Cisco's HR chief says AI and ML roles are 'really hard' to fill. Getting execs on the phone helps.

• Cisco's Kelly Jones says AI and machine-learning operations roles are the hardest to fill at the company.
• Jones, Cisco's chief people officer, said high demand and specialization drive competition for AI talent.
• She said the company's chief product officer will call especially in-demand candidates.

Specialized AI talent can be hard to come by — and companies are jockeying to scoop them up.

In the midst of an ongoing battle for elite talent, Cisco's chief people officer says that AI and machine-learning operations positions are "really hard" to fill at the company.

"The qualified pool is so small, and the demand is so high," Jones said.

Part of that is because "everyone" is currently hiring for those positions right now. She said that every forward-thinking organization needs AI in its products and also in its internal IT teams.

Those jobs also require a "slightly different level of specialization," she said. AI and ML Ops roles typically involve automating and streamlining IT operations, the company said. The strongest candidates are those with experience working in AI, ML, and operations, and those who have a track record of developing successful products.

"We're looking for people who have done this, who have been there, and have a good story to tell," Jones said, adding that she wants to know about what they built.

Getting execs on the phone

As the AI talent wars continue, Jones said that one factor that makes a "really big difference" is having leaders at the company talk directly to talent. She said that shouldn't reflect negatively on recruiters, but in the current landscape, there's "a lot of AI washing going on," which makes it hard to differentiate the real wins.

"Companies are talking about all these things they're doing and how they're slapping AI on everything," Jones said. "But they're actually not doing interesting things with work or with products."

She said mobilizing executives like Cisco's president and chief product officer, Jeetu Patel, has helped score some of those top candidates. She said when the company has a strong AI candidate, he'll pick up the phone and give them a call.

"If there's someone that we are really strategically trying to hire, we will get him involved," Jones said.

Patel, whom the company poached from Box in 2020, understands the connection between having the best people design products and the success of those products, Jones said.

Cisco isn't the only company to use this technique. Citadel CTO Umesh Subramanian recently told Business Insider that he personally calls top entry-level candidates during the hiring process to talk through their decision-making.

OpenAI's Sam Altman has also reportedly called candidates to convince them to join the AI company, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously appeared in email chains to recruit talent and has also reportedly hosted top candidates at his home for meals.

Finding the right talent

What qualifies a candidate to get a phone call from Cisco's Patel?

Aside from "top-tier" technical skills and experience, Jones assesses for behavior and potential when evaluating top talent. She said, "It's not just about skills," because those can be learned, but also about the leadership characteristics an applicant has.

"We want to know, not only have you done these things, but are you intellectually curious? Are you intellectually and emotionally agile? Are you someone who brings your team along with you?" Jones said.

Jones said that the company also has to put its efforts toward "naturally" attracting talent both online and in person by creating a presence in the tech community. She said that includes having senior leaders connect with talent at industry events and building community through channels like its Tech Pulse newsletter, which highlights Cisco's leadership in the AI era.

It also involves leaders sharing career opportunities on LinkedIn and participating in events with entry talent recruiting to engage with the next generation of AI professionals, the company said.

"We've tried to insert ourselves into not just your typical talent branding, but going where that talent lives — in the forums that they're on, in the hobbies that they have, to ensure that we have a presence there," Jones said.