What matters more to an employer when hiring, AI or people skills?

Murugan Anandarajan and Cuneyt Gozu of Drexel University explore the characteristics that make a job applicant more attractive in 2026.

If you spend a few minutes talking with college students about their career prospects, one topic is at the top of their minds: Will their jobs be displaced by a bot?

Their concern makes sense. Universities are integrating artificial intelligence into their curricula, and employers are adopting AI at a rapid pace. So most students assume that AI skills are now key to getting an entry level job.

But what if employers are changing their candidate criteria just as quickly?

As scholars who research how technology is changing the workplace, we have long asked what employers value when hiring new talent. The question grew out of our conversations with both employers and students about internship experiences.