Pvm Srinivas

This article was originally published by ZDNET, and features insights from Jason Pyle COO at Harvey Nash. 5 ways to get a leadership role - even if AI is disrupting the career ladder AI has changed all the rules. To get to the top, you'll have to prove you're ready for responsibility. Here's how. Some managers reach a certain rung on the career ladder and get stuck. Research suggests there are many potential factors at play, including limited opportunities to progress into management as traditional career ladders crumble in an age of AI. Professionals who move into senior leadership positions must prove they're worthy of the responsibility. Here, business leaders share their tips for climbing the career ladder. 1. Take unusual opportunities Barry Panayi, group chief data officer at Howden, an insurance intermediary group, said one of the first steps for would-be executives is to make a name for themselves. "I think it's about making connections with people that you like and admire," he said. "For 10 or 15 years at the beginning of my career, I made sure I was at conferences listening to people." As he climbed into senior positions, Panayi told ZDNET, he looked for opportunities outside his comfort zone to prove his leadership credentials. One of Panayi's most crucial development opportunities was taking on non-executive positions -- with UK energy regulator Ofgem since 2020, and media company Reach since 2021. "Those positions really gave me perspective, because I was quite narrow," he said. "All I'd ever done was data. I felt like I wasn't rounded enough, and being around the board table, contributing as a board member, forced me to consider other things." Panayi advised other next-generation leaders to look for similar opportunities, whether that's a non-executive role, a trustee at a charity, or a governor at a school or college. "Experiencing something completely different from the day-to-day job is about understanding the business. I think that exposure is what gives me confidence to have opinions on topics outside of my lane," he said. "It's those kinds of opinions and contributions that get you noticed, not being a great data person, because people will assume you're good at that area. After all, that's why the board hired you." 2. Show your commitment Jason Pyle, COO at recruitment specialist Harvey Nash, said that making the breakthrough from manager to senior executive means demonstrating you think strategically rather than just operationally. "Show that you understand the organization's wider strategy and how your role and the team you lead fit within that approach," he said. "It's also about thinking commercially -- being able to demonstrate that you understand how the operational decisions you make, in whatever aspect you're leading, impact top and bottom-line business value. Think like a business shareholder, not just a manager of your team." Pyle told ZDNET that senior professionals must be willing and able to smash the glass ceiling. "An executive can't just sit in their box and work in a silo. They must understand what's going on across the business and how it all links up. So, build connections and collaborate where possible with others outside your direct area of control," he said. "You need to show tact and political acumen. Don't overstep the mark. Take the initiative by putting your hand up for projects and special pieces of work that need to be managed. Show willingness and commitment, although be careful not to overload yourself." 3. Stay humble Joe Depa, global chief innovation officer at consultant EY, said successful leaders stay open to the opinions of a broad range of stakeholders and partners. "That humility right now is going to be critical," he said. "When I look at successful leaders that I tend to model myself after, I think the key to success is not only having the ability to learn but also having the mindset that you don't know all the answers." Depa told ZDNET that ignoring others' opinions is a potential shortcut to disaster. "When I've seen some people fail, or they're not executing on their task, it's because they weren't open. They didn't consider this concept that I call an open innovation ecosystem," he said. "They weren't listening to the pulse of the business, they weren't listening to their customers or users, and they weren't listening to their partners." Rather than staying open, these executives stayed closed and overlooked guidance that could have had a positive influence: "They had a strategy that they wanted to implement, and, therefore, they were ignoring stakeholders that would be either impacted or could help advise on that strategy." 4. Support the next generation Dawn McCarroll, director of supply chain and business excellence at telecoms specialist Helios Towers, said that integrity is key to proving you're ready for responsibility. "You need to know that trust is essential to move anything of significance forward," she said. "A lot of people talk about emotional intelligence, but I think you need a balance of emotional and perceptual intelligence." McCarroll told ZDNET that perceptual intelligence is not just about how people perceive you, but how you perceive others and how you maintain conversations with them. She also said people moving into management positions must start thinking about how they'll give similar opportunities to others. "Paying it forward is really important for the next generation," she said. "And as a leader, if you're not creating the next generation and the generation after that, what are you doing?" McCarroll said Helios Towers has a strong culture of promoting and developing talent from within, including certifying people in Lean Six Sigma through a leadership program with Cranfield University, partnering closely with the internal HR department, and developing regular succession planning opportunities. "I see myself as here to create a legacy of future leaders," she said. "You get to a point in your career where that then becomes your raison d'etre. It's no longer just about you climbing a career path. It's about what you're leaving behind." 5. Demonstrate your hands-off style Harvey Nash's Pyle also stressed that would-be senior executives must emphasize their interest in next-generation talent. "Show that you've got what it takes to be a leader in the way that you manage and develop your team," he said. "Make sure you give team members the support and guidance they need. Be there for them, while setting clear stretch goals." Pyle told ZDNET that managers who can demonstrate their hands-off credentials will show they're able to move into a senior role. "Through the performance of your team, show that you're able to scale what you've already got," he said. "Try to get your team to the point where it can virtually run itself. If executives are worried that elevating you will create a problem because your team can't operate without you, that could be a blocker to your promotion." Written by Mark Samuels, Senior Contributor, ZDNET.

