Hiring for the Age of AI: Why Soft Skills Are the True Differentiators
By Katerina Dimitratos, Chief Operating Officer, JFS Consulting | Contributing author, Marilyn Dent, Chief of Staff to the COO
Abstract
As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in companies across sectors, organizations are being forced to reconsider what truly differentiates high-performing teams. This article argues that while AI can accelerate execution and analysis, it functions most effectively as a junior-level assistant that still requires human training, judgment, and oversight. Drawing on leadership research and operating experience, the piece makes the case that clearly defined core values, role-level non-negotiables, and soft skills such as accountability, judgment, empathy, and ownership are now the primary drivers of sustainable performance. In an environment where technical skills can be taught and tools continue to evolve, organizations that hire and lead through values and human capability are best positioned to use AI as a multiplier rather than a risk.
From Technical Talent to Human Leadership
As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across finance, operations, and healthcare, organizations are rethinking what “great talent” actually looks like. The question is no longer whether AI will change how work gets done, but how leaders build teams that can use it responsibly and effectively.
AI is a junior-level team member: it can analyze, draft, summarize, and automate, but it still requires training, guidance, correction, and judgment. What it cannot replace are the human qualities that move work forward and create trust. Those qualities are increasingly the difference between organizations that scale successfully and those that stall.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently noted that AI will eliminate certain roles, but workers with strong critical thinking, communication, professional writing, and emotional intelligence will remain employable because these human capabilities are difficult for machines to replicate or replace.1 These observations align with our experience: the organizations that scale successfully are not those replacing people with technology, but those redefining talent around human judgment and strategic contribution.
The Role of Core Values in the Age of AI
Technology amplifies behavior. If an organization lacks clarity around its values, AI will only magnify inconsistency and misalignment.
Successful organizations are grounded in clearly defined core values and role-level non-negotiables. These values serve as the operating system for decision-making, accountability, and collaboration, especially as AI accelerates the pace of work.
You can teach a junior team member Excel.
You can train someone on a financial system.
You cannot teach accountability.
You cannot coach someone into ownership if it is not already there.
Jim Collins captured this reality succinctly: “The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up. They will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and be part of something great.”2 Core values are not aspirational slogans. They are hiring filters. They determine who thrives, who advances, and who delivers results when it matters.
Reframing AI’s Role on the Team
AI performs best when it is managed. Like an entry-level analyst, it can produce volume quickly, but it still depends on humans to provide direction, evaluate accuracy, apply judgment, and translate outputs into action.
Harvard Business Review (HBR) has consistently emphasized that AI’s real value lies in decision support, not decision replacement. As HBR notes, “AI systems are powerful tools, but they do not understand context, intent, or consequences the way humans do.”3 Without human oversight, AI outputs remain incomplete and, in some cases, risky.
Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani reinforce this point, writing that AI “does not eliminate the need for human leadership; it reshapes how leaders allocate attention, judgment, and responsibility.”4 In practice, the value is not in the output itself, but in how leaders use that output to move work forward.
What We Hire For at JFS
As AI becomes table stakes, human capability becomes the differentiator. At JFS Consulting, we prioritize candidates who align with our core values and demonstrate:
Accountability
Owning outcomes, not just tasks. Following through without being asked.
Integrity and trust
Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, especially in regulated and mission-driven environments.
Clear communication
Turning complex information into insight that leaders, boards, and clients can act on.
Judgment and critical thinking
Knowing when to rely on AI and when to challenge it.
Empathy and collaboration
Understanding the human impact of financial and operational decisions.
Curiosity and adaptability
Willingness to learn new tools while maintaining high standards for accuracy and quality.
Ray Dalio draws a clear distinction between skill and character, noting that “Great judgment requires character more than intelligence.”5 AI does not possess character or independent judgment; it mirrors the assumptions, priorities, and discipline of the humans who design and direct it. In that sense, AI becomes an extension of organizational values rather than a substitute for them. Human accountability, empathy, and ownership therefore remain indispensable.
Why Non-Negotiables Matter More Than Ever
Job descriptions that focus only on technical requirements are outdated. In an AI-enabled workplace, technical skills can be taught and tools will continue to evolve. What must be clearly defined are the behaviors and values required to succeed.
Patrick Lencioni argues that organizational health, rooted in clarity and discipline, is the ultimate competitive advantage. As he writes, “Organizations don’t fail because of a lack of intelligence or expertise, but because of a lack of clarity, alignment, and trust.”6
Organizations that clearly articulate their core values, role-level non-negotiables, and accountability expectations build teams that scale with confidence. AI then becomes a force multiplier rather than a risk.
The Strategic Advantage
The future of work is not about replacing people with technology. It is about empowering the right people to lead technology well.
Successful organizations design teams, roles, and operating models where human leadership and AI work together. In regulated, mission-driven environments like healthcare and nonprofits, this balance is especially critical. Oversight, documentation, and ethical judgment cannot be automated away.
When values are clear and accountability is embedded, AI enhances performance instead of eroding it. In a future where tools are increasingly accessible, culture, values, and human judgment are what will set organizations apart.
Looking Ahead
In a future article, we will explore how organizations can identify and define their ideal core values, and how to translate those values into hiring criteria, performance expectations, and leadership development.
Remember: technology changes how work gets done, but people determine whether it gets done well.
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