AI at Work: How Employers Are Rethinking Skills and Recruitment

How AI Is Changing the Talent Search for Employers

Concerns about AI causing widespread unemployment may be overstated. However, as AI technology advances, employers will look for different skill sets in their workforce. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, shared insights on this shift during Paris's Vivatech trade fair.

ManpowerGroup, a leading staffing firm, even hosted a startup contest at Vivatech featuring companies developing AI "agents" that can be hired instead of human workers. This echoes warnings from Dario Amodei of Anthropic, who predicted AI could replace half of entry-level white-collar jobs within a few years. Yet, Chamorro-Premuzic remains cautious: such forecasts often miss the mark.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) supports this view, stating that while about one in four workers worldwide have some exposure to generative AI, only a few jobs are at high risk of full automation. The ILO also notes a surge in AI's autonomous capabilities, which will influence workplaces going forward.

Soft Skills Are Becoming Essential

AI tools that improve efficiency will force workers and managers to make the most of the extra time saved. Chamorro-Premuzic warns that if saved time is wasted, for example on social media, productivity gains vanish.

The ILO highlights two possible outcomes: AI could free workers for more creative tasks, or it could increase standardization and reduce autonomy. There’s broad agreement that interpersonal skills and an entrepreneurial mindset will grow in importance as daily work shifts to managing AI tools.

A recent ManpowerGroup survey of over 40,000 employers across 42 countries found that skills like ethical judgment, customer service, team management, and strategic thinking are valued because AI cannot replace them. Despite this, training programs focused on these skills are lagging behind AI adoption.

Chamorro-Premuzic emphasizes the need to invest heavily in human resources, culture transformation, and change management—far more than just technology upgrades. Otherwise, companies risk chasing automation instead of genuinely enhancing human capabilities.

AI’s Role in Recruitment

Recruitment is one area where AI is making visible changes. Candidates are quick to use AI tools, sometimes sending hundreds of tailored applications or even using bots for interviews and assessments. While this sounds extreme, a survey by TestGorilla found only 17% of applicants admitted to cheating, with only some using AI for this purpose.

On the recruiter side, nearly two-thirds of hiring managers use AI to write job descriptions and screen candidates, though few have adopted AI for conducting interviews yet.

Chamorro-Premuzic predicts a shift from evaluating candidates based on current skills or credentials to focusing on potential. Skills can become outdated quickly, but qualities like curiosity, work ethic, and good interpersonal behavior remain valuable. AI can assist in assessing these traits effectively.

What This Means for Management

• Invest in soft skills development: Leadership, ethical judgment, and teamwork will become critical as AI takes over routine tasks.
• Balance technology with culture: Successful AI adoption requires major investment in HR and change management to avoid wasted productivity.
• Embrace new hiring approaches: Use AI tools wisely to assess potential and key personality traits, not just current skills.

Managers who understand these shifts and prioritize human qualities alongside technology will better position their teams for the future workplace. For those interested in courses to build AI awareness and skills in their teams, resources are available at Complete AI Training.