Guide · AI skills

The AI skills Swiss employers are looking for, without being technical

Employers are mostly looking for people who use AI in their trade, not developers: in Switzerland, about 8,400 more user profiles in 2025, against 220 for developers (PwC, 2026). What they ask for comes down to six practical skills: writing a precise request, checking, protecting data, automating without code, managing by numbers and knowing when not to use AI.

Ryze Shift · a Ryze Systems product · updated on 6 October 2026

Which AI skills are recruiters looking for?

Three sources we have read.

World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025. Technological skills are those whose importance is growing fastest, with “AI and big data” at the top, followed by networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy. Two thirds of the employers surveyed plan to hire people with specific AI skills. See the digest.
PwC Switzerland, AI Jobs Barometer 2026. 25,000 job advertisements requiring AI skills were counted in Switzerland in 2025, about 9,000 more than a year earlier. That represents 1.8% of all advertisements. See the press release (in French).
SME Portal of the Swiss Confederation. Among its five tips for companies: train the teams. Employees need to understand the basic principles and know how to spot the risks, such as “hallucinations” (incorrect information) and the reproduction of stereotypes. See the article (in French).

Human skills remain at the top

In the same World Economic Forum report, the ten most in-demand skills today are mostly human: analytical thinking, resilience and agility, leadership and social influence, creative thinking, motivation and self-awareness, technological literacy, empathy and active listening, curiosity and lifelong learning, talent management, service orientation. Technological literacy only comes sixth. AI is added to these skills; it does not replace them.

Learning AI when you are not technical: the six skills that count

This list is our reading of the sources above, applied to office, sales, coordination or field roles. It is not an official framework.

Skill	What it looks like at work	How to prove it
Writing a precise request	Giving the AI the facts, the tone, the length and the goal, instead of “reply to this email”	Two versions of the same result, with and without a precise instruction
Checking what the AI produces	Verifying figures, names, dates and sources before sending	Your checklist, and one mistake you caught
Protecting data	Knowing what you do not paste into a public tool: customer data, health data, contracts	The rule you apply, written in three lines
Automating without code	Linking two tools so that a reminder or a set of meeting notes goes out by itself	An automation that runs, and the hours saved per week
Managing by numbers	Tracking a few indicators to know whether the change brings anything	A measured before and after
Knowing when not to use it	Keeping negotiation, conflict and binding decisions for yourself	A case where you chose not to delegate, and why

The example in the first row comes from the Ryze Shift assessment. One of its scenarios: a customer sends a long, annoyed email about a delay. The expert answer is not “reply to this email”, but “here is the email and the facts, write a short, empathetic reply with a new date”.

How do you know where you stand?

Start from your tasks. Note what you really do during the week. The method is on our page will AI replace my job.
Test yourself in a real situation. An AI skill is measured on a concrete case, not on a statement. The Ryze Shift assessment tests it in 8 scenarios and gives you a mastery score.
Choose a single lever. One task, one tool, two weeks. Then measure.
Keep the proof. Before, after, time saved. That is what you will show an employer.

The Ryze Shift assessment is free and is done on your phone. If you want support on one specific lever, the 14-day sprint costs CHF 390 and ends with before and after proof.

Training your teams: what it changes for a business owner

On the company side, 85% of the employers surveyed by the World Economic Forum plan to prioritise training their teams. You still need to know who to train in what. That is the purpose of the 360 Diagnostic: for each role, what gets automated and the skill to develop.

Federal examination, short course: what funding in Switzerland?

If you are preparing for a Swiss federal examination (professional or advanced professional), SERI reimburses 50% of the eligible course fees, up to CHF 9,500 for a professional examination and CHF 10,500 for an advanced professional examination. The course must be on the official list and the request is made after the examination. We have not checked the list of federal qualifications related to AI: look for the course on orientation.ch and check that it is on the SERI list. The other options are in our guide career change at 40 and 50.

Frequently asked questions

Which AI skills are recruiters looking for?

According to the World Economic Forum, "AI and big data" is the skill whose importance is growing fastest by 2030, ahead of networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy. Analytical thinking remains the most in-demand skill today: seven companies out of ten consider it essential.

Do you need to know how to code to work with AI?

No, in the vast majority of cases. According to PwC, demand in Switzerland is driven mostly by people who use AI: about 8,400 more profiles in 2025, against 220 for developers. What is expected is that you can use it properly in your trade.

How do you learn AI when you are not technical?

Start from your tasks, not from a course catalogue. Choose one repetitive task in your week, learn to hand it to a tool, check the result, then move on to the next. The Swiss Confederation’s SME Portal reminds us that you also need to understand the limits: incorrect information and reproduced stereotypes.

How do you prove your AI skills to an employer?

With a before-and-after example: the task, the time it used to take, what you put in place, the time saved and how you check the result. Concrete proof weighs more than a list of tools on a CV.

Is there support to fund AI training in Switzerland?

For a Swiss federal professional examination or advanced federal examination, the Confederation reimburses 50% of the eligible course fees, up to CHF 9,500 or CHF 10,500. For a short course, talk to your employer, or to your regional employment centre if you are unemployed.

Take stock of your role, for free

The Ryze Shift assessment runs on your phone, with no account. You receive a report with numbers and a 30-day plan.

Get my report and my 30-day plan

Sources

Last updated: 6 October 2026. Pages consulted on that date. Some official Swiss sources are only available in French.