Discussing trends in hiring and entrepreneurship
In February 2025, Barclays Eagle Labs, in partnership with Beauhurst and funded by UK Government, published Exploring the UK’s Tech Skills and Entrepreneurship. This report examines regional hiring trends, emerging sectors, and demand for skills among the UK's high-growth companies, offering entrepreneurs and investors insights into key hiring and entrepreneurship trends.
31 March 2025
Date of webinar: 26 Feb, 2025
Panel: Lydia Miller (Co-founder of ivee), Abakar Saidov (Co-founder and CEO of Beamery), and Henry Whorwood (Beauhurst)
Following the report launch, Barclays Eagle Labs hosted a webinar with founders Lydia Miller and Abakar Saidov to explore the latest trends in hiring and entrepreneurship. They shared their insights on talent acquisition, AI, and the evolving tech landscape. Miller, co-founder of ivee, operates a tech platform designed to help women re-enter the workforce after career breaks. Saidov, co-founder of Beamery, an AI-driven HR platform, focuses on leveraging data to enhance hiring decisions. Additionally, Henry Whorwood, Managing Director of data platform Beauhurst, provided an overview of key industry trends.
For a more detailed look at the data and insights shaping investment in the UK’s high-growth ecosystem.
Presentation highlights
- The skill gap alongside the cost of talent are key issues facing UK tech businesses.
- Companies operating in SaaS, Data Provision, and AI are most actively hiring tech roles (as of January 2025).
- Resilience is a key skill in entrepreneurship. Building scalable businesses involves identifying inefficiencies and leveraging technology to solve real-world problems efficiently.
- Traditional recruitment methods make it difficult for highly qualified candidates to get hired after a career break.
Hiring Processes, the hidden talent pool, and the skills gap
The tech skills gap remains a significant barrier for many job seekers. Henry Whorwood explains that “the skills gap, alongside the cost of talent, are some of the biggest issues facing tech companies and the biggest opportunities for the UK economy.”
ivee specialises in helping individuals, particularly women, return to work. Explaining the purpose behind the business, Lydia highlights that “80% of career breaks are taken by women in the UK and globally—it's a real problem getting back into work after a period of unemployment.” ivee views returners as a hidden talent pool, often overlooked by traditional hiring processes. “Our technology surfaces candidates that we know will perform well in roles because they have a huge host of transferable skills.” Additionally, ivee provides upskilling programmes on emerging technologies, such as AI, to help candidates rebuild confidence and technical expertise.
Abakor Saidov and his brother launched Beamery with a similar goal in mind. “Talent is equally distributed, but opportunities are not,” he stated. Recalling his own experience, Abakor noted that despite his parents' STEM backgrounds, they struggled to find employment in their fields after moving to the UK. He explained that traditional HR practices tend to be rigid: “There is no impetus to change.” Beamery uses AI to analyse individuals' skills and career trajectories, allowing companies to identify untapped potential. “The idea of a skills gap exists because you need to be able to do new things, but you don’t know how or if the talent exists,” Abakor explained. By mapping labour trends over time, Beamery enables companies to make better business decisions at the macro and micro levels.
The role of AI and the future of tech jobs
“The barriers for entry to tech have never been lower”, Lydia explains. She compared returners to students, noting that both groups can acquire specific skills quickly. As AI evolves, entrepreneurs and working professionals must learn to navigate and integrate new tools effectively. “The real skill is identifying the ones that deliver the most value to your business and implementing them as quickly as possible.” Looking to the future, Abakor discussed the likely shift from generative AI to “Gentech AI”, where AI systems will function like a teammate, capable of executing multiple sequential tasks across different systems. “Right now, AI can execute one query at a time, but in the future, we will see it evolve to handle complex tasks. For example, you may ask it to schedule a garden party, and it will also contact providers and coordinate with suppliers,” he explained. From an enterprise perspective, he stressed, “It’s not just about automation but also about teaching people to work alongside AI.”
While concerns about job displacement due to AI are prevalent, Abakor explains that industry-specific expertise will remain essential. He cited the legal profession as an example, where AI tools like ChatGPT can be used as effective tools, but trained lawyers are still necessary. “AI doesn’t eliminate skills—I think it is less about we don’t need this skill sets any more and more of these skill sets can now do different things,” he said
Most in-demand tech skills
“The most in-demand skill today is adaptability,” Lydia says. It's the ability to pick up skills quickly and constantly keep your finger on the pulse. Keeping up with emerging technologies is also a crucial skill for individuals. “If a new system is released, it’s crucial to assess whether it’s better than the tools you’re currently using.” While AI is a key area, advancements in natural language processing have lowered the barrier to entry. “The people who will thrive are those who can quickly adopt and discard technologies as needed.”
For entrepreneurs, Lydia also highlights that as AI develops, there will be a number of options developed to make your life easier, with different tools and software. The real skills, however, come in identifying the ones that deliver the most value to your business and implementing them as quickly as possible. Abakor added that beyond adaptability, individuals should understand innovative business models. “It’s not just adaptability—it’s about identifying unique business advantages and leveraging them effectively.”
The gap between education and rapidly progressive technology
Abakor highlights that one of the most valuable but least taught skills is the ability to present ideas succinctly. “Can you communicate your vision to both large and small audiences? Many professionals don’t learn this until later in their careers,” he says. As AI tools become more advanced, he argued that human expertise will still be needed to refine and present AI-generated content. Lydia echoes this sentiment, emphasising the role of education in fostering critical thinking. “Schools teach people how to think critically and tell stories. The key is learning how to use tools like ChatGPT to enhance, rather than replace, critical thinking.” She suggested that governments should prioritise digital literacy and problem-solving skills in education
Advice to entrepreneurs starting a tech company
Lydia emphasised the importance of networking, particularly for female entrepreneurs. “Build your network before you need it,” she advised. She pointed out that the investment landscape remains a male-dominated space, making connections crucial. “The statistics for female founders are dire, so having the right networks is a massive advantage.”
Abakor stresses the importance of grit and resilience. “This is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Entrepreneurship is not just about the workload but navigating the constant ups and downs.” He explained that entrepreneurship is driven by two factors: necessity and passion. “Your idea has to be something you can’t stop thinking about—something you’re willing to commit to for at least ten years.” He also urged founders to consider the scalability of their business models. “Plenty of businesses can be small and successful, but if you want to build something big, you need to exploit inefficiencies.” He cited fintech disruptors like Monzo and Revolut, which revolutionised banking by eliminating traditional barriers. “They built entire businesses around the fact that it’s easy to do and easy to use,” Abakor concludes.
Article
Exploring the UK's tech skills and entrepreneurship
We’ve conducted a thorough review of the UK’s skills and hiring trends, taking into account desirable skills that companies now look for, to suit current vacancies. Training and development opportunities are also evaluated, with a view towards closing the digital skills gap.
Exploring the UK’s tech skills and entrepreneurship: Event replay
A replay of the in-depth look at the latest report into hiring, talent and leadership dynamics in the UK tech sector
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