A majority of US organizations, 77%, reported being impacted by the IT skills gap, according to a survey released Jan. 28 by Revature, a provider of IT staffing on a recruit-train-deploy basis.

Top challenges cited by decision-makers relating to the IT skills gap include:

• Finding qualified talent with necessary skills, 71%
• IT staffing companies’ inability to deliver talent quickly, 57%
• Upskilling and reskilling in-house talent, 53%

“Artificial intelligence/generative AI/machine learning” was ranked as the most important hard skill by 29% of decision-makers.

The survey also found that 63% of decision-makers believe that generative AI will positively impact training, while 56% believe it will aid hiring and retention in 2025.

Additionally, 63% of decision-makers plan to expand their organization’s upskilling and reskilling programs and 60% plan to hire more employees in 2025.

Here are the top soft skills decision-makers value:

• Being adaptable and flexible
• Exuding leadership qualities
• Exhibiting communication
• Showcasing creative thinking
• Problem-solving

“While the majority of companies have been affected by the IT skills gap, it’s clear that IT and HR respondents have clear goals and priorities as we head into 2025 but may not have the tools or the knowledge to execute them effectively,” Revature COO Tan Moorthy said in a press release.

Moorthy noted organizations need to develop a comprehensive talent strategy that focuses on sourcing qualified talent, implementing robust training and development programs and giving employees clear progression paths.

The survey includes responses from 230 US IT and HR decision-makers at companies with more than 10,000 employees. It was conducted in December 2024.