According to a study by **Randstad**, employees who possess AI skills earn, on average, 25% more than those without such skills. This advantage is evident even early in a career, and those who develop and especially certify their AI skills can advance up to 3.5 times faster than their colleagues. The research shows that verified AI certifications can allow employees to skip traditional career steps based on seniority and access higher positions more quickly. In the United States, job roles are also evolving: traditional customer service roles have decreased by 33%, while those requiring AI integration have increased by 565%. In marketing, nearly 11% of job offers now require AI expertise. The international study by **Randstad** highlights that AI skills are becoming a key factor in earning higher salaries and securing promotions. A young graduate who masters these tools can now "outperform more experienced people" in the company, according to Sander van't Noordende, CEO of **Randstad**. However, van't Noordende notes that technical skills alone are not enough; employees must also possess collaboration abilities, judgment, and emotional intelligence. AI can automate routine tasks, freeing time for more strategic work. Greg Dyer, sales director of **Randstad** in North America, says the most effective employees use AI not just to work faster but also to make time for decisions that require human insight. A study by the **Boston Consulting Group** found that 52% of employees using AI report gaining at least one workday per week. In marketing, 60% of employees say they gain a full workday, while similar percentages are seen in computing, human resources, and finance. **Randstad** observes a gradual shift in what makes an employee valuable in the labor market. While experience and seniority remain important, AI skills allow some workers to significantly shorten the traditional career path. This trend is especially visible among younger employees. In the U.S., for instance, a beginner writer with AI skills can earn 25% more than a similar worker without such skills. In customer service, the salary premium reaches about 24%. **Randstad** notes that mastering AI involves more than just using a chatbot occasionally. Employees must have advanced AI skills or certifications and be able to integrate these tools effectively into their work. Some employees in content creation or customer service who obtain advanced AI certifications can see salary increases of over 40%. The study also found that companies are increasingly using individual raises to reward performance and retain employees with rare, hard-to-find skills. AI may be creating a new category of such skills, with certain human qualities becoming more valuable as AI progresses. In France, **Randstad** found that job postings now emphasize emotional intelligence 73% more and creativity 68% more than before. The demand for problem-solving skills has increased by 35%, critical thinking by 17%, and ethical judgment by 11%. The most valuable employee is not necessarily the one with the most advanced technical knowledge but the one who can use AI tools effectively while also applying human judgment, creativity, or relational skills to interpret results and make decisions. **Randstad** refers to these employees as "augmented talents," a hybrid profile combining technology skills with human qualities. Companies are also struggling to find specialists who can implement AI tools. Job postings for AI Trainers, who train and improve AI models, have increased by 281% in a year, and those for AI Solutions Leads, who oversee AI integration, have risen by 226% globally. This shortage is already evident in France, where it now takes 57 days to hire a machine learning engineer, compared to 37 days in 2024. As a result, companies are investing more in training their own employees. **Randstad** suggests that instead of just trying to attract the few available experts, companies can also recruit young people with AI certifications and train them internally. The group also recommends continuing education and internal mobility to retain employees who gain these skills. The study by **Randstad**’s Talent Intelligence cell analyzed over 35 million job postings published between January 2021 and March 2026 across eleven countries, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France. In France alone, the study examined 2.1 million job postings.