{"id":7122,"date":"2026-05-25T11:27:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stock999.top\/?p=7122"},"modified":"2026-05-25T11:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T11:27:18","slug":"pepsico-cpo-says-their-secret-sauce-to-hiring-top-talent-is-that-they-all-have-hustle-and-are-agile-and-curious-in-the-ai-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stock999.top\/?p=7122","title":{"rendered":"PepsiCo CPO says their \u2018secret sauce\u2019 to hiring top talent is that they all have hustle\u2014And are agile and curious in the AI era"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Employers are shifting their hiring requirements in the AI era; while some are seeking vibe coding and prompting skills, others are doubling down on human intuition and empathy. Becky Schmitt, the chief people officer at PepsiCo, says the legacy brand is still looking for old-school skills as it shifts gears amid its current tech transformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a couple things that are part of our secret sauce, and I\u2019m sure a lot of companies would say this, but our people have hustle,\u201d Schmitt recently said onstage at Fortune\u2019s Workplace Innovation Summit. \u201cHow do you solve problems? How do you have that internal fortitude to work through it? How are you curious? Are you always asking questions?\u201d<\/p>\n

PepsiCo is known as a breeding ground for the next generation of Fortune 500 leaders, minting CEOs like Target\u2019s Brian Cornell, McDonald\u2019s Chris Kempczinski, and Delta Air Lines\u2019 Ed Bastian, to name a few. And the company\u2019s CPO wants to keep a dynamic profile in hiring and shaping great leaders at the company, whether or not they stay or move on to other titans of industry. Schmitt explains that PepsiCo is on the hunt for talent in which both parties feed into one another\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that it\u2019s really about, what\u2019s the person\u2019s education\u2014the one they come with, [and] the one we provide? What exposure can we give them?\u201d the executive said. \u201cHow are we modifying our evaluation process so we\u2019re finding these jewels wherever they sit in the organization?\u2026It\u2019s the kind of work all HR professionals really want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Core human skills have become a hot-ticket item among some employers as AI increasingly automates technical tasks. While tech tools write code, handle meeting notes, and synthesize documents in minutes, people\u2019s natural talents will find new room to thrive. Seven of the top 10 skills on the rise last year were soft skills, according to a 2025 LinkedIn report, including conflict mitigation, adaptability, and public speaking. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has said that having quality communication, critical thinking, and EQ (emotional quotient) will lead talent to \u201cplenty of jobs.\u201d And Anthropic\u2019s Daniela Amodei believes that the things \u201cthat make us human\u201d will be increasingly important in an AI-driven landscape\u2014namely, people skills, curiosity, and compassion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, valuing humans\u2019 capabilities doesn\u2019t mean that tech-savvy is off the table at the food and drink giant. For the Pepsi-Cola brand\u2014which originated in 1893 and became a corporate entity after its 1965 merger with Frito-Lay\u2014innovation is a core element of the company\u2019s success. And that includes keeping up with the latest technologies while running 50-year-old factories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all using [AI] all day long through our devices, so why would you come to work and fill out paper?\u201d the PepsiCo executive said. \u201cIt feels like we should have a change.\u201d<\/p>\n

During this newfound AI transformation, Schmitt says there\u2019s more pressure to explain things to the workforce. The CPO says the company\u2019s main goals are to make jobs safer, more productive, and attractive, all while keeping workers in the loop. The goal is \u201chuman-centric design\u201d: providing value through the technology while staying accountable. Ultimately, Schmitt believes that people will be the drivers of innovation, bolstered by AI-driven productivity. Implementing the tech is just one way PepsiCo is staying sharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do believe that humans are going to create new opportunities, and we believe in re-imagination, and I think that\u2019s going to come from our people\u2014not just from the tech\u2014and people using tech in the right way,\u201d Schmitt continued. \u201cWhen we roll out simple things, you need adoption for it to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

#PepsiCo #CPO #secret #sauce #hiring #top #talent #hustleAnd #agile #curious #era<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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