What top AI talent wants

It’s an AI professional’s world, and we’re just living in it.

AI is all the rage in the job market right now. An analysis by CBRE found that AI job listings comprised 14.3% of all US tech talent jobs as of June 2024, an uptick from 8.8% in late 2019.

However, demand for talent with ripe AI skills currently outweighs the supply. IT Brew previously reported that 62% of executives blamed a lack of talent and skills for their company’s inability to make progress on AI initiatives, despite AI and GenAI being top tech priorities last year.

Fortunately, a recent G42 report may shed some light on how companies can attract and secure top AI talent in the industry.

The blueprint. What are AI pros looking for in a gig? Of the 750 US-based AI professionals surveyed by G42, 70% said job security was “very important” when it came to long-term career satisfaction. Around the same proportion (68%) of respondents cited a competitive salary, with most team leaders seeing somewhere between $100,000 and $249,000 as a base salary range that would make them consider switching positions. Sixty-seven percent said work–life balance was very important to them.

The survey, done in collaboration with Semafor, was conducted between November and December of last year. More than two-thirds (69.5%) of professionals queried had less than three years of experience.

For seasoned AI professionals with over three years of experience, decision autonomy and “support for innovation” are the top two most sought-after qualities when considering a new role. For those with less experience, decision autonomy and the flexibility to work remotely or in-person are the most important.

Maymee Kurian, G42’s group human capital and culture officer, said in a statement that the report’s findings show that the key to attracting and retaining AI employees is “purpose, opportunity, and impact.”

“The most sought-after professionals today want to work on cutting-edge projects, in organizations that align with their values and offer room to grow and lead,” she said.

Time is ticking. Companies in need of AI expertise may want to get with the program of what the current talent pool wants sooner rather than later. Almost half (46%) of respondents said they are content in their current position, but would “consider a reasonable offer” from another company. Meanwhile, 16% claim they are either passively or actively on the lookout for other positions.