Shopify's COO says her ideal employee is an 'X-shaped' person
Shopify COO Jess Hertz advocates for hiring 'X-shaped' employees who possess multiple spikes of expertise rather than traditional deep specialization. This shift is driven by the integration of AI, which requires workers to learn new skills and absorb complex concepts rapidly.
Why it matters
As AI reshapes the workforce, corporate hiring strategies are evolving to prioritize adaptability and cross-functional proficiency.
Shopify's COO says she is looking for X-shaped employees. Bloomberg/Getty Images Shopify COO Jess Hertz says that her ideal employee in the AI era is "X-shaped." She said these employees have "multiple spikes of expertise" rather than depth in only one area. Shopify has previously said that using AI is mandatory and will be used to measure performance. Shopify's chief operating officer has one word to describe employees that will thrive in the AI era: "X-shaped." On an episode of the "Rapid Response" podcast released on Wednesday, Jess Hertz said that Shopify previously embraced the idea of a "T-shaped person" — someone with broad capabilities but deep expertise in one area. AI is changing that model. "What I think we're starting to see is AI is really pushing towards what I'm calling X-shaped people," Hertz said.
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