IBM Plans to Triple Entry-Level US Hiring as AI Reshapes Junior Roles

IBM Plans to Triple Entry-Level US Hiring as AI Reshapes Junior Roles

IBM announced plans to triple its entry-level hiring in the United States this year, a counterintuitive move as artificial intelligence automates many tasks traditionally assigned to new graduates.

The technology giant is betting that AI's ability to handle repetitive work—data organization, basic coding, routine inquiries—creates an opportunity to redesign what entry-level jobs actually entail, rather than eliminate them. Chief HR Officer Nickle LaMoreaux outlined the shift in a February 16 announcement: junior software developers will spend less time writing code and more time working directly with clients, while HR staffers will let chatbots field routine questions before stepping in for complex issues.

The hiring expansion comes as entry-level job postings across the US have fallen 35% since early 2023, according to analytics firm Revelio Labs, raising questions about whether IBM's approach signals a broader rethinking of how companies develop talent or represents an outlier strategy.

LaMoreaux framed the decision as a long-term investment, noting that today's entry-level employees become tomorrow's managers. The implication: companies that abandon junior hiring risk creating leadership gaps down the line, even if AI can handle the grunt work those roles once required.

IBM isn't alone in doubling down on early-career talent. Cloud platform Dropbox is expanding its internship and new-graduate programs by 25%, with Chief People Officer Melanie Rosenwasser telling Bloomberg that younger workers demonstrate stronger AI fluency than most employees—a capability the company wants to capture and leverage.

The competing narratives around AI and entry-level work present a strategic question for finance leaders: whether automation justifies shrinking the bottom of the org chart, or whether it creates space to train junior employees on higher-value work while AI handles the mechanical tasks. IBM's tripling of entry-level hiring suggests the company sees AI as a tool for redefining roles rather than eliminating headcount, at least at the junior level.

The shift also raises practical questions about how companies measure productivity and justify headcount when AI absorbs much of the work that once filled a junior employee's day. If a first-year software developer spends significantly less time coding because AI handles routine functions, what metrics determine whether that role delivers value? IBM's answer appears to be client interaction and relationship-building—skills that don't automate easily but are harder to quantify on a quarterly basis.

For CFOs evaluating their own workforce strategies, IBM's move offers a test case worth watching. The company is essentially betting that the cost of hiring and training junior employees pays off through better AI adoption and stronger leadership pipelines, even as competitors cut entry-level roles. Whether that calculation proves correct will likely depend on how quickly those redefined roles generate measurable returns—and whether other companies follow suit or continue pruning their junior ranks.