Happy Friday! ‘This week in CX’ brings you the latest roundup of industry news.
This week, we’ve been exploring the impact of AI on the shopping experience, as well as the role of social media in today’s competitive market.
We’re also discussing new updates from the Financial Times, Skype and the Times.
Key news
- Niklas Zennström, the co-founder and former CEO of Skype, believes artificial intelligence startups across Europe can thrive by building applications that are underpinned by platforms developed by US firms including OpenAI and Google. Speaking to the Financial Times, the Swedish billionaire drew comparisons to other technologies. “Think what happened with mobile and the cloud: there are a few cloud providers in the world, they enable thousands and thousands of businesses,” he told the FT. “It’s not like everyone needs to be a large language model . . . You can create value as an application provider.” European leaders have expressed concerns that the US and China are pulling ahead on AI. Experts have warned that there could be national security and competitiveness implications if the technology ends up being as powerful as some think it could be.
- As winter flu season peaks, many workplaces are grappling with increased levels of sick leave. Depending on which country you live in, if you take a day off due to illness you may be paid in full, partially or not at all. Writing in the Financial Times, journalist Sarah O’Connor asks whether there is a “right” level of sick pay. Germany, for example, has a generous system under which workers are entitled to 100% of their salary from the first day of illness for up to six weeks. This contrasts with the UK, where employees receive no pay for the first three days and a flat £116.75 (€140) per week thereafter. The UK government intends to introduce a more generous system, reports the FT. However, when it comes to striking a balance between the two systems, there are “no simple answers to converge on, only trade-offs to weigh”, writes O’Connor.
- Major shareholders are concerned that Shell is prioritising short-term profits over long-term sustainability and demand more transparency from the oil giant regarding its climate commitments, reports The Times. Shell doubled down on oil and gas last year, and large institutional investors, including three UK-based pension funds with £70bn (€83bn) in combined assets, are asking how this fits into plans to become a net-zero company by 2050. Other European energy majors including BP and Equinor have also been rolling back green transition targets in order to boost returns and stay competitive vis-à-vis US oil and gas firms.
CXM news stories
Here’s the full news stories that CXM have reported on in the past week. Learn all about the latest news in retail, from AI investments to the driving power of social media trends.
45% of UK HR professionals are uncertain about future skills needs
A new report from LinkedIn emphasises that 45% of HR professionals in the UK are unsure about the skills their companies will require to meet emerging roles in 2025 and beyond. This uncertainty comes as LinkedIn’s annual Jobs on the Rise report identifies AI engineers, AI researchers, and environmental officers among the top 20 fastest-growing jobs in the UK.
The report shows several roles, including data governance managers, energy managers, and pilots, are consistently expanding. LinkedIn estimates that 55% of this year’s fastest-growing jobs did not exist 25 years ago.
“New AI and sustainability roles are redefining work, but the competition for these roles and the need for upskilling are adding pressure. Yet, amidst these challenges, there is hope – over a third of job seekers are optimistic that the job market will improve in 2025. Resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning will be key to navigating this rapidly changing landscape, ” said Janine Chamberlin, head of LinkedIn UK.
As AI and sustainability skills grow in importance, 20% of workers express concern about their preparedness for the future. Moreover, LinkedIn’s research reveals that the demand for green talent has surged at twice the rate of available candidates over the past two years, highlighting the challenge of filling these roles.
In addition, the report further identifies that technical and sustainability skills are the most difficult to source, with 43% of organizations struggling to find technical expertise and 19% facing difficulties in securing sustainability skills.
Despite ongoing efforts to bring workers back to the office, the UK continues to see a strong interest in remote and hybrid jobs. LinkedIn data shows that 18% of job applications are for remote positions, while 40% of job postings offer hybrid work options.