[AI Era, Jobs Are Changing] The Ideal Employee Has Changed... Core Competencies Companies Value

AI Performance Evaluation Shifts Toward Judgment Skills
Emphasis on Outcome Verification Over Speed
Creative Application and Learning Abilities Highlighted
Preference for Interpretive Talent Over Technical Talent
From Good Performers to Good Decision-Makers

As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widespread, companies are simultaneously changing both the criteria by which they evaluate employees and the types of talent they prefer. Rather than focusing on how quickly tasks are completed, the core elements of personnel evaluations are now shifting toward how employees utilize AI in their decision-making, how they review the outcomes, and how they take responsibility for the results.

According to a survey conducted by The Asia Business Daily from December 8 to 19 of last year, targeting personnel, strategy, organization, and planning department managers at Korea’s top 100 companies, the most frequently cited change in individual evaluation criteria after AI adoption was "the ability to accurately review and judge AI-generated outcomes." Out of 74 companies that responded, 24 selected this criterion, accounting for 32.4%.

This was followed by 18 companies (24.3%) that chose "the ability to create new value or creative results using AI-generated outcomes," and 16 companies (21.6%) that selected "the ability to acquire necessary new technologies and skills." In contrast, only 10 companies (13.5%) considered "the extent to which work efficiency was improved through AI" as the most important evaluation criterion, and just 6 companies (8.1%) prioritized "the ability to proactively manage AI errors or risks," marking the lowest proportion.

On the 10th, a humanoid robot was exhibited at the 'K-Humanoid Alliance Launch Ceremony' held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2025.4.10. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The survey results indicate that after the introduction of AI, the focus of performance evaluations is shifting away from simple productivity or processing speed toward the ability to understand, verify, and take responsibility for AI-generated outcomes. In an environment where AI handles a significant portion of work, the human role is increasingly centered on judgment and oversight rather than execution.

This trend was also evident in the types of talent companies believe will be most necessary in the future. The most frequently chosen were "talent focused on judgment and interpretation (including humanities and philosophical thinking)," selected by 26 companies (35.1%). Twenty companies (27.0%) also cited "talent capable of interpreting data and finding meaning."

In contrast, only 17 companies (23.0%) considered "talent who understand and utilize AI technology" as most necessary, while 11 companies (14.9%) selected "talent who design automation and process transformation," indicating a relatively lower preference. There is a clear trend of valuing the ability to interpret AI-generated outcomes in context and connect them to organizational decision-making over the technical ability to handle AI itself.

Companies participating in the survey reported that, following the adoption of AI, the roles required of employees are shifting from "those who perform well" to "those who judge well." As both personnel evaluations and hiring standards are being restructured, there is a growing recognition throughout organizations that competitiveness in the AI era depends less on the technology itself and more on how it is utilized and controlled.