AI won’t strip away the value younger workers bring to the tech industry

Despite the growing noise that agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and general AI will replace entry-level jobs, impacting the younger generation of workers in the IT channel and the wider technology industry, there needs to be a mindset shift in how these younger workers fit into an organisation.

Not all entry-level technology jobs will disappear. According to the Tech Council of Australia, strong growth is expected in entry-level roles geared towards an AI-driven future workforce.

For example, AI development functions have seen very high growth in employment of entry level talent, according to Meeting the AI Skills Boom Report 2024 by the Tech Council of Australia.

“Strong growth in entry level talent across these functions is a signal that we are able to attract young people into these roles and at relatively high rates,” stated the report. “This cohort of workers will be essential to meeting demand for technical talent in roles requiring experience between now and 2030.

“Ensuring we have healthy retention rates and ongoing training opportunities will be key to ensuring these workers can make the transition into AI-intensive roles.”

Interactive CEO Alex Coates advocates for inclusive environments that foster collaboration and communication.

“We have this purpose that we’ve held for a while, and we believe it will endure even in this era of agentic AI, which is expected to replace many jobs,” she said. “Our purpose is to keep technology human.

“InI still believe that, even in this new world, there will be plenty of roles, perhaps requiring slightly new skills…that still need humans.

“I like to think the 80/20 rule will apply here. The technology world remains an exciting place for young people.”

According to Coates key disciplines that are vital for the future, like cybersecurity, data privacy, data centres, and other large infrastructure areas, clearly show a need for strong stories to attract talent, especially young talent.

“We see three main reasons why younger generations would still choose to work in tech, even in such a competitive market,” Coates explained. “First, you have to work harder than ever to connect people to purpose.

“What I see in the broader industry, especially among [younger generations] coming through our organisation, is an increasing desire to belong…and that comes from having a clear purpose.”

Kaseya senior vice president of MSP Enablement APAC Shaun Witherden, managed service providers (MSPs) aren’t just hiring for technology skills. Although necessary, tech skills can be trained, especially if the person has empathy and the drive to learn and grow.

“The MSPs really hitting the mark with their support solutions and customer service are the ones shifting focus away from just tech metrics like [ticket closures],” he said. [They] think about plans for the next 12 months.”

They want people who can talk to business owners on their level.

“Right now, the hiring strategies that work best focus on customer service, empathy, and the ability to grow, drive, and learn,” he said. “I’m a big advocate for diversity in MSPs, my own team is about 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male.

“It’s also about bringing in younger generations and understanding what motivates them.”

Appealing to younger generations

The work given to employees must connect to the impact the organisation is making in the industry and for its customers.

“It’s no longer enough to say, ‘come work in tech managing servers’ or ‘deploy an agent to do this or that’, noted Coates. “It’s more powerful to say, ‘come improve citizens’ experiences by deploying technology that helps everyone have a healthier work-life balance’.

“This connection to purpose, and therefore belonging, is really important.”

Coates is “currently obsessed with the focus on career pathways” and what it looks like in this new world, along with the skills needed for the future and how that all ties with the launchpad for future careers.

“With AI and all the new tech, you can’t always rely on formal courses,” she said. “Learning will happen on the job, through hands-on experience.

“Which [leads to] a culture of experimentation and fearless learning.”

To play into this, Coates has told her teams to feel safe to “fail and learn at the same time”.

“Of course, this has to be done mindfully,” she said. “Not causing customer impact or major problems for us.

“Young people learning about this new world need a safe space to experiment.”

Cognizant president of Asia Pacific and Japan Jane Livesey was also aware of how workplaces were different, and how workers were different too.

“The new generation of workers are looking to develop knowledge and gain experiences, and they want to deliver value,” she said. “They really want to apply their skills and see results—often very quickly.

“We have to think about the roles of the future, but also really cater to that need to achieve results, live their purpose, and have collaboration and community within our organisations.”

Still, very pivotal for young people today was opportunity, noted Livesey. She believed that new roles and opportunities will emerge, and today’s youth are really trying to navigate their way through this change and figure out how to stay relevant in a very changing world.

“They’re looking for opportunity, not just to apply the skills they have but also to evolve those skills as things change,” she said.

Creating the right workspace

Having the right workspaces for younger generation of workers also comes under the broader discussion on diversity.

“The real art of attraction is inclusion,” said Coates. “It’s about creating a place where people feel safe and can bring the best version of themselves [and] they can truly be themselves.

“That’s what attracts and keeps people, because if you don’t create that, you might attract people briefly but then lose them. In fact, that can set you back more than it moves you forward.”

Inclusion is what Coates focuses on at Interactive.

“I often ask our [younger generation] team members what they need to flourish,” she said. “They tell me two things again and again: collaboration and communication.

“Neither of these are technical skills…they’re cultural, pervasive norms.”

For Coates, it’s fascinating that these younger generation of workers, who have grown up in a native AI era, crave the two things they get most from humans.

“AI and next-gen tech are now just table stakes; what they really need to reach that extra 20 per cent in performance are strong cultural norms around collaboration and communication, not the other way around.

