New report finds most firms will continue hiring people for entry-level jobs
Early-career hiring will remain fundamental for many organisations over the next two years, according to a new report, despite concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) will take over entry-level jobs in the future.
A new report from Korn Ferry revealed that 81% of firms plan to increase early-career hiring over the next two years, with 76% of talent acquisition leaders saying that entry-level jobs are not disappearing from their organisations.
The findings challenge previous warnings from experts that entry-level roles will be significantly reduced amid the rapid development of AI, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei even estimating that 50% of entry-level white-collar roles will be eliminated.
"Entry-level hiring is fundamental to the health of any organisation. It is how you bring in new skills, fresh thinking and build the talent you are going to rely on in the future. Our research shows employers recognise that," said Susan Major, Global Managing Director of Early Careers and Campus at AMS, A Korn Ferry Company.
'Fundamentally redefined' entry-level work
The report, however, underscored that while entry-level roles won't disappear, they will be "fundamentally redefined."
"Technology is altering what entry-level work looks like and its place in the talent pyramid," the report read. "The next step for organisations is to examine how entry-level work will change, but for many, the path forward remains unclear."
Roughly half of the report's respondents said they don't know what this change will look like for their entry-level roles.
There are organisations, however, that are already redesigning junior roles amid AI adoption.
Some are being asked to use generative AI to research and synthesise information, with the actual task being about researching topics, summarising material, identifying patterns and producing initial insights.
They are also being tasked with applying human judgment to AI output by reviewing, validating and interpreting AI-generated work rather than accepting it automatically.
Deliberate redesign needed
With most organisations unsure about what AI can change in entry-level roles, the report urged employers to start redesigning these positions before AI does it for them.
"Organisations should redesign entry-level roles deliberately now, before automation removes important learning experiences by default," it said.
It used junior recruiters as an example, where AI can already absorb tasks such as interview scheduling, reminders, first-pass screening and candidate FAQs.
"This means junior recruiters need earlier training in candidate management, hiring-manager advisory, assessment calibration, and trust-building," the report read.
The same patterns can be observed in other fields, such as finance, legal, healthcare, technology and operations.
"Routine drafting, data gathering, note preparation, coding support and workflow monitoring are increasingly AI-assisted, while human value shifts to judgment, exception handling, relationship management and responsible oversight," the report read.
"Each function should audit entry-level roles by task; classify activities as candidates for automation, augmentation or protection as learning opportunities; and rewrite job descriptions, rotations and manager expectations accordingly."
