Cognizant created two entirely new AI-era job categories: HR head Azhagiri Selvarajan shares details

The AI hiring conversation is moving beyond where people studied and towards what they can learn next. For Cognizant, the shift is already visible, not only in how it thinks about talent but also in how it is redesigning jobs.

In an interaction with People Matters, Azhagiri Selvarajan, SVP, Head of HR - India & Global HR Leader for Tech Service Lines, Cognizant, explains why the company recently introduced two new AI-era job categories and why employers can no longer rely on traditional hiring signals if they want to build future-ready workforces.

Degrees are no longer the whole story

Academic credentials have long shaped hiring decisions. Selvarajan does not dismiss their value. He simply believes they are no longer enough.

"Credentials still matter, but they are no longer sufficient as a primary filter. In the AI era, the focus is shifting from where someone earned a degree to how quickly they can build, apply, and evolve the skills that matter most."

For Cognizant, interdisciplinary talent is becoming increasingly valuable.

"We believe interdisciplinary talent, people who can combine domain expertise, technology fluency, and operational understanding, will be among the most valuable in the AI-era workforce."

He points to findings from the company's joint study with Pearson, The AI Workforce Pulse: The Adaptability Imperative, which found nearly 70% of HR leaders say broad, cross-domain backgrounds are more valuable than deep specialization for AI-era roles.

The study also highlights growing appreciation for candidates from liberal arts backgrounds because they often bring "critical thinking and human-centered perspectives that purely technical profiles may sometimes lack."

Three human capabilities AI cannot replace

If educational pedigree is losing its dominance, what takes its place? Selvarajan identifies three capabilities employers should pay closer attention to.

• Learning agility, or "the ability to continuously acquire, apply and adapt skills as technology evolves."
• Judgement under ambiguity, because while AI can analyse information at scale, "deciding which questions to ask and how to act on those insights still relies on human reasoning."
• Empathy and emotional intelligence, as "the human ability to build trust, manage relationships and lead through change becomes an increasingly important differentiator."

Together, these qualities paint a picture of talent built for constant change rather than fixed expertise.

Why Cognizant created two new AI-era job categories

Perhaps the clearest sign of this thinking is Cognizant's decision to introduce two entirely new job categories.

"The definition of high-potential talent is evolving from being an 'expert in what exists today' to being 'capable of building what comes next.'"

Selvarajan says the company recently introduced:

• Frontier Certified Engineer
• Frontier Business Operator

According to him, these roles "combine technical fluency, operational ownership, and human judgment to translate AI capabilities into measurable business outcomes."

He adds, "In a rapidly changing environment, mastery of a fixed body of knowledge has a shorter shelf life than the ability to continuously learn, adapt, and apply sound judgment in areas that did not exist a year ago."

Why old hiring models are struggling

Many hiring models still lean heavily on degrees, institutional reputation and previous job titles. Selvarajan believes those signals reveal only part of the picture.

"Traditional hiring models tend to rely on static signals such as degrees, institutional reputation and prior roles."

They provide "limited insight into how well an individual will succeed in AI-native environments, where adaptability, continuous learning, and the ability to work effectively alongside AI are increasingly important."

He also notes another blind spot. Conventional hiring "can also undervalue non-linear career paths, which are often where some of the strongest adaptive thinkers emerge."

Skills intelligence is becoming a business capability

Selvarajan believes organisations first need to redefine the jobs themselves.

"Today, the skills required for jobs are changing faster than the job descriptions themselves."

He cites another finding from the Cognizant-Pearson study.

97% of HR professionals plan to redefine job roles to reflect how AI is changing day-to-day work.

For employers, the implication is clear.

"Organisations need better ways to assess learning agility, problem-solving ability, adaptability, and the capacity to apply skills in new contexts."

He adds organisations with "dynamic skills intelligence, understanding what their people can do today and what they are actively developing, will make stronger talent decisions than those relying primarily on credentials captured at the point of entry."

Building talent instead of simply buying it

Selvarajan believes access to opportunity is already widening.

"At Cognizant, we are broadening who we consider for career opportunities because we recognise the value of interdisciplinary experience and demonstrated capabilities, not just traditional educational backgrounds."

The company is also investing beyond recruitment.

Through Cognizant Synapse, it aims to upskill two million individuals globally by 2030 through grants, community partnerships and other initiatives.

Looking ahead, Selvarajan believes the organisations that succeed will rethink talent itself.

"The distinguishing factor will be whether an organisation treats talent as a dynamic, buildable asset or as a fixed quantity to be selected and deployed."

He concludes successful employers will "define the capabilities they need before they hire, invest in learning as continuous infrastructure rather than a periodic event, and activate managers as talent developers."