Schmitt said the company’s “secret sauce” for hiring centers on employees who show persistence, curiosity and strong problem-solving ability as AI tools increasingly handle routine tasks.

On Monday, Fortune reported that Schmitt, speaking at its Workplace Innovation Summit, said, “There’s a couple things that are part of our secret sauce… our people have hustle.”

She added, “How do you solve problems? How do you have that internal fortitude to work through it? How are you curious? Are you always asking questions?”

She said PepsiCo is also rethinking how it evaluates talent, focusing on uncovering potential across the organization and investing in employee development.

“What exposure can we give them? How are we modifying our evaluation process so we’re finding these jewels wherever they sit in the organization?” Schmitt said.

While AI is becoming more embedded in workplace tools, she said human skills remain essential even as automation expands across industries.

The move reflects a broader industry shift toward using AI to filter job applications and streamline hiring, as adoption of AI tools in recruitment continues to rise and the sector is projected to grow steadily in the coming years.

Amazon said the system helps manage large-scale hiring more efficiently while notifying candidates when AI is involved in the process.

Separately, Elon Musk ramped up hiring for SpaceXAI, calling for elite engineers and physicists to join even without prior AI experience, saying, “smart humans figure it out fast.”

The move came alongside SpaceX’s push toward a potential $1.75 trillion IPO, where AI is expected to play a key role in future growth.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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