Artificial Intelligence: How Middle Management Leaders Gain a Competitive Advantage
The higher the position, the greater the expectation of AI competence. A top headhunter exclusively reveals which questions he uses to test them - and when he immediately sorts out applicants.
Düsseldorf - Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a struggling economy are not only leading to fewer hires, but also to job losses. Workers in positions other than clerical are no longer the only ones affected. Even executives are not immune to AI's reach. According to the Federal Agency for Labor, there were 14.3% more unemployed executives in 2025 than the previous year.
This is because AI can already handle parts of executive duties, such as resource planning, calculations, and cost control. The "Job-Futuromat" of the Institute for Labor Market and Career Research (IAB) calculated that 67% of an executive's job profile can be replaced by algorithms. The middle management is particularly vulnerable.
"We need to prove ourselves even more today," says headhunter Bernhard Stieger, who presented exclusive questions to Handelsblatt. What would you have answered to his questions, and would you still have a chance at a leadership position?
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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