Leaders from BCG, EY, and more share the qualities they look for in entry-level talent

Employers are rethinking what they want from workers in the AI era.

While technical expertise has long been a top priority, many companies are also placing greater emphasis on broader soft skills and other qualities.

In a Cognizant-Pearson study published in June, based on a survey of 750 HR professionals, 69% said that broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds are more important for early-career talent than specialized skill sets or focused degrees.

Nearly all respondents also said soft skills matter more than ever, reflecting a need for adaptability, problem-solving, and human judgment.

Business Insider spoke with four leaders about the No.

1 quality they seek out in junior hires nowadays: Given that daily tasks are changing, coming in “with a whole package of experience” isn’t as important as being able to learn quickly, Anne Tse, APAC CEO of PepsiCo, told Business Insider.

She said that the company prioritizes curiosity in all candidates, but especially in junior hires. “It’s all about the aptitude, the speed, the agility to learn,” said Tse, who oversees PepsiCo’s businesses across Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Greater China.

In the AI era, she said workers need to be flexible as technology evolves and the company responds to rapidly evolving consumer demands.”When people are curious, they want to learn.

When they’re curious, they also are willing to unlearn,” the CEO said.

Brian Myerholtz, global head of talent acquisition at Boston Consulting Group, told Business Insider that the top skill the firm looks for continues to be “strong judgment and problem solving.” However, he said, AI has raised the bar for what that entails. “It is no longer enough to get to an answer quickly,” Myerholtz told Business Insider via email. “The best talent can use AI to explore more possibilities, pressure-test ideas, and then apply human judgment.” Myerholtz’s comments come as the firm has increasingly relied on assessments during the hiring process, such as online cases, behavioral assessments, or personality tests, to narrow the pool. “AI can accelerate the process, but people still create the value,” Myerholtz said.

Francesca Jones, EY US early careers leader, said that in the past, grades may have been the No.

1 attribute that hiring teams looked for.

That’s no longer the case, she said.

Instead, they’re looking for adaptable individuals. “A lot of what we’re working on right now is uncertainty, and so we need people who are going to be able to navigate that,” Jones said.

Rather than expecting candidates to explain how a failure or weakness ultimately became a strength, she said the focus is now on how they’re actively working through that weakness every day.

Kathy Diaz, Cognizant’s chief people officer, similarly said that the firm is looking for adaptability in entry-level talent, and that the trait encompasses a lot of capabilities, like an ability to learn and think critically. “Things are changing,” Diaz said. “So you have to be able to be adaptable.”