BenchSci’s report — which was conducted in partnership with tech market research company Vanson Bourne — surveyed over 200 UK-based AI experts (including machine learning and data engineers), to glean insights regarding the current employment-related attitudes and preferences of AI talent amid market instability.

The research underscored what, exactly, AI talent hold as important when evaluating prospective employers. Across the ten categories of stability, work environment, work arrangements, diversity, impact, mission, organisational benefits, flexibility, progression, remuneration, the latter three proved most important. These three categories ranked at 37%, 32%, and 32% respectively.

In terms of work-life flexibility, there is a clear post-pandemic demand for it among AI talent. Specifically, 70% of respondents want future employers to allow them to work flexible hours, while just 3% fewer — 67% of respondents — want a remote working policy to have been implemented.

As for progression (and while taking into account that progression is different for different people), cookie-cutter progression programmes and a lack of impactful learning and development opportunities aren’t going to entice knowledgeable tech talent. For instance, 62% said that they want flexible, self-defined career pathways — thereby giving them the autonomy and ability to mould their own career paths — while 60% said they want sufficient, high-quality training/learning and development opportunities.

When it comes to remuneration preferences, 63% of people said that the potential for a salary increase is most important to them, while the second-most important category is the base salary (58%). Employee share schemes, meanwhile, ranked the lowest at 51%.

Further, an especially interesting and key finding from BenchSci’s research is how, in 2023, AI talent actively prefer stable organisations with plans for long-term growth (46%) and strong profit margins (43%). This is compared to strong company valuation (32%) and the company raising substantial amounts of investment (30%), pointing to the trend of talent valuing security and stability during turbulence.

The report’s findings ultimately highlight that AI talent in the UK have continued to sustain a long-term approach when it comes to their career and job decision-making.

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“This research has surfaced some very revealing data points, particularly in the current context and economic climate,” said Elizabeth Hanson, Director of Engineering, Data Delivery at BenchSci.

“Despite widespread murmurings of employees being flighty, perhaps as a result of the pandemic and the current recessionary environment, the data firmly shows that the AI workforce is still thinking long-term. Engineers specifically are looking for companies where they can invest their time, energy, and expertise in return for growth opportunities – both financial and developmental. This is the trend I’ve seen while hiring and searching for roles myself.

“Workplaces that meet these needs will not only attract the best talent, but retain them too.”