It’s a question that’s quietly keeping a lot of HR professionals and business leaders up at night — even if they haven’t quite put it into words yet.

As AI tools get smarter and more capable, companies are understandably excited about the efficiencies they unlock. Why hire a junior analyst when AI can compile the report faster? Why bring on an entry-level coordinator when automation handles the scheduling and data entry?

On the surface, it sounds like a smart business decision. But let’s think carefully about what we’re trading away — and what it’s already costing an entire generation.

A squeeze from both directions

Young Canadians trying to enter the workforce are facing pressure from two sides at once. AI and automation are shrinking the junior roles that once served as the traditional starting point. At the same time, experienced professionals — many displaced by layoffs or economic uncertainty — are competing for the same part-time and entry-level positions that young people have historically used to get their foot in the door. It’s no surprise that Canada’s youth unemployment rate now sits at over 14%, more than double the adult rate.

The result is a generation caught in an impossible bind: you can’t get experience without a job, and you can’t get a job without experience.

“Every senior leader you admire today was once the person making the coffee, learning by doing, and making recoverable mistakes. That process cannot be automated — and it cannot be skipped.”  – Julie Labrie, president

Why this matters for your organization

The junior role is where leaders are made. Not in classrooms or certifications — but in the messy, hands-on reality of a real workplace. Watching how a senior colleague handles a difficult client. Learning which decisions require escalation and which ones you can own. Absorbing the culture of a team simply by being in the room.

If organizations systematically remove entry-level positions, they are not just solving a short-term cost problem. They are quietly dismantling the pipeline that produces their next generation of managers, directors, and executives. Everyone wants to hire someone with five to seven years of experience — but those professionals have to start somewhere. And this challenge becomes even more significant when viewed alongside Canada’s demographic realities. Many organizations are already preparing for the retirement of experienced employees over the next decade. As baby boomers continue to exit the workforce, employers are facing growing concerns about knowledge transfer, succession planning, and leadership development. If fewer young workers are entering the workforce and gaining practical experience today, employers may find themselves facing an even greater skills and leadership shortage tomorrow. Simply put, the talent pipeline doesn’t replenish itself.

Think about your own career. Few HR leaders started by developing workforce strategies. Few sales executives started by managing major accounts. Most began with administrative tasks, customer inquiries, data entry, scheduling, or supporting senior colleagues. Those early experiences laid the foundation for the judgment and expertise they rely on today.

What you can do about it

The good news is that intentional organizations can turn this moment into a real competitive advantage. Here are five ideas to consider:

1. Reimagine the junior role, don’t eliminate it. If AI is handling the basic tasks, use that freed-up space to give junior employees more meaningful exposure — to clients, decisions, and cross-functional work. You may actually develop talent faster than before.
2. Create structured mentorship from day one. Pairing a junior hire with a senior team member doesn’t just accelerate growth — it transfers institutional knowledge that would otherwise walk out the door when experienced employees retire. Strong mentorship is also one of the most powerful drivers of employee engagement, which matters more than ever in today’s competitive talent landscape.
3. Hire for potential, not just fit. Resist the temptation to always reach for the most experienced candidate. Ask yourself: what could this person become with the right support? Some of the most loyal, high-performing employees are the ones who were given a chance early. 
4. Build AI literacy into onboarding. Young professionals entering the workforce today are natural collaborators with AI tools. Give them proper training and the autonomy to use those tools well — and you’ll have a team that’s both technically fluent and deeply human in their judgment.
5. Think about the long game. The clients we’ve partnered with for decades are the ones who invest in people at every level. Hiring young talent is not a simple handout; it is a long-term investment that offers high returns in loyalty, fresh energy, and vital institutional knowledge for years to come.

The organizations that navigate this moment most wisely will be the ones that allow AI and human potential to grow together rather than treating them as substitutes for one another.

When AI is used to handle repetitive and administrative work, it creates an unprecedented opportunity for people to focus on what humans do best: building relationships, exercising judgment, solving problems, and leading others.

Technology can make work faster.

People make organizations stronger.

Every experienced professional was once given an opportunity to learn.

As organizations embrace AI, the goal shouldn’t be to eliminate the next generation of workers. It should be to help them develop faster, contribute sooner, and grow into the leaders we’ll depend on tomorrow.

Because if we remove too many of the starting points today, we may find ourselves asking a difficult question a decade from now:

Where did all the experienced talent go?

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Reach out to our team today. Whether you’re hiring for entry-level, mid-level, or senior bilingual roles, we’re here to help you find the right people at every stage. Call us at (416) 236-3303 or email [email protected].