Cutting graduate roles risks future leadership pipeline, report finds

Companies that reduce graduate recruitment in favour of artificial intelligence (AI) risk weakening their future leadership pipeline, a report from CEMS found.

It’s report, ‘The Missing Rung? AI and the Future of Entry-Level Work’, drew on research and interviews with students in more than 20 countries, alongside contributions from corporate partners and academics.

It found that while AI was changing entry-level work, graduate roles remain important for developing employees’ judgement, responsibility and leadership skills.

The report argued that graduates could also support employers’ adoption of AI, as experience with the latest technology remained relatively limited across organisations.

Nicole de Fontaines, executive director of CEMS, said: “Entry-level roles are far more than a way of getting work done.

“They are where young people learn judgement, responsibility and how to lead across cultures, and where a company’s values are passed from one generation to the next.

“Companies that continue to hire and develop graduates are not simply filling vacancies. They are investing in the people, and the culture, on which their long-term success depends.

“Responsible, innovative, globally minded future leaders are not hired ready-made. They are grown, through the real-world experience that entry-level roles provide.”