Internally, Cisco leaders are expected to pursue AI learning, in part because employees whose managers use AI are twice as likely to adopt it themselves, Scott McGuckin, Cisco’s global head of talent acquisition, told Fortune. And for those who do embrace the technology, the benefits are obvious.
“While I haven’t placed any mandatory AI training on my immediate team, I highly expect them to be taking advantage of the AI tools and courses available in the company,” McGuckin said. “Those who do, show me their creativity, productivity, and strategic thinking.”
While tech companies are expected to slow their hiring as AI makes existing roles more productive, McGuckin said the war for talent remains competitive—and AI adoption is a top market differentiator.
“For technical hires today, we look for relevant coding and engineering skills, which vary. Some of our coveted AI skill sets lie in AI and machine learning foundations and data science. Having these hard skills are a baseline to most applied roles,” he added.
When push comes to shove, what really moves the needle in the hiring process is showing knowledge of AI in context, like responsible AI, ethics in bias detection, and explainability, McGuckin said.
But for entry-level talent, that doesn’t mean you even need a degree. Demonstrating skills through coursework, research, or independent projects is often enough. In fiscal year 2023, 30% of Cisco’s entry-level hires were degreeless—something the company plans to expand upon.
Broadly speaking, McGuckin said Cisco has made vigilance a priority, increasing verification steps during the hiring process, including enhanced background checks that may involve an in-person component.
“We want to assure all our applicants that there’s nothing they need to do differently when applying through Cisco’s talent portal—they are not losing out to fake candidates,” he said. “We feel the onus is on us, or employers at large, to create a safe and trustworthy candidate experience.”
For Cisco, the challenge is straightforward: keep pace with AI’s rapid acceleration while making sure the people building it are both skilled—and real.
