From Headcount to Skill Sets: Rethinking Hiring, Roles and Career Paths in an AI-Driven World

AI is reshaping jobs faster than most organisations can rewrite a role profile – and simply counting headcount is no longer enough. In this live panel from the Engage Employee Summit, Marie Shaw (LHH), Nicole Knott (PwC) and Ian Wallis (HMRC) explore what it really means to move from hiring for roles to building for skills in an AI‑driven world.They discuss the big societal and technological shifts they’re seeing – from graduates booing Big Tech speakers to six generations now working side by side – and why AI has become both the biggest disruptor and the biggest upskilling opportunity of their careers. You’ll hear how each organisation is rethinking internal mobility, skills matrices, mentoring and career paths, and why internal talent is increasingly more realistic than hoping “AI‑ready” people exist in the external market at scale.