Generation AI: Job Crafting by Entry-Level Professionals in the Age of Generative AI
Citation. Mayer, A.-S., Baygi, R. M., & Buwalda, R. (2025). Generation AI: Job Crafting by Entry-Level Professionals in the Age of Generative AI. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 67, 595–613. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-025-00959-x
Summary. This qualitative case study examines how entry-level knowledge-work professionals in a Dutch consulting unit used GenAI to proactively reshape their work. It extends behavioral job crafting beyond task and relational changes with “signal crafting”: attempts to make one’s distinctiveness and continued value visible when GenAI makes expertise more widely available. The study also identifies trade-offs: GenAI-supported independence and higher-order work may coexist with less senior support, difficulty diagnosing juniors’ learning needs, raised expectations, and fears of skill loss or role obsolescence.
Key claims
- In this case, entry-level professionals used GenAI to automate routine coordination and production tasks, expand higher-order problem solving and client-facing work, and seek interactive guidance while developing skills.
- GenAI also changed relational crafting: some participants used it to work more independently and gain mentorship-like support, but this could reduce interaction with senior colleagues and make it harder for managers to observe knowledge gaps or support needs.
- The authors identify signal crafting as an emergent behavioral dimension: entry-level professionals made their GenAI competence, contribution, and diligence visible to distinguish themselves and affirm the continuing value of their roles.
- Participants and managers described a conditional career trade-off: GenAI-enabled efficiency and visible capability could support advancement, while copy-paste reliance, elevated performance expectations, and lost foundational practice could threaten long-term development and role security.
Evidence & limitations
- Qualitative single-case study of a technology-strategy unit in a global consulting firm in the Netherlands, based on 27 semi-structured interviews with entry-level professionals, senior consultants, and managers plus 57 days of field observation from February through September 2024.
- The study is rich on mechanisms and lived interpretations but cannot estimate prevalence, causal effects, or generalizability beyond this consulting context; “signal crafting” is an author-derived emergent construct that needs replication and construct validation.
- Peer-reviewed journal article published online 2025-08-06 (print issue October 2025); Drive PDF metadata and Crossref record identify the same DOI and title.