Most HR leaders foresee AI driving the creation of new entry-level positions in the next five years, primarily centered on managing AI systems. A large majority also emphasize the critical role of middle managers in redefining these jobs and supporting workforce adaptation.
- 94% expect AI-created entry-level roles within five years
- 96% say these roles will involve supervisory responsibilities
- Over 90% view middle managers as essential to AI job transformation
What happened
Cognizant and Pearson conducted joint research indicating that an overwhelming majority of HR leaders anticipate AI will generate entirely new entry-level positions within the next five years. Unlike traditional entry-level roles, these new jobs will focus largely on managing and supervising AI systems rather than performing purely manual or routine tasks.
The study also reveals that nearly all HR executives see middle managers as critical to the successful redesign of entry-level work, as they will help integrate AI into workflows and define new job responsibilities. Demand for AI training has surged among employees seeking to equip themselves for these emerging roles, even though only about half of companies provide adequate learning opportunities.
Why it matters
This research challenges the common perception that AI will mainly displace junior workers by automating low-skill jobs. Instead, it suggests that entry-level roles will evolve into positions requiring supervisory and managerial competencies, emphasizing adaptability and human judgment over technical degrees.
The findings underscore a significant skill gap in current workforce development: though employee interest in AI training is high, organizational learning programs often fail to keep pace with AI's rapid advancement. This gap highlights the need for companies to modernize training approaches and prepare middle managers to lead AI-related workforce transformations effectively.
What to watch next
Stakeholders should monitor how companies respond to the increasing demand for AI-related skills training and whether they expand learning and development resources to better support junior employees and middle managers. Successful adaptation may depend on organizations prioritizing human-AI collaboration capabilities.
Future analyses should also track the evolution of entry-level roles as they shift towards AI supervision and management, assessing how this impacts hiring criteria and career development paths for recent graduates and early-career workers.