This article was originally published on Computing.com and includes insights from Bev White, Executive Chair, and Andrew Neal, Chief People Officer, at Nash Squared. ‘AI is killing junior jobs’ misses important nuance – but you still need a strategy AI is challenging conventional models as organizations strive to integrate it for a range of operational and performance gains. The impact of AI on human roles is an area of particularly live debate – especially at entry level. With AI’s ability to handle many repeatable, admin-based tasks, will it lead to the removal of whole swathes of beginner roles that are the traditional entry point for young talent into a wide range of careers? There is no doubt that AI is already having some impact. Big Tech firms have pointed to AI when strumming back areas of their workforce; professional services firms are reducing their entry level intakes in some instances; in technology, there have been reports of demand for junior coders softening due to AI as the job transitions more to an oversight role. However, the situation is actually nuanced as there are multiple factors at play in these changes, including economic cycles and market conditions: it is by no means only about AI. For instance, management consulting revenues (a large part of the professional services sector) contracted in the UK in 2024 and only experienced very modest growth in the past 12 months after a post-pandemic boom. Large professional services firms, such as the Big Four, are naturally going to react to these market conditions by offering fewer graduate/entry level roles. Nevertheless, it is clear that as AI continues to rapidly develop and becomes integrated more widely into businesses’ systems and processes, the impact on human roles will increase – and this may be most pronounced at entry level, where much of what people do is ripe for automation. In this, we can include our own industry of recruitment. Consultants at the start of their career journeys traditionally spend a lot of their time on manual tasks such as sourcing roles that need to be filled, researching market information, compiling lists of potential candidates and sifting through/shortlisting applications. The requirement for people to do this will fall as AI solutions are developed. Shifting the focus to skills The crucial point is that AI will change what businesses look to people to do – not remove the need for them. We will still need entry level talent in recruitment, just as they will be needed in technology, professional services and other industries, even if there may be some +/- movement around the edges. But the emphasis will shift – from a focus on learning tasks and processes to developing the human skills and attributes that make great professionals and leaders: commerciality, critical thinking, ethical and moral considerations, stakeholder engagement, and communication. At the same time, individuals’ ability to understand and interpret what AI is telling them will be key. Businesses will start looking for talent that can accelerate faster into these human skills – the baseline will move up, given that most Gen Zers are already quite proficient in using AI platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot. From this, it follows that AI will open up opportunities for the best talent to move into more senior and remunerative roles faster. With AI tools supporting them, bright and capable professionals may be able to perform a role that currently typically requires three years of experience after only one year, for example. Filling the experience gap However, there is an ‘elephant in the room’. We all know – thinking back to our own personal experiences – that learning on the job in the early days, painstakingly building up the know-how, making mistakes and reflecting on them, seeking counsel and guidance from others, is a key part of how anyone becomes proficient in their field. It is the lived and learned experience that makes great professionals and leaders. The question arises, therefore, of how young talent will develop that essential on-the-job knowledge if AI is helping them to leapfrog forward. This is something that has also become more complicated due to the rise of hybrid working, which has reduced the facetime with colleagues and line managers that is a critical part of the learning and teaching curve for young joiners. This is an issue that businesses need to be really alive to right now, thinking ahead to prevent a capability vacuum, including at a leadership level, in the years to come. One of the key ways to tackle it is sure to lie in training and development. There will need to be a shift in training for young talent, moving the focus from tasks and processes to experiences and skills. Technology itself can play a huge role here, with the potential to create situation-based simulated experiences for trainees that take them through a ‘live’ scenario with AI playing the role of a client or other stakeholder, helping them develop that learned experience. A parallel here is rookie Formula One drivers, who spend a lot of time in a simulator – a safe space to learn, push themselves and crash if necessary. The notion of metaverse-style virtual reality training may seem extreme, but it’s something that we can expect more and more organizations to start exploring. Companies