RCS - General Assembly (GA - Tech "Talent Wars" Are Over

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RNS Number : 0787U  General Assembly (GA)  25 February 2026

Tech "Talent Wars" Are Over as More Companies Prioritize Upskilling, General
Assembly Report Finds

83% of tech recruiters believe company success is more dependent on upskilling
employees for AI versus hiring new talent, according to The State of Tech
Talent 2026

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 25, 2026 / Nearly all technology
recruiters (96%) say technical roles are still at least a bit difficult to
fill, as most (83%) believe their company's success is now more dependent on
upskilling their existing employees for AI rather than hiring external talent,
according to The State of Tech Talent 2026 (https://pr.report/ixn4) , the
fourth annual report from AI training provider General Assembly, an LHH brand.

"The AI skills gap is growing too fast for companies to hire their way out,"
said Daniele Grassi, CEO of General Assembly. "Continuous, incremental and
role-specific learning is the only way to keep up with the pace of technology
change. Growing investment in upskilling reflects leaders' realization that
their existing employees bring the business context, institutional knowledge
and cultural navigation skills that can be supercharged with AI."

The State of Tech Talent 2026 report is based on a survey of 500 talent
acquisition professionals who hire technology talent in the U.S., U.K. and
Singapore. It found that companies increasingly embrace upskilling as a talent
development strategy as they seek to build AI-forward workforces and in light
of the growing costs related to recruiting and visas.

Key Findings

·      Tech hiring is still tough: Of recruiters who found it extremely
difficult to fill tech roles this past year, nearly half (47%) report that
data analytics and data science roles are the hardest to fill, followed by
software engineering (38%). Additionally, 95% of tech recruiters said they are
considering or already taking steps to source more visa-independent talent
over the next year.

·      Upskilling is the path forward: In 2026, 80% of tech recruiters
believe upskilling will play a major or huge role in filling talent gaps.
Already, 35% of companies are more likely to train existing employees when
they need more tech talent, compared to 28% in 2024. And nearly half (47%)
anticipate adding or offering upskilling programs and data analytics and data
science, while about two in five expect to offer upskilling programs for AI
development (43%) and AI literacy (42%).

·      Training methods vary. While nearly two in five (39%) HR
professionals believe on-the-job training is the most effective upskilling
method, opinions varied. More than one-third preferred paying for employees to
attend external training or certifications (36%) or working with an external
partner to develop customized training or certifications (34%).

·      Measuring success. More than two-thirds of companies (68%) turn
to performance-based indicators such as improvements in key metrics or manager
assessments to determine the effectiveness of upskilling and training
programs. Half have also used pre- and post-test assessments (50%) or
attainment of industry certifications or degrees (49%). However, 43% of
respondents also said they struggle to measure the benefits of training.

·      Barriers to training. In addition to measurement challenges, half
of HR respondents said that not having enough time (47%) or budget (46%) keep
them from training employees. But for 36%, low employee participation or
buy-in prevents companies from investing further in training. Companies with
fewer than 2,500 employees were most likely to face lack of buy-in from
leadership (37%, compared to 24% at larger companies).

·      Recruiters themselves fear job loss. Half of tech recruiters
(50%) fear the recruiter role will be obsolete within five years, while 61%
report they have already seen some of their entry-level jobs automated out of
existence (and 32% believe it's coming).

To download the full State of Tech Talent 2026 report, click here
(https://pr.report/ixn5) .

Methodology

General Assembly and Wakefield Research surveyed 500 human resources
professionals with a minimum seniority of manager who work in talent
acquisition at companies hiring technology talent in software engineering,
data analytics, data science, and UX roles in the U.S., U.K., and Singapore
markets. Surveys were conducted between Oct. 29 and Nov. 9, 2025, using an
email invitation and an online survey. Data has been weighted.

About General Assembly

General Assembly (GA), an LHH brand, is the leading talent and upskilling
partner that helps individuals and businesses acquire the real skills required
to succeed in an increasingly complex technological era. Founded in 2011 to
make tech-centric jobs accessible to anyone and meet the demand of
fast-growing tech companies, GA evolved into a center of excellence in
training people from all backgrounds to upgrade their practical knowledge of
tech skills now required in every company and in any role. With a global
presence, hands-on instruction, and a passionate alumni community, GA gives
learners 360-degree support as they take the next step in their career
journey. General Assembly is part of LHH, the professional talent solutions
arm of The Adecco Group, the world's leading talent advisory and solutions
company. GA matches the right talent to business needs. All day, every day: GA
puts real skills to work.

PR Contact

Anna Rice

anna.rice@generalassemb.ly

SOURCE: General Assembly (GA)

 

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