Waiting for AI to tell you who to hire may be the most expensive hiring strategy of 2026.
Every business leader seems to be asking the same question at the moment: Do we hire now, or wait and see what AI changes?
The consensus from BCG, Microsoft and Deloitte this year is clear: Reshape, not replace. AI is changing jobs, not eliminating them.
Around 79% of companies are already using AI agents in their core operations, and by the end of 2026, around 40% of roles in large global organisations are expected to involve direct interaction with AI systems.
It’s no surprise that some businesses have slowed hiring while they reassess what their workforce should look like.
But here’s where I think many leaders are making a costly mistake.
Technology doesn’t remove the need for great people.
It changes what great people look like.
The organisations that will thrive won’t be the ones that stop hiring.
They’ll be the ones that rethink how they hire.
They’ll prioritise curiosity over comfort.
Adaptability over rigid experience.
People who embrace change rather than fear it.
AI will continue to reshape the workplace. But waiting for complete certainty before making hiring decisions could leave your business behind.
The future doesn’t belong to organisations with the best AI – it belongs to organisations with the best people using it.
Director