won’t have to go to those lengths, but it’s a certainty that any organization that wants to thrive in the future will need to devise training and development mechanisms that help entry level talent build up their skills-based muscle and baseline expertise - rather than simply teach them how to do process X or Y. Taking ownership in the boardroom The implications of this are far-reaching, and it should be a priority issue for boards around the world. There needs to be discussion and clarity in the boardroom over what roles the business needs people to perform including at entry level; what skills and attributes are needed to execute them; how AI supports and facilitates in this; and then how the business is hiring, assessing and developing current and future talent. Once the strategy has been formed, it is critical that each part of the business executes it in relation to its own area. Every industrial revolution redesigns the workforce, and the AI revolution is no different. Put these issues on your executive agenda if they’re not there already. Doing nothing is not an option. Change is all around us, and the most successful organizations will be those who take early action to anticipate and respond now.

Award winning firms have a Net Promoter®️ Score that is 80% higher than the industry average. WAYNE, NEW JERSEY – FEBRUARY 3, 2026– Harvey Nash, a leading staffing agency, announced today that they have won the Best of Staffing Client Award for providing superior service to their clients. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing® Award winners have proven to be industry leaders in service quality based entirely on ratings provided by their clients. On average, clients of winning agencies are more than 50% more likely to be completely satisfied with the services provided compared to those working with non-winning agencies. Harvey Nash received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 66.7% of their clients, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. “Being recognized as a Best of Staffing Client Award winner for the fourth consecutive year is an achievement we’re incredibly proud of. Our clients place deep trust in Harvey Nash, and this recognition reflects the strength of those partnerships and the dedication of our teams who deliver exceptional service every day. In a market where expectations continue to rise, we remain committed to pushing beyond traditional staffing to serve as true strategic talent partners and creating meaningful business impact for the organizations we support. We’re grateful for this recognition and energized to continue raising the bar in the year ahead.” said Jason Pyle, Global COO, President, Harvey Nash USA & Canada "It’s an honor to introduce the 2026 Best of Staffing award winners," said Baker Nanduru, CEO of ClearlyRated. "These companies keep client experience front and center, pushing the envelope in innovative service approaches. Their work is shaping the future of accounting, and it's a privilege to recognize their achievements. Congratulations to all!" About Harvey Nash Harvey Nash is a part of Nash Squared, the leading global provider of talent and technology solutions. Our network spans 2,800 colleagues across 16 countries and provides a uniquely broad range of service capabilities, from recruitment and workforce management to software development and technology solutions. We bring these together to address the unique challenges of our clients both now and in the future. Harvey Nash works with clients, both big and small, to deliver a portfolio of services: IT recruitment, IT outsourcing/offshoring, direct sourcing, contingent workforce solutions and executive search. About ClearlyRated ClearlyRated helps B2B service firms gain actionable insights to stop client issues from becoming lost revenue, expand their business with existing clients, and attract new ones. Learn more at https://www.clearlyrated.com/solutions/. About Best of Staffing® ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing® Award is the only award in the U.S. and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service quality based entirely on ratings provided by their clients, placed talent, and internal employees. Award winners are showcased by city and area of expertise on ClearlyRated.com—an online business directory that helps buyers of professional services find service leaders and vet prospective firms with the help of validated client ratings and testimonials. ### Contact Brenna BarnettSenior Marketing Managerbrenna.barnett@harveynash.com