“Ten years ago, it would probably have been the opposite.”

Younger workers “see the art of the possible in a different way”, noted Coates. As she said earlier, collaboration and communication were two things they really value, but she would also add… curiosity.

“They’re incredibly curious, and you’ve got to harness that, because it’s such an asset for any organisation,” she said. “For example, with our own AI deployment, we’ve been calling ourselves ‘customer zero’.

She told the group working on it here’s three internal use cases that need solutions, and to “go for it”; build a prototype that solves this in a different way.

“What I’m seeing in younger generations is a shift, a sort of dissection between substance and style,” noted Coates. “You can teach substance all day, every day. But it’s the style, being openly curious and genuinely wanting to make a difference, that stands out.

“That’s what I look for. If someone has the right attitude, I can offer them a place to land and a career to grow into.”

That openness for an inclusive workspace was vital for younger generation of worker like NCS Australia emerging tech specialist Sowmiya Selvakumaraswamy.

“I don’t think society is fully there yet when it comes to understanding and accepting neurodivergence in all its forms,” said Selvakumaraswamy. “That’s why I usually wait until I’ve proven myself, until people see that I’m reliable, capable, and smart, before I tell them I have ADHD.”

Stereotypes about neurodiverse people still keeps her from revealing her neurodiversity, Selvakumaraswamy revealed.

“In person, I’m more cautious,” she said. “It’s because the way society portrays ADHD, and autism often frames us as less capable.

“People might offer help from a kind place, but the underlying message can sometimes hurt. Things like, ‘Are you able to handle this?’, even if well-meaning, can chip away at your confidence.”

However, conversations regarding Selvakumaraswamy’s neurodiversity importantly provide insight on how to support her effectively.

“My field is innovation, [and] I feel like my work is already structured in a way that suits my brain,” she said. “I don’t have to ask, ‘hey I’m bored of this task, can I do something else?’

“By the time I even realise I’m getting bored, there’s already a new task waiting. Everything just feels really well aligned for me personally.”

It’s welcoming for Selvakumaraswamy and she can be herself. She doesn’t have to feel self-conscious about needing to be quiet, or swinging on her chair, fidgeting, or doodling.

“No one ever questions it,” she said. “I remember being in a meeting with external clients once, and someone pointed out my fidgeting, like ‘haha, look at you”, and it made me really self-conscious.

“It was a high-level, C-suite meeting, and it felt a bit disrespectful, even if they didn’t mean it that way. But that has never happened here [NCS].”

The fact that no one points those things out, when people are just being themselves, is actually a big deal, noted Selvakumaraswamy.

“[At NCS] if someone has neurodivergence and says, ‘these are some things I can’t use or need support with’ they can reach out to the people and culture team.

For example, when Selvakumaraswamy has to work on expense claims, which includes uploading receipt and that can become overwhelming.

“I reached out and said, ‘I can’t…I just can’t do that’, she said. “Then the task process was simplified for me [and] that made it much easier.

“For me, I’m fortunate because I don’t usually have to ask for anything, my [work] is already structured in a way that works well for me.”

High levels of empathy

To be able to lead diverse generation of workers high degree of empathy is required. There will be leaders who thrive in this new world and managers who don’t, noted Coates.

“Even with AI tools like Copilot, there will be moments when you need to engage at a human level,” she said. “Whether it’s discussing development, performance, industry insights, or sharing experience with a graduate.

“Leadership will polarise between those who can navigate these human moments and those who rely too much on AI to gloss over them.

“The ability to lead authentically in those moments will define great leadership.”

Cognizant’s Livesey said leaders are “custodians of businesses”.

“It’s our job to leave the organisations we work with in a better place than we found them,” she said. “That responsibility inherently relies on talent, capability, building incredible teams, and driving innovation.”

Something she always come back to is that custodian role, because there are generations who will come after the current one, and the organisation will continue to evolve.

“Being a responsible custodian through these periods of change is really important,” she said. “I’ve also been fortunate to have had incredible leaders, both male and female, who elevated me, lifted me up, and really supported me.

“That kind of support makes an incredible difference and the need for good mentors who truly show up and support you, is so important.”

Coates also noted that it was important to ensure that each generation of workers bring their “different superpowers” to cross-generational teams.

“We believe in the power of superpowers,” she said. “We take the time, as a team, to step back and ask who has what superpower and how do these strengths make the team amazing.

“Everyone has different strengths, and when you actually open your eyes to that, you build a balanced team, and you’ll be so much better for it,” she said. “The more mature generation brings insight, perspective, and history.

“They’ve tried it five different ways and failed four…that experience matters.”

On the flip side, Coates said younger generation brings different strengths, and it’s important to know what it takes to get the best out of each other.

“I really believe in taking that intentional approach to building teams, especially hybrid teams because let’s face it, we’ll have hybrid generational teams,” she said. “In a few years, we’ll probably have a couple of agents (AI) in the mix too.

“If you invest early in understanding each other, at a deeper level, you won’t get friction. You’ll get teams that fire.”