Altman believes that a mix of talent—regardless of age—leads to the best teams.
Altman explained that it's crucial to hire both young, inexperienced individuals and more seasoned professionals.
He sees great potential in young people at the beginning of their careers, as they often bring fresh perspectives and energy to the table.
In today’s fast-evolving tech landscape, companies are constantly looking for the best talent. But when it comes to hiring, how important is experience really? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has some strong opinions on this. Altman recently shared his approach to hiring, and it might just change the way you think about what makes someone the right fit for a job.
Altman believes that a mix of talent—regardless of age—leads to the best teams. On Harry Stebbings’s “The Twenty Minute VC” podcast, Altman explained that it’s crucial to hire both young, inexperienced individuals and more seasoned professionals (via Business Insider). “Inexperienced does not inherently mean not valuable,” Altman said. He sees great potential in young people at the beginning of their careers, as they often bring fresh perspectives and energy to the table.
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However, Altman also emphasised the importance of experience for high-stakes tasks. “You want both, and I think what you really want is just like an extremely high talent bar of people at any age,” he said.
He cautioned against hiring only young or only older individuals, believing such strategies would be “misguided.” While inexperienced workers can offer great value, there are certain roles—like designing complex systems—that require the expertise of more experienced individuals.
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This hiring philosophy comes at a time when the tech job market is facing significant shifts. Big tech companies are locked in a fierce competition for top AI talent, with companies like Google and Microsoft willing to pay millions to acquire high-level experts. At the same time, things look harder for junior employees, as many recent graduates are finding it difficult to get jobs, even with the right experience and education.
Altman’s stance is clear: talent should always come first, no matter the age of the candidate.
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
