AI skills now outrank experience for UK jobseekers

Employment Hero says AI skills are now among the top five attributes UK employers look for in job candidates, ahead of prior experience.

The study points to a shift in hiring expectations, with employers placing more weight on digital competence in entry-level and early-career recruitment.

Nearly two-thirds of UK employers surveyed said AI has changed what they look for when hiring. Work ethic and attitude ranked first at 55%, followed by communication and interpersonal skills at 47%, the ability to learn quickly at 42%, digital literacy at 39% and AI skills at 36%. Prior experience ranked lower at 31%.

The research also suggested AI knowledge is becoming more visible in job specifications. Some 37% of UK workers said entry-level roles now specify AI knowledge, while 23% said they do not feel their own skills are strong enough to compete in a job market shaped by AI.

At the same time, many younger workers remain uneasy about using the technology in their daily work. Half of Gen Z workers said they feel guilty using AI at work, 52% said using AI to do parts of their job feels like cheating, and 42% said they use AI without their employer’s knowledge.

This mix of demand and discomfort is creating what the study described as a generational gap at work. Younger staff appear keen to build AI literacy, but many are doing so without clear guidance from employers on when and how the tools should be used.

According to the survey, 81% of Gen Z workers have taught themselves AI skills through social media. More than half, 58%, said they feel positive about AI becoming a bigger part of their working life, compared with 25% who said they are worried.

Hidden use

The results suggest so-called shadow AI use is already taking hold in workplaces. Four in 10 Gen Z workers said they use AI without their employer’s knowledge, and the same proportion said they often present AI-generated work as their own.

For employers, that raises questions about governance, transparency and training. If staff are using AI tools informally, companies may struggle to understand how widely the technology is being used, what risks it creates and whether employees are receiving enough support to use it responsibly.

Ria Kaur, a university student and jobseeker, described the tension younger workers feel as they enter workplaces where AI is increasingly present but still contested.

“As a Gen Z student experiencing the world of work through internships and placements, I see AI everywhere. But I also find that, in workplace situations, AI can feel like my dirty little secret.

“I think this comes from the stigma around younger generations using AI, which becomes stronger in the workplace because of the frustrating idea that Gen Z are lazy, or that we do not know what real work is. If a young person uses AI at work, it can feel like people assume they are offloading the task or taking the easy way out. In reality, a lot of us are using it responsibly to understand a task, prepare for a conversation or make sense of something new, but I still feel like it has to be kept hidden,” Kaur said.

Hiring shift

The data reflects a broader change in what employers consider evidence of readiness for work. While experience has long been treated as a core requirement, the survey suggests some employers now place more emphasis on a candidate’s ability to adapt to new tools and learn quickly.

That may be especially relevant for graduates and school-leavers entering the labour market as employers rewrite job descriptions to include AI literacy. It also suggests younger applicants may gain an advantage if they can show they know how to use AI tools in a practical and transparent way.

Kevin Fitzgerald, UK managing director at Employment Hero, said the findings show workplace norms are lagging behind behaviour.

“There is a real contradiction emerging for young workers. They are being told that AI skills will be critical to their careers, and many are clearly enthusiastic about building those skills, but they still feel guilty when they actually use the tools. When half of Gen Z feel guilty using AI at work, and more than four in 10 are doing so without their employer’s knowledge, it shows that workplace norms have not yet caught up with employee behaviour.

“AI shouldn’t feel like cheating. It should feel like using any other tool that helps people do their jobs better. But if workers don’t have clear guidance, they’ll continue to learn in the shadows, making it harder for businesses to understand AI’s true impact, manage risk and support skills development. The opportunity is to bring AI into the open, build trust, be transparent and help a generation use it confidently,” Fitzgerald said.

The study drew on responses from 3,290 business leaders and 5,454 workers across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK, including 1,025 UK business leaders and 1,500 UK workers.