Two years since we first heard about ChatGPT, generative AI has evolved from a buzzword into a business essential, with 98% leaders wanting to speed up AI adoption within their organisations. But research by LinkedIn shows that finding talent with the right skills remains a challenge. “While companies pour resources into AI tools, they must also approach hiring with a skills-first mindset,” Ruchee Anand, India Country Head, Talent & Learning Solutions, LinkedIn, told FE’s Vikram Chaudhary in an interview. Excerpts:
How is AI impacting hiring strategies?
AI is reshaping how we hire and develop talent, but the real unlock isn’t just adopting AI – it’s making it work for the business. Too often, companies pour resources into AI tools without the right talent to unlock their full potential, turning a game-changing opportunity into a missed one. To break this cycle, businesses need to approach hiring with a skills-first mindset – because while AI will be the tool that unlocks innovation, it’s human skills like creativity, communication, and collaboration that will help companies truly stay ahead of change.
So, skills will always be in demand…
Precisely. The world isn’t about fewer jobs, but about newer jobs. The skill level required to be successful in any job role is going up, because the basic tasks in many jobs can be done by AI. Your job is changing even when you are not changing your job. Today, AI literacy is required for every person in every job role. With more AI, we need to unlock more human potential – and skilled people will always be in demand.
If a resume isn’t strong but the candidate is capable, can AI help?
AI precisely comes to such a rescue. AI becomes a leveller – and can make your resume strong.
But what if the candidate isn’t strong but the resume is…
That’s where the human element comes in. The final recruitment will obviously be done by a human, not AI.
In the entire hiring process (identifying the hiring need, creating a job description, developing a recruitment strategy, sourcing candidates, screening resumes, conducting interviews, background checks, extending offer, etc), which all steps do you think will very soon be fully automated?
It could be inviting applications, job description getting crafted, job matching … but the entire hiring process is unlikely to be fully automated, and there always will be a human element in every step.