Last week, I sent out a hiring alert. A client I work with needed someone for his startup—creative, active on social handles, good at thinking on their feet, and aware of digital marketing channels. A standard entry-level role with an eagerness to learn and grow her career. No biggie!

Except there was one additional requirement: the candidate would have to be keen enough to learn AI tools and use them in daily operations. Again, not a problem, one would think? Gen Z, after all! They would have adapted to AI like our 14-year-old selves did to the internet.

And here is where it all flipped! I received two responses to the posting.

Get a vibe marketer

One suggestion was to just get a “vibe marketer.” If, like me, you’ve only recently heard the term, here’s what it means: vibe marketing is an AI-powered approach that enables one person to accomplish a lot of what ten specialists can do.

I was quite apprehensive. I’ve seen hundreds of tutorials on it, have learned two or three of those tools, used them to build posts and a video here or there, but to move a startup’s entire executional think-tank to a person who literally knew it all seemed far-fetched.

And the reality? Well, it was! I didn’t get a single CV with vibe marketing credentials—actually, far from it.

Which brings me to my second dilemma.

Also Read: Bridging the skills gap: Tailored L&D programs for cultivating top tech talent in Asia

Recruit an AI-first talent

The other response was to get an entry-level candidate and train her on AI. What seemed great on paper turned out to be not so great in execution. Trainings take time, energy, and work. If you need someone to hit the ground running, then time is a luxury.

Also, taking initiative, being super passionate to learn new things, and doing it while burning the midnight oil—these don’t make it onto the ideal work-life balance checklist. And it’s a tough gig—execute and learn on the side—not for the faint-hearted.

How do we navigate talent and build teams in the age of AI?

AI isn’t just changing how we work. It’s changing what we need to learn, who we hire, and how we build. But in a sea of endless tools and tutorials, the real challenge isn’t adopting AI, it’s anchoring it to what actually matters.

• Anchor AI training in what matters most

“These are the best of times. These are the worst of times.”

While AI has opened up great opportunities to scale, build, and grow, it has also made it a largely overwhelming environment for talent across ages and experiences. From prompt engineering to agentic AI—there isn’t just one place to go and up-skill. And there is a new tool launched every day.

So, one way to know what to learn is to build an AI strategy that is closest to your business—and then train new and current workforce on the tools most relevant to that, or those likely to create impact in efficiency, operations, or more. Beyond that is just frenzy and noise. Sure, now websites and apps can be made without code—but is that what you need to make now?

• AI tools are plenty, but impact takes patience

Developing these AI skills will take time.

And the ecosystem needs patience from leaders—founders such as us. Not all tools are perfect. The free versions run out of steam quickly, and there is only so much a startup can pay for expensive AI tools, at least until their efficiency is well established.

Also Read: Future-proofing businesses and talent through technology

This reminds me of COVID-19, when we all thought online was the way consumers would live, breathe, and shop—until we saw all that euphoria die down, and water seek its own level.

AI will perhaps not be quite similar, because the potency of the technology is well established, but the best solutions will rise above the millions of me-toos.

• Behind every tech stack is a human stack

Lastly, it is important to understand that irrespective of technology and where it takes us, developing and building talent is about human connection and relationships.

And that needs to be at the core of building teams and navigating the new rules of this game. No one will step into expertise without the grind of entry-level jobs. So they may be reshaped, but they are here to stay.

My checklist for this is going to be all about the right attitude. As my mentor advised me, skills can be learned, but attitude is everything.

In the end, hiring in the age of AI isn’t about finding the perfect resume or the most advanced prompt engineer. It’s about spotting curiosity, grit, and a willingness to learn. The tools will keep evolving but it’s the people who are adaptable, open, and grounded who’ll build the most meaningful things with them.

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