Early Careers, AI and the Skills We're in Danger of Overlooking

I recently had the opportunity to join a Corporate Research Forum event focused on Early Careers and the future skills organisations need to develop.

Unsurprisingly, AI dominated much of the discussion. There’s a growing belief that technology is removing entry-level opportunities and making it harder for young people to gain the experience they need to build successful careers; but what struck me was that the real concern wasn’t technical skills or even AI literacy: It was Emotional Intelligence.

Employers consistently talked about gaps in communication, resilience, self-management, judgement and professional behaviours. Not because young people are less capable, but because many of the experiences that used to help build these skills are becoming less common. At the same time, AI is increasingly taking on the routine tasks that once gave people the chance to learn, make mistakes and build confidence.

During our Masterclass session on Early Careers and the importance on Emotional Intelligence, we talked about how technical capability alone simply isn’t enough. As work becomes more automated, the skills that make us uniquely human become even more valuable.

The ability to understand yourself, manage your emotions, build relationships, show empathy, adapt to change and navigate uncertainty can’t be outsourced to AI.

In fact, these are the very capabilities that will help early career talent stand out in an increasingly technology-enabled workplace.

The challenge for organisations is to develop emotional intelligence with the same focus and rigour that they apply to technical skills. Are we creating opportunities for young people to build confidence, resilience and self-awareness? Are managers modelling these behaviours? Are we talking about EQ as often as we talk about performance?

The future of work isn’t a choice between technical skills and human skills. We need both.

But if AI continues to take care of the routine work, then emotional intelligence may well become the differentiator that matters most.

Great leadership doesn’t happen by chance – it is intentionally developed. If you are thinking about how to strengthen leadership across your organisation and would welcome an experienced thinking partner, please get in touch: Paula.Gibson@oxford-group.com