Organisations face widening skills gap for AI roles

Emergn has reported that more than half of organisations struggle to recruit the data and AI skills they say they need to put artificial intelligence into day-to-day use.

The company’s research found that 52% of organisations cannot hire the Data & AI skills they require to operationalise AI. Respondents also reported shortages in critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership skills.

Emergn said the hiring difficulties run across sectors, with the highest reported gaps in manufacturing and utilities. Retail, catering and leisure also ranked among the most affected sectors, alongside IT and telecoms and finance.

Emergn’s findings add to a growing focus on workforce readiness as organisations expand spending on AI tools and data infrastructure. Many employers now report challenges in building teams that can deploy, manage and govern AI systems, alongside the business roles that decide how to use them.

Skill gaps extended beyond specialist AI roles. Emergn reported that 35% of organisations struggled to hire for critical thinking and analytics. A further 26% cited problem-solving as a hiring challenge.

The research also pointed to leadership shortages. Emergn said 24% of respondents struggled to hire for cross-functional leadership and 23% struggled to hire for leadership and initiative. Time management also featured, with 22% reporting difficulties.

Emergn said the pattern indicates pressure both in technical recruitment and in roles linked to decision-making and delivery. It said the shortages affect the ability to apply AI and manage delivery work.

Sector pressure

Manufacturing and utilities reported the highest level of difficulty in filling key roles, at 67%, according to Emergn. Retail, catering and leisure followed at 58%.

IT and telecoms reported 52% and finance reported 52%. Emergn said the talent gap affects all sectors covered by the research.

Emergn also highlighted pressure on roles outside AI and data. It said 19% of respondents reported difficulty hiring for web development roles. The company linked this to broader strain on product delivery functions.

Mid-sized challenge

The research suggested mid-sized organisations feel the hiring challenge more acutely than larger peers. Emergn said organisations with 1,000 to 4,999 employees reported the highest difficulty, with up to 60% struggling to fill key roles.

Emergn compared that with 44% in larger organisations. It said only 9% of respondents described hiring as straightforward.

The findings point to uneven capacity across companies as AI activity increases. Mid-sized organisations can face limits on training budgets, brand recognition in recruitment markets, and access to specialist talent pools compared with the largest employers.

Execution risk

Emergn framed the hiring shortages as an execution issue, rather than a pure technology issue. The company said organisations can acquire AI tooling but still struggle to translate it into operational change without the right mix of technical skills and judgement.

“Many organisations assume the challenge with AI is access to technology, yet the real constraint is access to the skills that make it useful. When over half say Data & AI capability is the hardest to recruit, execution slows down before AI value ever shows up, “ said Alex Adamopoulos, Chairman and CEO of Emergn.

Study details

Emergn based the findings on its 2025 Global Intelligent Delusion Study. Censuswide conducted the research with a sample of 751 global organisations.

Respondents included CEOs, CTOs, COOs and other senior leaders involved in operational change. Emergn said all respondents had at least five years’ tenure at companies with more than 1,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding $500 million.

Emergn said the results show hiring and workforce development remain central issues for organisations that want to move AI projects from pilots into broader operations, particularly in sectors with complex processes and legacy technology estates.

“Many organisations assume the challenge with AI is access to technology, yet the real constraint is access to the skills that make it useful,” said Adamopoulos.