The labor market these days is marked by uncertainty, news of layoffs and doubts related to AI. But within tech hiring, a different picture is emerging, and one of the world’s largest tech employers just put a stake in the ground.
IBM plans to exponentially up its entry-level hiring this year, including for software developers. This news was widely reported after a comment made by Nickle LaMoreaux, IBM’s chief human resources officer, at Charter’s Leading With AI Summit.
LaMoreaux, who is also HR Executive’s 2024 HR Executive of the Year, suggested the company has rewritten entry-level job descriptions to shift focus away from tasks AI can automate and toward customer engagement, product development and AI oversight.
She explained that these new roles won’t look like they used to. Entry-level jobs that powered the workforce two to three years ago can be altered or replaced by AI, LaMoreaux suggested, as reported by Axios. “You have to rewrite every job,” she said.
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The data backs up the hiring vibe
IBM’s announcement lands alongside fresh hiring data. Job postings for AI-related roles increased more than 50% in January, with software developer positions requiring AI skills growing at an even faster pace, according to data from ManpowerGroup’s Experis division, which specializes in tech talent. Overall, IT postings rose 15% and software developer postings climbed 18%, according to Bekir Atahan, vice president at tech talent firm Experis Services.
For more perspective, an analysis of more than 7 million U.S. tech job postings by career website Dice and its data partner Lightcast reinforces the trend. AI Engineer postings grew 208% in 2025, while Machine Learning Engineer roles rose 52%. Meanwhile, all 50 of the most-posted tech job titles showed salary growth of 3% or higher.
At the same time, traditional roles are contracting. Software Development Engineer postings fell 16%. Java Developer declined 4%. Business Systems Analyst dropped 10%, according to Dice data.
“Companies are moving from early exploration to practical implementation, which is creating steady demand for multidisciplinary technologists,” Atahan told HR Executive in an email. He noted that even with high-profile layoffs in parts of the tech sector, unemployment for core IT skills remains significantly below the national average.
The Dice data shows postings requiring workflow management skills surged 49%, as organizations embed AI into existing processes. Cloud infrastructure skills continued to climb, with Microsoft Azure up 23%, Docker up 29% and Python up 18%, driven largely by AI and data science applications.
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What tech hiring realities mean for HR leaders
For HR leaders, the IBM example and the January data point to the same conclusion: AI isn’t just changing which roles companies are targeting when it comes to new hires; it’s changing what those roles look like. Job architectures built around traditional definitions may already be out of step with where demand is heading.
Christine Belmonte, president of technology staffing at The Planet Group, warns that specialized talent remains competitive despite the broader market’s cautious tone. She flags continued wage pressure in ERP, cloud, data, cybersecurity and healthcare IT and says hiring timelines are extending as employers layer in more internal approvals and ROI justification.
“We expect the report to reinforce a market that is cooling but not contracting. Hiring hasn’t stopped,” Belmonte told HR Executive in an email. “It’s become more selective, with clearer prioritization around roles tied directly to revenue, modernization, compliance and operational resilience.”
While the overall labor market feels like it favors employers, the specific talent needed for AI and transformation work is not waiting around. As Atahan put it, workers who combine software, data and AI fluency will be well-positioned as the year progresses.
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