Like any growing business, we need to balance two priorities: delivering exceptional results for clients today while building the capability we will need tomorrow.

There is an obvious attraction in surrounding ourselves exclusively with experienced professionals, people who can hit the ground running and immediately take responsibility for complex projects. But if every business recruits only people who can already do the job, how will the next generation of talent ever develop?

Talent needs opportunity

In the age of AI, an important question is emerging: will technology accelerate the development of talent, or will it inadvertently remove some of the opportunities that talent needs to develop in the first place?

Over recent months, a number of reports have highlighted two trends taking place at the same time: the rapid growth of AI adoption within businesses and a significant reduction in entry-level recruitment. The evidence does not allow us to say that AI has directly caused every reduction in entry-level employment. However, the relationship between the two is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Many of the activities now being automated were traditionally undertaken by people at the beginning of their careers. Research, administration, data gathering, document preparation. These were not always the most exciting tasks, but they provided an opportunity to learn how organisations operate, develop professional judgement and gradually earn greater responsibility.

Removing those tasks may deliver an immediate cost saving, but it can also remove a role and, with it, an important opportunity to develop talent.

And that is the central issue.

Talent does not develop through potential alone. It develops when people are given the chance to apply knowledge, take responsibility, make decisions, experience setbacks and ultimately achieve success.

If entry-level opportunities continue to disappear, businesses may find themselves facing a future shortage of experienced professionals because fewer people will have been given the chance to gain that experience in the first place.

One striking example of talent being given an opportunity came during one of this summer's major sporting events.

When India played England at Old Trafford, India handed an international debut to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. At just 15 years old, he became the youngest player ever to represent his country.

For several years, Vaibhav had been spoken about as an exceptionally talented young athlete. But at some point, talent must be put to the test, and that requires someone to provide an opportunity. It also requires accepting the risk that someone still developing may take the place of a more experienced performer and, inevitably, make mistakes.

With that decision made, Vaibhav walked out to bat.

Two balls. Two swings. Two misses.

His international career had begun with two misses. Was it a mistake to give him the opportunity?

He could have retreated into his shell. Instead, within the next few deliveries, he struck two sixes against an international bowling attack.

Those first two swings and misses were part of the price of giving emerging talent an opportunity to perform.

Elite sport understands that success cannot be built by focusing exclusively on today's leading performers. It requires continual investment in the athletes who may become tomorrow's champions.

Business should be no different

As we think about the next stage of Feat Factory's growth, we want to retain the strength and experience of our established team while also creating opportunities for emerging talent to contribute, learn and develop alongside them.

The challenge for businesses is not whether to embrace technology. AI will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in how organisations operate and deliver value. The challenge is ensuring that, in the pursuit of efficiency, we do not inadvertently remove the opportunities that help people build experience, judgement and confidence.

If that means providing opportunities and accepting that there may be a few swings and a few misses along the way, so be it.

Because today's emerging talent is tomorrow's experienced professional, but only if someone gives them the chance to become one.