Built using its Trends tool, the first of its kind, which analysed over one million job interviews across 2,000+ global companies, the findings demonstrate the rise of AI mentions across job departments, continued conversations about workplace flexibility and the changing composition of discussions around company culture.

AI’s growing impact

Metaview’s report reveals that mentions of AI in interviews across job departments jumped over 35% across 2024, peaking in November and December. From March, there was an uptick in the number of candidates proactively discussing AI-related skills without always being prompted by the interviewer. Discussions around “prompt engineering” increased across a growing range of departments in 2024. Also, discussion around buzzy “AI agents” overtook discussion of “AI assistants” earlier this year, with the highest frequency of mention happening in Engineering, Product, and Go-To-Market (including Sales and Marketing) interviews. 

Metaview’s data also revealed that Python was mentioned more than twice as often as JavaScript in interviews, aligning with GitHub’s announcement in October that Python is now the most popular language on the platform due to the rise of Generative AI. This demonstrates the wider impact AI is having on skills across industries. 

These trends are set to continue into 2025, with businesses increasingly relying on AI across their entire organisation, demonstrating that AI and technical skills will continue to be a differentiator for top talent, no matter the role. 

The decline of DEI and the importance of cultural alignment

Workplace culture also dominated hiring conversations in 2024. Candidates and interviewers put particular emphasis on their preferences and expectations during the interview process. Mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) fell about 30%, following companies such as Boeing and Ford eliminating their DEI departments. As well, discussions about company culture surged, rising over 40% this year and peaking in the summer. 

The term “cultural fit” became the second most-used phrase by interviewers, while “work-life balance” was one of the top candidate phrases, highlighting the increasing importance of both candidates and interviewers making sure they have the same values and working norms. Mentions of “return-to-office,” for example, peaked in October, reflecting a rise in the number of companies looking to bring teams back on-site. At the same time, candidates continued to prioritise flexibility, with discussions about remote work consistently outpacing discussions of hybrid options. 

Mentions of “adaptability” – identified as one of LinkedIn’s most in-demand skills of the year – steadily increased throughout the year, as did “problem-solving”, and “resilience.” In positive news, mentions of terms like “recession” and “layoff” hit their lowest point in interviews in the final months of the year, after peaking at the start of January. This shows growing employee confidence in job security and highlights the core competencies companies are looking for in today’s changing world as the economy shifts. 

Siadhal Magos, Co-Founder and CEO of Metaview, said: “Nowhere are the motivations and driving forces of today’s job market more laid bare than in conversations between interviewers and candidates. As AI continues to change the face of what virtually every job looks like, organisations are increasingly seeking out candidates who are future-proofing their skills. To win in today’s market, it’s more important than ever for employers to seek out candidates who match their working norms and values. We built Metaview to radically increase hiring leverage and our new Trends tool is a way for organisations to uncover actionable insights to underpin even more informed, data-driven processes.”

The Metaview Trends Tool was built using aggregated data from anonymised interview transcripts. The most frequently mentioned terms were then tracked throughout the year to give recruiters and candidates practical insights.