AI skills valued by hiring managers; child-care support sought by working parents

Business Journals

25-04-2025

In this edition of The Playbook, we look at how working parents are trying to offset child-care costs, why managers are thinking differently about AI skills and more.
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Hiring managers value AI proficiency but struggle with candidate authenticity
The days of solely boasting Excel proficiency are over as more hiring managers are prioritizing skills around artificial-intelligence tools to fill job openings.
A recent survey from Resume Genius found 81% of hiring managers now favor candidates who have AI-related skills, with Generation Z hiring managers ranking AI proficiency as their top hiring factor.
The report, which surveyed 1,000 employees, shows how AI continues to transform the recruitment process, along with challenges that can come with selecting the best candidates.
Using AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney or automation software (36%); problem solving and critical-thinking skills for AI-related challenges (35%); understanding and applying ethical AI use (33%); and integrating AI into workflows or systems (31%) were among the AI skills hiring managers said they value the most.
Key quote: "Ten years ago, Excel was a marketable skill that gave many job seekers an advantage over others vying for the same role. Now, it's knowing how to creatively use AI. Being comfortable with tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney and automation software isn't just a novelty — it's something many hiring managers expect. They're looking for candidates who can go beyond the basics and actually use AI to speed up processes and create more impactful work." — Geoffrey Scott, senior hiring manager at Resume Genius
FULL STORY: Hiring managers value AI proficiency but struggle with candidate authenticity.
Managers are changing their tune on a big aspect of AI
Workers worried about being completely replaced by artificial-intelligence tools may be able to breathe a sigh of relief –– for now.
The Playbook's senior reporter Andy Medici writes the second-annual manager survey from AI-powered presentation software firm Beautiful.ai found 54% of managers do not want to replace employees with AI tools, a big jump from the 39% who said the same in last year's survey. Additionally, just 30% of managers said it would be financially beneficial if they could replace large numbers of employees with AI, down from 48% last year, Medici notes.
Medici writes that 63% of managers said they do not believe multiple employees they manage could be replaced by AI tools and still operate well without them, up from 43% in 2024.
Key quote: "While many managers still have concerns about job security, pay cuts and employee resistance, fewer are viewing AI as a direct replacement for workers. Instead, companies are using AI to enhance productivity, streamline tasks and foster collaboration." — Jordan Turner, senior content strategist at Beautiful.AI
FULL STORY: Managers are changing their tune on a big aspect of AI
Working parents seek child-care support from employers as costs surge
Given the surging costs of child care across the country, many working parents are willing to be flexible on pay raises if it means getting employers to subsidize their child-care expenses.
That was among the key takeaways from a recent KinderCare Confidence Index report, which found 59% of respondents share that sentiment. The survey, which polled 2,504 parents with children age 12 and younger, highlighted how some parents are putting more pressure on employers to help address the national child-care crisis.
A Business Journals report last year that looked at the nation's child-care shortage found growth in child-care costs has outpaced other daily expenses and the cost of child care keeps growing. The average national price for child care annually rose 3.7% between 2022 to 2023, to $11,582 per child, according to Child Care Aware of America.
Why it matters: Issues around the cost of and access to child care disproportionately impact women. While 79% of women and 84% of men without children participate in the labor force, only 67% of mothers with young children are active in the workplace, compared to 94% of fathers, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. There's also a growing disconnect between the benefits employees want and the ones Chief Human Resource Officers believe are important.
FULL STORY: Working parents seek child-care support from employers as costs surge
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