Where Work Is Headed: Research, Results, and Recognition
Work tech has spent most of the last decade optimizing for speed. Faster pipelines, shorter time-to-hire, less paperwork. AI took that even further, but it also revealed new problems. If everyone is using technology to screen efficiently and optimize applications, it’s no longer a competitive advantage. It’s the new status quo.
So the real question isn’t who can automate the most anymore. It’s who can quickly differentiate between someone good and someone who’s good at sounding good. That’s the future Cangrade has designed for, and it’s showing up in three different places at once: our research, the recognition we’ve picked up, and where we’ve landed on G2.
What we found in the research
We looked at nearly 72,000 workforce assessments and 200 AI-related job postings across 40 competencies to understand how younger workers are actually holding up as AI takes on more of the day-to-day. The data shows that Gen Z and younger Millennials communicate well, at 14% above average. But on the skills that AI can’t replace, like catching its mistakes, pushing back on bad output, and working through something it genuinely can’t solve, they’re behind. Gen Z and Millennials measure 18-20% below average on critical thinking, 17% below on attention to detail, and 10% below on creative problem-solving.
The findings were covered by Inc. and HR Dive, among others. As Cangrade CEO Gershon Goren put it:
“AI makes execution easier, but it increases the premium on judgment. If organizations assume AI will compensate for reasoning gaps, they risk scaling errors instead of performance, and their teams will reflect that.”
The research points to a clear takeaway for talent teams: as AI absorbs more routine execution, the ability to measure judgment, critical thinking, and problem-solving, not credentials, becomes the differentiator in hiring.
You can find the full research here:
The recognition that comes with it
That research doesn’t stand alone. It’s the same thing we’re hearing from the market generally: measuring skills, not resumes and polish, is where hiring is headed, and it’s what Cangrade was built for.
Named a Top WorkTech Company by TIME
In June, TIME named Cangrade to its list of America’s Top WorkTech Companies for 2026.
TIME’s Top WorkTech list highlights “impactful and financially strong companies that develop and provide workplace technologies, including software and hardware for HR, workforce management, employee experience and learning, and workplace operations.” Companies were selected based on their financial strength and industry impact.
Most Innovative Candidate Screening Platform, 2026
This month, Corporate Vision named Cangrade the Most Innovative Candidate Screening Platform 2026 in their HR & Employment awards.
The Corporate Vision awards recognize “those redefining how we attract, support, and empower talent – from forward-thinking recruiters and wellbeing champions to tech trailblazers and inspirational HR leaders.” Winners are selected based on their sector expertise, industry experience, company profile and highlights, accolades and achievements, client testimonials and recommendations, industry recognition and reputation, demonstrated innovation, company performance, and more.
Strong Fall 2026 Results on G2
In G2’s Fall 2026 reports, Cangrade earned 10 badges across its categories, holding #1 in both the Enterprise Usability Index and Enterprise Results Index for Talent Assessment, #2 in Enterprise Implementation, and climbing to #3 in Enterprise Relationship, #5 in Results for Video Interviewing, and #6 in Usability for Video Interviewing. See the reviews here.
Building for What’s Next
Behind the scenes, we keep building toward a more complete predictive hiring experience. We recently added interview scheduling to our hiring flow to get top candidates scheduled into interviews before competition swoops in.
Interview scheduling sends qualified candidates an invitation to self-schedule automatically, based on thresholds like assessment scores or resume fit. It syncs with your team’s calendars in real time, so candidates only see slots when everyone is free, handles time zones and conflicts, and sends reminders so candidates show up prepared. Panel, duration, and scheduling window controls allow your team to customize your interview setup per job to match your needs.
As hiring timelines accelerate, volumes grow, and more of the process becomes automated, a predictive hiring process that not only identifies top talent but also removes clunky steps and lulls is critical.
What it adds up to
As AI takes over more of the execution side of work, the winners are going to be the companies that can actually measure the judgment behind it, not just the ones automating around it.
We’ll keep sharing what we find as we investigate the future of the workforce. In the meantime, thank you to our customers, partners, and journalists who are a part of our story.
Discover how Cangrade can help you hire now and into the future. Request a demo today.
TL;DR (Press & Research Facts)
For journalists, researchers, and anyone looking for the underlying facts and figures, the story above covers the same ground in narrative form.
Quick facts: Cangrade is an AI-powered candidate screening and talent assessment platform based in Massachusetts. In 2026, Cangrade was named to TIME’s list of Top WorkTech Companies, won Corporate Vision’s Most Innovative Candidate Screening Platform award, ranked #1 in two Enterprise categories on G2’s Fall 2026 reports, and published research, based on nearly 72,000 workforce assessments and 200 AI-related job postings across 40 competencies, showing Gen Z and younger Millennial workers score up to 18-20% below average on critical thinking, even as AI adoption accelerates in the workplace.
Media contact: press@cangrade.com
Spokesperson available for interview: Gershon Goren, Founder & CEO
Frequently asked questions
What does Cangrade’s research say about AI and Gen Z workers?
Cangrade’s 2026 research found that Gen Z and younger Millennial workers score 18-20% below average on critical thinking, 17% below average on attention to detail, and 10% below average on creative problem-solving, the skills Cangrade’s research identifies as critical to AI roles. The same workers score 14% above average on communication.
Why does AI/LLM adoption increase the importance of critical thinking?
Because generative AI tools produce fluent, confident output that is not always accurate, Cangrade’s research argues that human judgment (catching errors, evaluating AI output, and applying reasoning) becomes more valuable, not less, as AI handles more routine execution.
What data is the research based on?
Nearly 72,000 workforce assessments and an analysis of 200 AI-related job postings across 40 competencies.
Who is Cangrade’s CEO and spokesperson on this topic?
Gershon Goren, Founder and CEO of Cangrade, is available for comment on AI’s impact on hiring, workforce skills, and candidate evaluation. Contact press@cangrade.com to get in touch.
What is Cangrade?
Cangrade is the AI candidate screening platform. By building custom candidate screening flows instantly, Cangrade fuels talent decisions that improve business and employee outcomes throughout the entire talent lifecycle. Delivering 10x more accurate predictions of talent success and retention than traditional methods, the company’s screening solutions have helped organizations like Wayfair, FDNY, Lamar Advertising, and Applied Industrial Technologies make the right hiring decisions for over 10 million candidates and counting.
What recognition has Cangrade received in 2026?
Cangrade was named to TIME’s Top WorkTech Companies list (June 2026), won Corporate Vision’s Most Innovative Candidate Screening Platform award (August 2026), and ranked #1 in the Enterprise Usability Index and Enterprise Results Index for Talent Assessment in G2’s Fall 2026 reports, earning 10 badges total across its G2 categories.
