Robert Walters chief warns graduates face a higher bar to employment as artificial intelligence automates routine work — even as companies adopting the technology seek more specialist staff
Artificial intelligence is transforming Britain’s jobs market, eliminating routine tasks while creating fresh demand for specialist workers — but young people and graduates are facing a much tougher battle to get their careers started, the chief executive of recruitment giant Robert Walters has warned.
Toby Fowlston said the disruption caused by AI had, in many respects, been “very good”, freeing workers from administrative duties and allowing them to concentrate on the human interactions that remain central to business.
But his assessment came with a stark caveat: as employers increasingly automate entry-level work, the traditional first rung on the career ladder is becoming harder to reach.
“The bar for entry” into the jobs market was now “much higher” for young people and graduates, Fowlston told the Press Association, highlighting the growing challenge facing those attempting to secure their first professional role.
His comments underline a central tension in the AI revolution. While businesses are using the technology to improve efficiency, the same automation that removes repetitive work may also narrow opportunities for inexperienced workers to gain the skills and experience employers demand.
For Robert Walters, however, AI is proving to be both a challenge and a source of opportunity.
The London-listed recruitment group reported a 10% year-on-year increase in UK net fees to £13.2 million in the quarter to September 30, helping send its shares up about 8% in afternoon trading on Wednesday.
Fees from its specialist recruitment operations — spanning permanent and temporary hiring, executive search and interim management — rose 14% in the UK, supported by what the company described as a good performance in permanent recruitment. Recruitment outsourcing fees increased 19%.
Globally, net fees rose 1% in constant currency to about £69.7 million, suggesting signs of improvement after a bruising period for the business.
Fowlston argued that AI was not simply replacing workers. By allowing employees to automate certain tasks, he said, the technology was also creating capacity and prompting some businesses to recruit more people.
“Every single person within their job likely has tasks which are automatable and tasks which are not,” he said.
Organisations that had embraced AI were increasingly discovering an even greater need for people, he added, particularly in areas such as law, compliance and cyber security, where expertise is needed to support the adoption and use of the technology.
Yet the benefits are unlikely to be distributed evenly. Administrative work, often an entry point for graduates and younger employees, is among the areas being reshaped by automation.
Fowlston urged employers to look beyond technical credentials and recognise the qualities machines cannot readily replicate, including emotional intelligence, communication and the ability to build relationships face-to-face.
He also called for government intervention to improve access to employment for young people, while encouraging hiring managers to meet candidates in person.
“Unless it’s a hugely technical and specialised role, you’re hiring a person, you’re hiring a human being,” he said.
The warning comes as Robert Walters attempts to rebuild after a difficult period. The group cut its global workforce by about 15% last year, with UK fee-earning roles reduced by a quarter, as it sought to offset weaker trading.
Earlier this year, it raised its cost-saving target to at least £12 million a year by 2027, up from £10 million, as it pursued a recovery after reporting a £19.6 million loss in 2025.
Analysts are expecting an operating loss of about £8.3 million this year.
Founded in 1985, Robert Walters operates in 29 countries and employs about 2,800 people.
For Britain’s workforce, the challenge is becoming increasingly clear: AI may create new jobs and give businesses more room to grow, but for those hoping to secure their first foothold in employment, the route in could become considerably more difficult.
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