement opportunities.

Your AI expertise enhances your value by making you essential to your organization's digital transformation initiatives. According to our report, 90% of technology leaders plan to implement initiatives involving AI this year, yet 48% cite the lack of AI skills as their greatest barrier to success. And AI, machine learning and data science are among the top skills for which leaders are willing to pay higher salaries.

Your proactive upskilling in automation and technology advancements demonstrates the forward-thinking leadership qualities organizations need. As companies increasingly form new leadership structures around AI strategy and governance—such as dedicated AI ethics boards or transformation teams—those with hands-on AI experience and a learning-driven mindset are poised to step into these roles.

How can Robert Half help career-changers overcome the challenges of rapid technological change?

Career-changers actually have a unique advantage they may not realize because they combine past experience with new skills. As a talent solutions firm, there are several key ways Robert Half can assist professionals wanting to enter the tech field. One is by leveraging transferable skills. Our recruiters can help identify how existing skills translate to new career opportunities. For example, they can help professionals from other fields emphasize their problem-solving abilities, adaptability, project management experience, analysis or communication skills, and more rather than just technical background.

Many certifications are relatively affordable or free, and Robert Half recruiters can guide career-changers toward relevant tech skills for beginners, such as entry-level training programs. They can also point them to structured learning opportunities in high-demand fields such as AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity.

There are now early career or career-changing positions across IT disciplines, not just traditional support roles. Robert Half can match candidates with contract talent positions that provide new career opportunities while they build their tech skills. And by placing people in teams that encourage knowledge-sharing and on-the-job learning, Robert Half can make it easier for career-changers to absorb new skills, build confidence and accelerate their transition into a new tech role.

How can tech leaders keep distributed teams (hybrid, remote) aligned and innovative amid rapid tech change?

Many technology and IT team members today work remotely at least part of the time. Managers can help a distributed workforce remain aligned and innovative through several approaches for leading remote teams.

By both investing in asynchronous collaboration tools built on cloud-native platforms and setting clear patterns and expectations for how and when your team connects, leaders can address two persistent challenges of distributed workplaces: remote productivity and seamless collaboration. These best practices empower hybrid teams to securely communicate, innovate and contribute across time zones, as well as help employees effectively manage their work between touchpoints.

Remote team communication strategies should emphasize clear, consistent and concise meetings and messages, as well as cross-departmental collaboration. Leaders can help by exposing remote tech staff to different functions and roles within the department or across the organization through strategic cross-training. This enhances coordination on digital projects despite physical separation.

Explore more on these topics by viewing the Robert Half Real Talk: Tech Debt, Transformation and Talent event recording, held June 4, 2025.

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