Despite the ongoing buzz surrounding artificial intelligence, it's not the fastest-growing skill in 2024, according to the 2024 Skills Index by Business Talent Group.
While AI and machine learning saw 80% growth, other critical tech skills, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), outpaced AI, with a massive 550% rise in demand.
Requests for IT systems strategy skills, meanwhile, surged by 240%, while customer relationship management (CRM) skills saw a 100% increase.
The report revealed that businesses are prioritizing a broader range of advanced technologies to stay competitive, leading to significant growth in demand for related skills.
Technology and systems implementation ranked fourth in talent demand, surpassing AI and machine learning (ML), which came in at 14th.
"Most of the work we're seeing in this space involves SAP and Oracle, with a significant portion driven by the S/4Hana migration deadline in 2030," explained Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner of on-demand talent at Heidrick & Struggles, parent company of the Business Talent Group.
She said needs for smaller ERP platforms, those dedicated to specific industries, have also generated needs for skilled professionals.
"The range of projects we see includes everything from leading a full-scale implementation and transformation to platform evaluations and strategic assessments to configuration and optimization of specific modules within the platforms," she said.
Ackerman noted that even with all eyes on AI and emerging technologies, the analysis found financial expertise remains most important to businesses right now.
"Those skills are making up two of the top three in-demand skills, with financial controls, accounting, and audit at the top and financial planning, analysis, and modeling in third place," she said.
Ackerman said many leaders are determining where, when, and how they want to capitalize on emerging technologies and AI, and there are significant marketplace shifts that are impacting organizations.
"The finance functions inform decisions on where to prioritize investments into such innovations while weighing options that ensure the finance decisions will benefit the organizations in the longer term," Ackerman said.
From her perspective, the surge in demand for IT systems strategy skills highlights a critical shift in the technology landscape, emphasizing the importance of not only technical proficiency but also strategic acumen.
"Core competencies like technical expertise will always remain important — but, increasingly, IT professionals will need to look at the larger business ecosystem and continuously learn and adapt to drive innovation and efficiency throughout the organization," she said.
Ackerman predicted it would increasingly be important to map IT initiatives back to market dynamics, customer needs, and business goals as technology plays an even greater role in gaining a competitive edge in today's business landscape.
IT Certifications Play Important Role
Certification-based training is crucial in helping IT professionals meet the shifting demand for advanced tech skills.
As technological change accelerates, certifications offer a structured, efficient, and credible way for IT professionals to stay relevant, build expertise, and validate their competencies.
By focusing on certifications that address both current and emerging technologies, IT professionals can effectively navigate and implement solutions across diverse and dynamic tech landscapes, aligning their skills with industry needs.
Amir Khan, CEO at Alkira, said with the increasing demand for technology and systems implementation skills, IT professionals should consider certifications that enhance their expertise in cloud and network management.
"Today's enterprises are finding themselves within a spectrum of multicloud and hybrid network environments, and those certifications are critical to success," he said.
Khan pointed to certifications such as the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) and AWS Certified Solutions Architect, which ensure professionals are trained adequately.
These credentials focus on cloud orchestration, infrastructure design, and implementation, which are essential for managing and integrating diverse network environments.
"Receiving certifications in network automation and security [that deepen] understanding of these areas will be valuable in mastering the intricacies of modern network environments," Khan added.
Certification-based training is essential for IT professionals to keep pace with the evolving demands of advanced technology, he pointed out.
"As IT systems and networks become more complex, certifications provide structured and validated expertise in managing these sophisticated systems," he said.
They ensure professionals are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills necessary for effective network management, automation, and security.
Kausik Chaudhuri, CIO at Lemongrass, said IT professionals looking to align with the growing demand for technology and systems implementation skills should seek certifications that focus on cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, and systems architecture.
He pointed to hyper-scaler-specific data engineer certifications, hyper-scaler-specific DevOps engineer certs, and ERP and project management certifications as particularly worthwhile.
"These certifications provide a foundation for IT professionals to stay competitive in roles such as cloud architect, security analyst, DevOps engineer, data scientist, and project manager," he explained.
Chaudhuri added that they align with current industry demands and prepare individuals for complex technology implementations.
Importance of Self-Directed Learning
Paul Wallenberg, associate vice president of technology recruiting at LaSalle Network, also recommended the Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM) from the Scrum Alliance, and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).
"It all comes down to self-directed learning, which is more universally achievable since not all IT departments or companies will have budgets for training," he added.
Salesforce has the Trailhead program for people who want to advance their skills in the various nooks and crannies of the Salesforce platforms and the clouds they offer, Wallenberg noted.
"For systems or platforms where there is no learning and development curriculum, seek out the person at your organization who is the best super user, the administrator, or the solution and enterprise architect responsible for the ongoing maintenance and support of the platform," he said.
Relationships are often the key to the access we need to understand tools, software, and applications at a deeper and more sophisticated level, according to Wallenberg.
"Look over their shoulder, take them out to lunch, and learn, or ask for documentation that you can review to learn a bit more about the ins and outs," Wallenberg said.
Engage the Entire Ecosystem
As technology becomes increasingly ingrained in business strategy and operations, it will be important for IT professionals to engage with the entire ecosystem to ensure they are broadening their understanding of the business and creating new opportunities for innovation and efficiency at scale, Ackerman said.
"Organizations can also leverage independent, highly skilled talent to augment and enhance their existing IT workforce to drive impact," she said.
She explained that independent talent — from interim executives to project-based professionals — can help boost access to skills and expertise and power transformation more rapidly.
"This sets the remaining workforce and organization up for success to fuel long-term achievement and growth," she said.
Wallenberg said platforms like GitHub and HackerRank have lightweight versions where technologists can go to learn techniques and then showcase skills using multiple choice tests and live coding, scenario-based assessments.
"Couple this with courses from Coursera and other learning and development focused tools, and the recipe to success differentiating yourself in those fields is right at all our fingertips," he said.
Investing in AI Skill Sets
To make a mark in AI and machine learning, IT professionals need to have a firm grasp on how to manage the intricate networks that power these technologies, Khan said.
"Getting certified in top cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP is a great start for establishing your knowledge base around deploying AI solutions," he said.
Beyond certification programs, getting hands-on experience with real-world projects is the best way for IT professionals to hone their skills and set themselves apart.
"Those that raise their hands and proactively look for opportunities to challenge themselves will reap the rewards in a quickly developing space," Khan said.
From his perspective, keeping up with both current technologies like ERP and CRM and future-focused skills like AI calls for a smart, balanced approach.
"IT professionals should stay engaged with ongoing learning and certifications in ERP and CRM to stay sharp," he advised.
At the same time, engaging with AI through relevant courses and hands-on projects will help them build credibility in the field.
"This is still a relatively new frontier, so those that are upskilling now will be well-positioned for what the future holds," he noted.
Chaudhuri said proficiency in AI/ML languages such as Python, R, Scala, and Java is crucial.
"Beyond knowing the basics, understanding how to build efficient, scalable models in these languages will set you apart," he said.
Chaudhuri recommended developing a portfolio of hands-on projects demonstrating skills, including practical AI/ML applications like chatbots, predictive analytics, and recommendation engines.
"Stay current by reading research papers, attending conferences, and following research coming from AI pioneers, and familiarize yourself with cutting-edge AI/ML tools, including libraries and frameworks, to ensure your skills remain relevant," he said. "AI and ML fields evolve rapidly."