For much of the last decade, experience was the safest hiring signal in technology. Years on the job, senior titles, and deep familiarity with established systems were often seen as proxies for capability. In the United States, that logic is now being fundamentally challenged. Findings from the 2025 Nash Squared/Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report show that US digital leaders are rapidly reweighting how they assess talent, with GenAI capability now taking precedence over length of experience in many hiring decisions. As AI becomes embedded across software development, operations, security, and decision-making, the skills organizations value most are shifting at speed. GenAI skills now outweigh experience for most US leaders US employers are making their priorities clear. When asked to choose between two software developers, one with strong GenAI skills and two years’ experience, and another with five years’ experience but no GenAI capability, nearly 78% of US digital leaders said they would hire the GenAI-skilled candidate. This is a decisive signal in that while experience still matters, it is no longer the dominant differentiator it once was. The ability to work productively with AI tools, integrate them into workflows, and deliver tangible outcomes is increasingly seen as a faster route to impact than tenure alone. AI skills are critical, but are still in short supply The Nash Squared/Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report found that AI is the single most acute skills shortage facing US organizations today. More than four in ten US digital leaders report a shortage of AI skills, placing it ahead of areas such as cybersecurity, data engineering, and cloud platforms. AI has moved from experimentation to being embedded across a wide range of business functions, from software development and customer service to finance, recruitment, and internal operations. As adoption accelerates, demand for people who can design, deploy, and work effectively with AI systems is increasing faster than supply. Compared with earlier technology waves, the AI skills gap is emerging faster and cutting across a wider range of roles, not just specialist data or machine learning positions, but core engineering, product, and operational roles as well. Upskilling is underway, but not evenly Unlike some global markets, US organizations are not standing still. Around three-quarters of US employers report that they are already upskilling their people in GenAI, either extensively or in targeted areas. This suggests a growing recognition that external hiring alone will not solve the problem. However, the data also shows that nearly one in four organizations are still only making limited progress. As AI adoption accelerates, this uneven pace risks creating internal capability gaps, particularly between teams that are actively experimenting with AI and those that are not. The implication for hiring is significant. Employers are increasingly looking for candidates who can bridge this gap, specifically individuals who not only understand AI tools but can help scale their use across teams and functions. Hiring practices are evolving alongside skills demand The emphasis on GenAI capability is changing how US organizations approach recruitment, not just who they hire. Many employers are: Shifting focus from tenure to demonstrable skills, particularly the ability to apply AI in real-world scenarios. Placing greater value on adaptability, learning speed, and comfort working alongside intelligent systems. Reassessing job requirements, prioritizing applied capability over traditional career pathways. At the same time, the report highlights a tension. While AI skills are increasingly demanded, they are not always clearly defined. Vague references to “AI experience” can still dominate job specifications, making it harder for candidates to demonstrate relevance and for employers to assess capability consistently. For candidates, this raises the bar. US tech professionals need to clearly articulate where and how they have used AI, whether that is automating development tasks, improving analytics, enhancing customer interactions, or increasing operational efficiency. AI’s impact goes beyond hiring volumes AI is also influencing how many organizations expect to hire at all. US leaders anticipate that automation and GenAI will meaningfully reduce future hiring needs for certain roles over the next two years, particularly those involving repetitive, rules-based, or routine tasks. That does not mean fewer opportunities overall, but it does mean different opportunities. Demand is shifting toward roles that combine technical expertise with judgment, oversight, and the ability to extract value from AI systems rather than compete with them. Building a future-ready US tech workforce Hiring differently is only part of the response. The US data makes clear that organizations making the most progress are those aligning recruitment, upskilling, and AI strategy. To stay competitive, US employers need to: Be explicit about which AI capabilities matter for each role. Assess practical application, not just theoretical knowledge. Continue investing in internal AI literacy, not only specialist training. Align hiring decisions with a clear view of how AI will shape roles and workflows. The organizations best positioned for the future will be those that treat AI skills as a core capability, developed through a combination of smarter hiring and sustained internal investment. Shaping the next phase of tech hiring For US organizations navigating digital transformation, this is a pivotal moment. The ability to identify, assess, and develop AI-capable talent is quickly becoming a defining factor in how fast businesses can adapt and compete. At Harvey Nash, we support US organizations as they respond to these shifts, helping them refine hiring strategies, assess real-world AI capability, and build technology teams ready for what comes next. To explore more insights into how AI is reshaping the tech workforce, download the 2025 Nash Squared/Harvey Nash Digital Leadership Report.