According to LinkedIn, artificial intelligence (AI) ranks as one of the fastest growing professions, with practitioners highly sought after in 2021. The strongest AI/ML professionals and teams have proficiency in C++, Python, or Java and an aptitude for mathematics, along with general business knowledge and communication skills.
Organization-wide adoption of AI/ML technologies is the next stage of digital transformation, so a strong team of programmers, developers, and data scientists is essential to improving AI literacy from the top down. It’s important for technology leaders to communicate that AI/ML is about empowering teams in their organizations, not replacing jobs.
4 non-technical skills you need for AI jobs
Savvy AI/ML professionals and new hires alike can strengthen their four non-technical skills to drive career success and business growth:
1. Adaptability and continuous learning
One of the strongest non-technical skills an AI/ML team can employ is one they likely already possess. It’s a natural curiosity about the problems at hand and a creative approach to solving them. These skills are invaluable in leading the adoption of AI/ML technologies within your organization.
Beyond being a leader in AI/ML implementations, it’s important for teams to understand the ever-evolving technology itself. As your team grows, hire people who can act quickly and adapt easily to new ideas. The pace of innovation has not slowed in 2021, empowering your business to grow your team of natural learners.
[ Check out our primer on 10 key artificial intelligence terms for IT and business leaders: Cheat sheet: AI glossary. ]
Additionally, there is an increasing focus on low-code/no-code industry solutions that enable citizen developers to optimize their workflows with the click of a button. Even the most advanced developers can quickly adapt to a no-code platform, so it’s important to build teams that can think for themselves.
2. Ability to communicate the value of data
A strong grasp of technology is critical to the success of any AI/ML team, but what sets All-Stars apart from the average player is their ability to communicate the value of data in a non-technical way.
Are your teams interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and making value propositions based on their understanding of technology and larger business concepts? can generalize technical terms in a way that can be understood by
BONUS TIP: When probing new talent, you can assess their ability to take in and explain complex concepts by asking a few thoughtful questions. Encourage candidates to come up with technology use cases that are relevant to the organization’s industry. Even if the proposed solution isn’t groundbreaking, it can give you insight into what the candidate is thinking.
Ask them to come up with technology use cases relevant to your organization’s industry to get a sense of the candidate’s mindset.
3. Excitement and Enthusiasm
It may be simple and obvious, but excitement and enthusiasm are often overlooked when talking about very specific technical roles. However, both are valuable for organizational growth.
For example, let’s say your AI/ML team has two employees. 1 invigorates the team with new ideas and a positive attitude. Already she does her job with her head down, but she doesn’t really care about the company’s day-to-day business. The former strengthens the team and strengthens the culture of the organization by making others better.
In times of stress and uncertainty, enthusiasm and excitement turn into resilience and help drive innovation forward. Try to fold this kind of employees at all seniority levels.
4. Understanding the social impact of AI
It’s easy to get lost in the highly technical language of AI/ML development and implementation. But a good data practitioner will see beyond complex concepts to the greater global significance of changing technology.
With ethical concerns around deep fakes and biased AI algorithms, it’s critical that teams remain active participants in the conversation. Developing business leaders who have an ethical mindset and strive to understand the impact their work has on the world can save you from the big problems ahead. You may even gain publicity and put your organization ahead of the competition.
[ How does AI connect to hybrid cloud strategy? Get the free eBooks, Hybrid Cloud Strategy for Dummies and Multi-Cloud Portability for Dummies. ]
