For decades, the first job out of university has been a predictable rite of passage. Graduates, armed with fresh knowledge and ambition, were often funnelled into roles heavy on administrative grunt work. Endless data entry, tedious report generation, and scheduling meetings – all under the guise of “paying their dues”.

Now that generative AI has entered the scene, the prevailing narrative is one of fear. Every week, there’s a new headline warning that these exact administrative tasks are the first on the chopping block, and along with them are those entry-level roles. Meanwhile, PwC Australia reports job postings for occupations with higher AI exposure have grown at a slower pace since 2013; with a significant gap widening after 2021, this concern seems justified.

But what if I told you what’s happening on the ground isn’t quite what people think? New research from HiBob reveals a surprising shift. Instead of being replaced, graduates are being fast-tracked. A majority (60 per cent) of Australian employees believe recent graduates can now leapfrog junior positions, and nearly a third (29 per cent) of companies are already hiring them directly into higher-level roles.

This shift isn’t just technological; it’s cultural. As leaders, we need to design AI into our organisations in a way that amplifies human strengths, curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, rather than simply automating what already exists.

So what do HR leaders do with this knowledge? Here’s a three-step guide you can follow to kickstart your journey as a champion of fresh talent entering the workforce.

1. Scrap administrative grunt work

The traditional model of having graduates spend their first year on repetitive, low-impact tasks is no longer viable. In an era where such tasks can be automated, using bright new minds for mundane work is a critical waste of potential and a drain on morale.

We must shift the mindset from “paying your dues” to “making an impact” early on. This means onboarding graduates directly into projects that require problem solving and strategic input, using AI as their productivity partner. Our approach follows this ethos, as AI should be a strategic tool to unlock human potential, build resilient teams, and enable meaningful career growth. The “why” is simple: when AI takes care of the repetitive, people can focus on what truly matters – building skills, making decisions, and connecting with purpose.

2. Audit and rebuild jobs around high-value skills

This transition requires a deliberate redesign of work. HR leaders must take the lead with a practical audit of existing entry-level and junior job descriptions. The first step is to identify the core repetitive tasks – data entry, scheduling, basic report generation – and determine which can be streamlined or fully handled by AI tools. This is also the moment to move beyond static job descriptions and start thinking in terms of skills. By understanding the specific capabilities within each role – both human and technical – HR leaders can better align people with the work that drives the most value. The future workforce will be built around evolving skills, not fixed titles.

The second, more crucial step is to reconstruct these roles to focus on skills that AI complements but cannot replace: critical analysis, creative problem solving, and complex communication. For example, a marketing assistant role should evolve from manually scheduling social media posts to using AI to analyse engagement data and propose creative campaign improvements. The focus shifts from the task to the outcome, empowering the graduate to operate as a strategist from day one.

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