Employers Seek More Than AI Skills as Technology Reshapes Jobs

Employers are looking for people who have more than just tool-using skills, including specialized knowledge, analytical thinking, and decision-making, while new graduates face the challenge of how to gain experience as AI takes over more basic tasks.

AI is changing the way work is done in many professions, from information searching, content writing, report preparation to preliminary data analysis. Tasks that used to take several hours may now be completed faster with these tools, but for job seekers the key question is: as AI does more work, what kind of skills do employers still want?

Analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) presented at its annual meeting with the World Bank, held in Bangkok from 12-18 October 2026, found that demand for hiring in occupations affected by AI dropped about 10% before stabilizing, even as AI capabilities continue to improve. The analysis relied on millions of online job postings across Asia.

This trend reflects that AI is not only changing how work is done but may also change the qualities employers look for in applicants. For job seekers, having knowledge matching the position they apply for remains important, but using new tools and leveraging the results to benefit work is also increasingly important. Knowing how to use AI is not enough; one must also know how to work.

Natthawat Thanachaphongjirawat, Client Relations Manager and Recruitment Consultant at Workwise Consulting Recruitment, said that demand for AI skills is beginning to appear in the qualification details of applicants that clients submit for recruitment help, not limited to information technology positions but also including marketing, sales, human resources, and some administrative roles.

However, being able to use AI does not mean applicants will meet all employers’ expectations, because the tool may help find information, suggest answers, or conduct preliminary analysis quickly, but there still needs to be a person to verify whether the results are correct and appropriate for the real situation.

“AI can analyze data or suggest answers very quickly, but ultimately a person still needs to check whether the answer is actually usable.”

For example, a marketing employee may use AI to help search for information and draft content, but still needs to analyze whether the information suits the target audience and business objectives. A coordination employee may use a tool to summarize sales figures or inventory, but still needs to notice abnormalities and know which department to follow up with.

Therefore, the skills employers want are not just knowing the tools, but also include specialized knowledge, analytical thinking, data verification, and the ability to decide how to apply the results.

New graduates may face a tougher challenge.

The group to watch closely is new graduates and those with only 1–3 years of experience, because the basic tasks that used to be the starting point for learning in an organization—such as searching for information, preparing reports, drafting documents, and conducting preliminary data analysis—are increasingly being handled by AI.

Research by Stanford Digital Economy Lab, using U.S. employment data up to June 2026, found that hiring of people aged 22–25 in AI-affected occupations was about 19% below the level expected compared to peers in less-affected occupations, mainly due to reduced recruitment of new employees.

However, this study is based on the U.S. labor market and