Jobstreet: AI skills starting to show up in MSME hiring

MICRO, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are beginning to screen applicants for artificial intelligence (AI) skills as they try to keep pace with bigger competitors, according to Jobstreet by SEEK.

“AI adoption has gradually begun to shape the requirements employers are posting on Jobstreet by SEEK,” Henry Jose “Joey” Yusingco, head of market at Jobstreet by SEEK in the Philippines, said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

“We’re seeing AI-related skills slowly popping up in job requirements, much like how proficiency in Microsoft Office became essential decades ago, or how digital skills became standard requirements about 10 years ago,” he added.

MSMEs are checking whether applicants can use generative AI tools that fit a firm’s workflow, he said, adding that AI literacy is starting to form part of employers’ baseline expectations.

About 60,000 SMEs have posted openings on the platform this year, covering retail, trade and smaller outsourcing firms. Mr. Yusingco said smaller companies continue to grapple with rising costs, heavier workloads and competition for talent, and the platform is offering free job ads to help widen their pool.

About 72% of employers say AI knowledge influences their hiring decisions, according to Jobstreet’s Hiring, Compensation and Benefits report. Thirty-six percent view AI literacy — ranging from soft skills such as using generative tools for administrative tasks to technical skills like prompt engineering — as “crucial.”

AI knowledge is no longer a “nice-to-have,” but an expected skill among job candidates, Mr. Yusingco said.

“Jobseekers who list specific skills in workflow automation and AI verification are gaining a distinct advantage due to a current shortage of AI-literate talent,” he said.

About nine of 10 Philippine chief executive officers expect moderate to large use of AI in their operations in the next three years, according to PwC’s 28th Global CEO Survey. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz