Sandra Oliver, EY Global Assurance Talent Leader answers a Q&A from The HR World on her organisation’s skills strategy.
Q: Which skills are most important for your employees to develop at the moment?
A: What I am seeing is a clear shift in the skills that matter most, as the audit profession evolves in an increasingly AI-enabled and data-driven environment.
AI is transforming the profession, particularly for early-career professionals. Our teams are already using AI to automate routine tasks, freeing up time for more strategic, high-value work. This allows professionals to focus earlier on unlocking business insights and delving deeper into complex client issues, while continuing to show healthy skepticism. Recognising the pace of change, it’s important to have a continuous learning mindset coupled with key human-centric skills – our people will need to be resilient, self-motivated, and take both initiative and personal responsibility when it comes to working in an AI future.
This shift is at the heart of our ongoing investment in audit technology and our recent announcement on the rollout of agentic AI, which reflects how we are redefining the audit experience by combining advanced technology with human capabilities at scale.
While AI is often perceived primarily as a tool for efficiency, its real impact is as a career accelerator. It enables faster upskilling, enhances analytical capabilities, and provides exposure to complex problem-solving earlier in careers. Ultimately, the most critical skills combine AI fluency, critical thinking, agility and human judgment, enabling auditors to deliver high-quality work that builds trust and confidence in capital markets.
Q: Does the demand for these skills reflect businesses’ need to be agile and fast-moving in today’s market?
A: Absolutely. Businesses today are navigating constant technological change, evolving regulation and increasing expectations from stakeholders. In this context, audit professionals are no longer focused solely on reviewing the past, they are expected to engage with complexity in real time and provide more forward-looking insights.
We are investing heavily in upskilling our more than 130,000 Assurance professionals globally, with a strong focus on AI, data and analytics.
This requires individuals who can embrace continuous learning, develop a curious mindset, adapt quickly and apply judgment in dynamic environments. This shift in skills demand reflects the evolving value of the audit and the transformation of the audit profession, moving beyond compliance checking to play a more strategic role in uncovering insights and value creation that supports decision-making and reinforces confidence in a rapidly changing landscape.
Q: How are you approaching technology and AI skills, and how are you investing in these areas to ensure employees can use new technologies effectively?
