Winning the race for AI, Blockchain & Cybersecurity skills in 2025

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The demand for technology professionals specialising in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and cybersecurity has surged in recent years. In 2025 companies across the U.S and the U.K are grappling with a limited talent pool, leading to intensified competition and escalating salaries. Below, we explore the key obstacles organisations face when recruiting in these domains and offer some solutions to overcome them.

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Key hiring challenges

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Talent shortage and high demand: The increase in demand for these skills has rapidly outpaced supply in the last few years. To provide some perspective, in the U.S there were approximately 1,583,880 cybersecurity job openings in Q3 of 2024, with a workforce of only 1,319,117 to fill them, resulting in a talent gap of nearly 265,000 positions! The U.K has also experienced a similarly significant short fall in these areas. This scarcity has led to substantial salary increases for those with the most in-demand expertise.

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Evolving skill sets: AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity fields require specialised and continually evolving skill sets. AI experts must be proficient in machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning frameworks. Blockchain professionals need expertise in smart contract development, cryptography, and distributed ledger technologies. Cybersecurity specialists must understand threat detection, ethical hacking, incident response, and risk management. Traditional education systems often struggle to keep pace with these rapid advancements

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Lack of industry experience: Many professionals possess theoretical knowledge but lack practical experience. Given the relatively recent application of these technologies in various industries, finding candidates with hands-on experience in implementing these solutions is particularly challenging.

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Intense competition from Tech giants: Major technology firms such as Google, Amazon, and IBM dominate the hiring landscape, offering competitive salaries, extensive resources, and research opportunities. This makes it difficult for startups and mid-sized companies to attract the talent they need to scale.

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Mitigating these hiring challenges

Invest in upskilling and internal training: Companies can develop sought after skills across their current workforce by investing in upskilling existing employees. Establishing training programs, partnering with universities, or leveraging online courses and certifications can equip teams with the necessary skills.

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Partner with Universities and research institutions: Collaboration with academic institutions can help bridge the talent gap. Organisations can fund research projects, offer internships, and establish mentorship programs to nurture the next generation of AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity professionals.

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Leverage alternative hiring channels: Traditional hiring methods may not suffice for recruiting in-demand tech talent. Companies should explore developer communities, open-source contributions, cybersecurity competitions (such as Capture The Flag events), hackathons, and professional networks like GitHub, Kaggle, and blockchain forums to identify skilled candidates.

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Offer competitive and creative compensation packages: While matching tech giants' salaries may be challenging, companies can provide attractive alternatives such as stock options, bonuses, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for innovation. A strong employer brand that emphasises purpose-driven work can also be a powerful differentiator.

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Emphasize hands-on projects and practical assessments: Since real-world experience is scarce, companies should assess candidates through coding challenges, case studies, security simulations, and proof-of-concept projects. This approach helps identify individuals with problem-solving skills and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios.

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Foster a culture of innovation and learning: Creating an environment that values continuous learning and experimentation can be a strong selling point for AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity professionals. Encouraging research, participation in conferences, and open-source contributions can help attract and retain top talent.

How Troi can help you

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Troi works with businesses to build a strong and effective hiring strategy designed to overcome the challenges of a fiercely competitive market.

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By partnering with us, you gain the focus, expertise, and agility needed to find the right talent, quickly and efficiently. In the world of tech, that’s the ultimate competitive advantage.

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• Scalable expertise: Finding the talent you need in a fiercely competitive market requires a recruitment team with critical mass and you’ll need right amount of “boots on the ground” when required.  Forget the time and expense of building an internal recruitment team from scratch - Troi will provide access to a pool of experienced professionals who can scale up or down based on your specific hiring needs. This flexibility ensures you have the right resources at the right time.
• Tech talent hunters: Our talent team are not just recruiters – they’re tech talent specialists. Our embedded teams have a deep understanding of the current tech landscape and the specific skillsets in greatest demand so you can be confident that you don’t just have a fully developed talent team on call but one with the most relevant and current knowledge of the market.
• Building pipelines and future-proofing your team: The tech industry is constantly evolving – the current shortage of those with AI, Blockchain and Cybersecurity skills is testament to that. Troi embedded teams stay ahead of the curve, identifying talent with the emerging skillsets that will be crucial for your long-term success. By anticipating future needs, you can build a future-proof team that’s ready to tackle any challenge.
• Consulting services: When competing in a candidate driven market you need all the tools and resources in place to ensure success. We offer a full end-to-end service encompassing not only talent strategy but also employer branding and recruitment tech.

We’ve helped over 150 businesses build their teams for the future. We offer customisable packages that can accommodate your hiring requirements, no matter your budget. Our versatile solutions include:‍

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At Troi, we’re not just a recruitment partner; we’re your strategic ally in navigating and incredibly competitive talent market and hiring top tech talent with the most sought after expertise

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Our goal is to help you build a workforce that drives your company’s growth and innovation, whether you’re a startup with big ambitions or an established firm on a trajectory of hyper-growth. With Troi, you can trust that your hiring needs are in expert hands.

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