Korn Ferry Report: AI Isn't Eliminating the Entry-level Job, It's Redefining It
LOS ANGELES, October 20, 2026--AMS, A Korn Ferry Company (NYSE:KFY), has revealed new global research showing that 81% of employers plan to increase early-career hiring, underlining its importance to future growth as AI reshapes junior roles around judgment, problem-solving and oversight.
As AI takes on more routine work, entry-level roles are evolving, changing what early-career employees do and the skills they need to succeed. Organizations now need to plan for what that shift means for their workforce, from the roles and skills they will need to how they develop the next generation of talent.
The Class of 2030: The future of early careers hiring report draws on research with more than 5,000 candidates and 500 HR and talent acquisition leaders across 13 countries, examining how organizations and the next generation of workers are preparing for an AI-powered workplace.
Entry-level talent remains central to growth. Contrary to fears that AI will eliminate the first rung of the career ladder, Korn Ferry found:
81% of organizations plan to increase early-career hiring over the next two years.
76% of talent acquisition leaders say entry-level jobs are not disappearing from their organizations.
Nearly three-quarters of organizations believe entry-level work will change rather than be eliminated, although roughly half do not yet know what that change will look like.
Pacesetter organizations that outperform their peers on revenue growth and profitability are more likely to recognize the continued importance of entry-level work and early-career talent to their 2030 strategy.
The shift is already beginning. Junior employees at some leading organizations are moving away from repetitive execution and toward work that involves researching and synthesizing information with AI, analyzing data, testing AI-generated outputs, automating workflows and applying human judgment to AI-generated work.
"Entry-level hiring is fundamental to the health of any organization. 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 recognize that, with 81% planning to increase early-career hiring over the next two years," said Susan Major, Global Managing Director of Early Careers and Campus at AMS, A Korn Ferry Company. "The roles themselves are evolving, and that makes investing in young talent even more important. Organizations need to think now about the people and skills they will need to grow and make sure they are creating the opportunities for those capabilities to develop."