TechRadar: CEOs shifting away from juniors

TechRadar’s May 22 report captured a change that has been building across corporate hiring plans: companies adopting AI are increasingly looking to trim junior roles and hire more experienced workers instead. The headline number came from an Oliver Wyman CEO survey cited by TechRadar, which said 43% of chief executives now expect junior roles to shrink over the next one to two years, up from 17% in 2025. Only 17% said they planned to increase junior hiring, according to the report. The result is a labor-market squeeze at the entry point, where younger workers typically build the skills and judgment that later make them promotable. ### Why are CEOs cutting junior roles first? Oliver Wyman’s survey, as cited by TechRadar and Bloomberg, points to a simple staffing preference: employers say AI can absorb more routine work, making mid-level and senior hires look more attractive. TechRadar said the share of CEOs planning to move away from junior roles has more than doubled since 2025. Bloomberg reported that more than 40% of CEOs plan to cut junior roles over the next one to two years while shifting workforce mix toward mid-level or senior positions. (techradar.com) HCAMag, citing a related HR leaders report, described the emerging shape as a “diamond-shaped” workforce, with more weight in the middle and fewer roles at the bottom. That matters because entry-level jobs have historically been where companies train future managers and specialists. (techradar.com) ### What are executives saying about younger workers? John Santora, WeWork’s chief executive, said at Fortune’s Workplace Innovation Summit on May 19 that “there’s no question that the entry-level hire is under pressure,” according to Allwork and other follow-on reports. Santora said companies still need to hire, train and mentor younger workers because future workplaces will still require empathy, leadership and human judgment. (hcamag.com) Upwork CEO Hayden Brown struck a similar note in coverage cited by Yahoo Finance and Benzinga, saying AI pressure on Gen Z hiring is real but arguing the answer is adaptation rather than retreat. Those comments matter because they come from executives whose businesses sit close to labor-market shifts in office work and freelancing. (allwork.space) ### Is cutting staff for AI actually paying off? Gartner said on May 5 that layoffs linked to AI and “autonomous business” initiatives may free up budget but “do not deliver returns.” The research firm said 80% of large companies testing AI reported workforce reductions during pilot phases, but those cuts did not correlate with stronger return on investment. Gartner analyst Helen Poitevin said, “Many CEOs turn to layoffs to demonstrate quick AI returns; however, this disposition is misplaced.” (benzinga.com) CNBC reached a similar market conclusion from a different angle, reporting that 13 of 23 S&P 500 companies tied to AI-related layoff announcements had traded lower as of May 15. That does not prove AI cuts fail in every case, but it undercuts the idea that staff reductions automatically translate into better performance. (gartner.com) ### What happens to skills when AI handles the routine work? HR Dive reported on May 22 that workers using AI heavily increasingly say their skills are “atrophying.” The article said souring worker sentiment is strengthening calls for clearer rules on when AI should assist and when employees should still do tasks unaided. (cnbc.com) Newsweek, citing new GoTo and Workplace Intelligence research, reported that AI is saving workers 2.3 hours a day but may be weakening confidence and day-to-day competence for some users. That is especially relevant for early-career employees, whose progression often depends on repetition, correction and hands-on practice in exactly the kinds of tasks AI now helps compress. (hrdive.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 2026 has produced a cluster of signals rather than a single policy change: Oliver Wyman’s CEO survey, Gartner’s ROI warning, HR Dive’s skills report and public comments from Santora and Brown. The next useful marker will be whether large employers keep reducing junior openings through the rest of 2026, or whether they pair AI adoption with formal training and apprenticeship programs instead. (newsweek.com) (techradar.com)