Artificial intelligence is still making waves in the business sector, as executives look to enhance output and employees seek out aids to simplify their tasks. However, with many AI pilots flop, there's an unprecedented need for staff capable of implementing this technology proficiently.
TL;DR
- Cisco prioritizes upskilling current staff for the AI era instead of widespread job cuts.
- The company provides AI coding assistants like Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub Copilot to developers.
- Cisco is revamping recruitment to focus on practical AI skills, not always requiring degrees.
- Vigilance in hiring is increased due to fake candidates, with enhanced verification measures.
Cisco's strategy involves strengthening its existing workforce instead of reducing it. In contrast to competitors like Amazon, Microsoft, and Accenture, which have reduced their personnel, Cisco is focusing on enhancing the skills of its current employees.
“I don’t want to get rid of a bunch of people right now,” CEO Chuck Robbins said to CNBC in August. “I don’t want to get rid of engineers. I just want our engineers we have today to innovate faster and be more productive.”
This has involved, for instance, providing developers with AI coding assistants such as Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub Copilot. Currently, approximately 70% of the company's 20,000 developers access AI coding tools monthly, and almost a quarter of the company's code is produced by AI, a significant increase from only 4% last year, as reported by Fletcher Previn, Cisco’s chief information officer.
Cisco executives are anticipated to encourage AI adoption internally, as employees whose supervisors utilize AI are twice as prone to embrace it themselves, according to Scott McGuckin, Cisco’s global head of talent acquisition, speaking to Coins2Day. For individuals who do adopt the technology, the advantages are clear.
“While I haven’t placed any mandatory AI training on my immediate team, I highly expect them to be taking advantage of the AI tools and courses available in the company,” McGuckin said. “Those who do, show me their creativity, productivity, and strategic thinking.”
Cisco's approach to revamping its recruitment strategy
Despite expectations that tech firms will reduce hiring due to AI boosting productivity in current positions, McGuckin stated that the competition for skilled individuals persists, with AI implementation being a primary factor distinguishing companies in the market.
“For technical hires today, we look for relevant coding and engineering skills, which vary. Some of our coveted AI skill sets lie in AI and machine learning foundations and data science. Having these hard skills are a baseline to most applied roles,” he added.
According to McGuckin, when it truly matters in the hiring process, demonstrating an understanding of AI in practical applications, such as responsible AI, ethical bias detection, and explainability, is what makes the most significant impact.
For individuals seeking entry-level positions, a degree isn't always a prerequisite. Showcasing abilities via academic work, investigations, or personal initiatives can frequently suffice. In the 2023 fiscal year, Cisco hired 30% of its entry-level staff without requiring a degree, a practice the organization intends to broaden.
Cisco's initiatives align with a broader industry trend focused on equipping employees with the skills needed for the AI age. A recent publication from the AI Workforce Consortium, which includes Cisco and partners like Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP, revealed that 70% of the most rapidly expanding information and communications technology positions are connected to AI.
The group also published a catalog of nearly 250 learning recommendations and an AI skills glossary to help workers navigate how to stay competitive in their field.
Shifting hiring practices
However, AI's emergence has presented challenges. The recruitment process has been infiltrated by fake candidates, frequently tied to North Korea. A recent study indicated that the quantity of firms employing North Korean software engineers surged by an impressive 220% over the last twelve months.
McGuckin stated that Cisco has prioritized vigilance, implementing more verification measures throughout the hiring procedure, which includes improved background investigations that might feature an in-person element.
“We want to assure all our applicants that there’s nothing they need to do differently when applying through Cisco’s talent portal—they are not losing out to fake candidates,” he said. “We feel the onus is on us, or employers at large, to create a safe and trustworthy candidate experience.”
Cisco faces a clear hurdle: staying current with AI's swift advancement while ensuring its developers possess both expertise and genuine identities.