If AI is taking over the baseline technical and analytical work in our agency, how do we adjust our hiring criteria and interview process to find people who can actually leverage these tools rather than being replaced by them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You must shift your hiring criteria from technical execution to conative alignment and problem-solving capability. When AI handles the baseline technical work, your headcount strategy must pivot toward hiring people who have a high capacity to leverage these tools.

To do this, start by updating the GWC™ for your open roles on the Accountability Chart. Capacity no longer means having the manual technical skills to write code or draft reports. Instead, Capacity means the ability to direct AI, synthesize its outputs, and apply deep critical thinking to client challenges.

During your interview process, evaluate candidates on how they use AI to solve problems. Stop testing them on their ability to perform routine, repetitive tasks. Instead, give them a real-world strategic scenario and ask them to use AI to generate solutions in real time. Evaluate their ability to prompt, refine, and quality-control the output.

This approach aligns with the advice of Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who note that the human must become an indispensable complement to the technology. You want to hire people who can strategically guide the machine rather than trying to compete with its speed. This ensures your future hiring plan adds strategic value, keeping your company highly leverageable and attractive for a clean exit under the Step by Step Exit framework.