Are AI skills the silver lining in a tricky job market?

Our ongoing series brings you essential AI news and takeaways every month, helping you stay informed and ready for what’s next in the world of artificial intelligence.

November 2025 edition

The big picture: Employers are hiring to fill skill gaps

More than half of U.S. tech companies have said they plan to increase headcount this quarter, according to an Experis report using Manpower Group hiring data. About one in four companies also say they’re adding staff specifically to keep up with new innovations like AI. 

Axios reports that the job-recruitment platform Greenhouse saw a 23% year-over-year rise in Q1 tech postings in San Francisco alone, thanks largely to AI-related needs. 

Employers are especially looking for fluency in data management, machine learning, and AI-assisted digital creation, according to the latest monthly hiring report from Upwork. Case in point: Graphic design, Python, and video editing were the top-ranked skills on employers’ wishlists. 

The takeaway: Lifelong learners are the MVPs of the workforce

The surge AI hiring emphasizes just how quickly the tech landscape is changing. Companies are looking for people who can keep pace with whatever comes next, not those who are hyper-specialized in a single domain. 

The most valuable workers are the ones who treat learning as an ongoing habit – who can quickly pick up new tools, new workflows, and even entirely new ways of doing their jobs.

Try this

• Invest in continuous learning: Offer regular upskilling opportunities, such as AI fundamentals and data literacy, so employees can grow with new tech, not fall behind it.
• Encourage cross-functional skill building: Create space for workers to try new tools or collaborate outside their core roles, helping them develop adaptability.
• Hire for learning velocity, not just experience: When recruiting, prioritize candidates who show curiosity, flexibility, and a track record of picking up new skills quickly.

LinkedIn’s winning approach to agentic AI 

The big picture: LinkedIn’s hiring agent keeps humans in the loop 

Recruiters who use LinkedIn’s AI Hiring Assistant see a 62% reduction in the number of applications they need to sift through before making a hire, according to VP of Engineering Prashanthi Padmanabhan. 

Padmanabhan explains that the tool succeeds by keeping humans firmly “in the driver’s seat” of the recruitment process. To mitigate potential bias and hallucinations, the hiring agent shows its reasoning behind vetting decisions and gives recruiters a chance to approve or reject the agent’s actions based on the provided rationale. This human-in-the-loop design ensures the system improves based on real recruiter behavior, building what Padmanabhan calls “a beautiful symphony of agency and trust” between the tool and its users. 

The takeaway: Transparency + user input = effective agents

LinkedIn’s Hiring Assistant makes the case that AI agents work best when user feedback loops are built into their deployment and workflows. The benefits are reciprocal: When humans can both understand and shape the system’s decisions in real time, they’re likelier to trust the tool and, in turn, the tool is likelier to be a reliable asset. 

Try this

• Build in real-time visibility: Give users a clear window into how AI tools make decisions so they can catch errors, understand recommendations, and feel confident in the process.
• Design for constant human feedback: Add simple, frictionless ways for users to approve, reject, or adjust AI outputs. These signals both improve the model and reinforce a sense of control.
• Keep people as final decision-makers: Treat AI as an accelerant, not a replacement. Let the system surface options or streamline tasks, but ensure humans make the ultimate calls.