Malaysia, 8 April 2025 - Hays, the world's leading recruitment and workforce solutions specialist, has released a report examining the transformative effects of artificial intelligence on the technology workforce.  

It ranked key technology jobs on how AI would impact them, with a score of 100 being the most impacted and 0 being the least impacted. 

AI is rapidly reshaping the job market, causing certain roles to decline while others gain prominence. According to Hays' report, 'The Future of Work: How AI is impacting your workforce’, technology roles will undergo substantial changes, requiring upskilling to reallocate resources effectively.  

Integrating AI into digital transformation efforts presents significant challenges for organisations, requiring the right vision, stakeholders, data, infrastructure, and skills. The report provides insights into the global tech talent landscape and offers actionable advice for effective technology implementation and adoption. This includes an analysis of global job volume from early 2022 to the end of 2024, offering insights into the demand for key skills and the impact of Gen AI, enabling organisations to adjust their digital transformation strategies accordingly.  

Roles with higher AI Impact scores are at risk of having tasks removed as AI can perform repetitive and data heavy tasks more efficiently and accurately than humans. However, rather than eliminating entire positions, AI is automating parts of jobs and reallocating tasks. This shift has the potential to enhance the overall quality of roles by amplifying the need for more strategic positions. For example, there will be less demand for entry level coders with AI able to generate similar outcomes, leading to more senior roles in quality assurance and implementation.  

 

Lower demand for Software Developers

The report reveals that while Software Development remains the most in-demand skills globally, its demand saw a rapid decline in 2024 due to automation and talent redeployment. Organisations are encouraging the use of AI to enhance productivity by automating repetitive tasks, leading to a reduced demand for roles like software developers. This trend is expected to continue into 2025. 

“Software development roles in Singapore have steadily declined over the past two years, as organisations continue to offshore these positions to lower cost locations,” said John Borneman, Regional Director at Hays Singapore. Organisations outsourcing to these locations will want to ensure the ongoing development of their talent networks, particularly as evolving technology continues to disrupt the demand for such roles.”

 

Stagnating global growth affecting infrastructure investment

Infrastructure roles also faced challenges, with demand dropping after a post-pandemic spike. Economic factors and budgetary pressures have contributed to a decline in demand for traditional support roles, as companies adjust to new norms and streamline costs. 

"Demand for Infrastructure roles in Singapore has also decreased since 2022, reflecting shrinking appetites for investment and expenditure amidst challenging economic conditions,” said John. 

 

Project Managers remain in demand

In 2024, Project Managers were the most in-demand role as organisations prepared for AI integration and upgraded outdated technology infrastructures. ERP/CRM roles saw steady growth, largely avoiding the peaks and troughs faced by other skills areas. The strategic allocation of labour, with project management in established regions and execution outsourced to other markets, underscores the importance of developing long-term partnerships to sustain talent pipelines. 

“Despite an overall reduction in Projects and Change roles from 2022 to 2024, Singapore saw demand spike in the past year, alongside demand for Data and Advanced Analytics roles. We anticipate these roles will continue to thrive in alignment with long-term AI goals, focusing on the collection, cleaning, and analysis of data on a larger scale,” said John. 

With budgets under pressure, organisations are increasingly relying on data for strategic decision-making, driving demand for professionals who can interpret and refine machine-generated outputs. Technological advancements, including Gen AI, will reshape job volumes, but this shift will be gradual and complex, rather than an immediate replacement of jobs. 

 

Few professionals have received AI training

Insights from the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide reveal that while 49 per cent of working professionals in Singapore use AI tools at work, only 27 per cent have received training to use such tools. Furthermore, 41 per cent of professionals do not use AI tools due to a lack of understanding, support or training. 

"90 per cent of professionals in Singapore are eager to learn how to use AI tools at work. Given that 56 per cent of organisations are facing critical talent gaps this year, leaders will want to consider upskilling programs to better equip employees with these valuable skills," said John. 

 

James Milligan, Hays, Global Head of Technology, Engineering and Contracting

"2025 marks the transition from isolated AI-enabled initiatives to comprehensive technology solutions that will reshape how work is done. This transformation will extend beyond 2025, with full implementation taking five to ten years for most businesses. Understanding the impact on hiring strategies and identifying key skills will be critical, with the quality, integration, and ROI of technology a direct result of the foundations laid in the next 12 months." 

"Each new wave of technology, including Gen AI, brings predictions of job disruptions and new skill demands. While Gen AI is expected to continue to enhance productivity and add financial value, its benefits will vary across roles and sectors. Organisations must thoughtfully integrate human and machine intelligence to maximise effectiveness. Simply replacing roles with AI for immediate cost savings can harm long-term performance. Instead, organisations should focus on reskilling employees in 'at-risk' roles and consider internal redeployment to meet evolving needs. 

"Organisations must adapt to the rapid creation and reduction of jobs driven by evolving technologies and AI automation. Defining specific skills needed at each stage of digital transformation is crucial, and a blend of high-skill contract workers and permanent employees can be more effective. Emphasising soft skills like communication, negotiation, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence is vital, especially in rapidly changing sectors. 

 

Click here to download your copy of the Future of Work report

 

For more information contact:

Sonel Singh, Head of Marketing, Hays Southeast Asia
T: +60 3 7890 6351
E: sonel.singh@hays.com.my

 

About Hays Singapore  

Hays Specialist Recruitment Pte Ltd, Singapore ("Hays Singapore") is one of Singapore's leading recruitment companies in recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions.  

Hays has been in Singapore for over a decade and boasts a track record of success and growth. We operate across the private and public sector, dealing in permanent and contract positions, and workforce solutions such as recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) in the following specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Engineering, Human Resources, Legal, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Office Professionals, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales and Technology. We continue to strengthen our position in Asia with the world-leading ISO 9001:2015 certification in all our operational markets including Singapore, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand.

About Hays 

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany, and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As of 31 December 2024, the Group employed over 10,300 staff operating from 225 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2024: 

  • the Group reported net fees of £1,113.6 million and operating profit of £105.1 million. 

  • the Group placed around 57,700 candidates into permanent jobs and around 225,000 people into temporary roles. 

  • 13% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 32% in Germany, 20% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 35% in Rest of World (RoW). 

  • the temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees. 

  • Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 25% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (11%), are the next largest. 

  • Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK, and the USA.