Artificial Intelligence isn’t just transforming technology – it’s redefining how we work, create, and hire. We spoke with Tal Bebchuk, Frontend Guild Lead, Gal Sharir, Backend Guild Lead, and Lital Levi, R&D Recruitment Team Lead, three leaders navigating this new frontier in real time. They shared how AI is reshaping recruitment, which skills have become essential, and why human touch is more critical now than ever before.

The AI Mindset: More Than Just Technical Skills

AI is no longer “just a tool.” As Gal puts it, it’s a mindset shift. “Those who don’t jump on this train risk falling behind,” she says. “We have to adapt what we assess and how we assess it to find the people who are ready to jump on this fast moving train.”

The shift became clear when almost every candidate’s home assignment was AI-assisted. “We realized evaluating the final code was no longer enough. The real insights are in the thought process behind it”, says Gal. Gal and Lital shared that they noticed that candidates naturally began using AI at the home assignment stage, which prompted us to adapt. Rather than focusing solely on task completion, we redesigned assignments to allow more code within the same timeframe, while assessing both the quality of the code and the candidate’s deep understanding of it.

Tal experienced a similar shift when returning from maternity leave. “Nothing was the same. The discourse, the way teams debug, the communication – it has all shifted.”

Gal Sharir, Backend Guild Lead

Redefining Talent: Ownership Beyond the Code

At Wix, we value versatility, adaptability and judgment as core competencies when interacting with AI.

Tal explains: “Candidates must understand problems deeply, evaluate AI-generated answers critically and make solid decisions. Knowing how to interact with AI effectively is becoming a core part of the developer’s toolkit.”

Gal echoes this: “Our focus is on ownership, critical thinking and systemic understanding. Making sure developers know they are still the owner of the system, even if AI wrote it.”

In other words, developers are no longer just coders, they’re mini-managers, orchestrating AI tools to produce the best outcomes.

Transforming Recruitment: The ‘How’ Matters More Than the ‘What’

At Wix, recruitment processes are evolving rapidly to reflect the AI era. Traditional coding interviews still have a place in testing algorithmic thinking and technical ability, but as Gal points out, “the code itself is no longer a reliable measure. What truly matters today is how candidates think, structure problems, and interact with AI.”

A major shift is happening in the engineering guilds, where home assignments are now deliberately designed with a workload that cannot be completed without AI. Tal explains, using AI isn’t optional – it’s a must. Candidates are expected to embrace these tools while taking full ownership of the results: demonstrating deep understanding, making conscious choices, and being able to explain their reasoning in detail. Lital adds, ״We’re looking for candidates who can keep pace with the rapid changes happening at Wix and in the wider world.”

That’s why we expect them to use AI and show us how they operate within this new reality that affects us all. A candidate who hasn’t embraced this technology will likely struggle to succeed-not only at Wix but in the profession itself as it continues to evolve.

Tal Bebchuk, Frontend Guild Lead

To capture this, Wix is increasingly turning to live, interactive interviews with screen sharing to gain full visibility into how candidates use AI-from their initial thought process, to how they craft prompts, and how they interact with the tool throughout the task. And while AI can accelerate coding, both Gal and Tal emphasize that design interviews remain indispensable, as they test architectural judgment and system-level thinking – areas where human expertise still reigns.

The Evolving Workforce: New Roles and Fresh Starting Points

AI is opening the door to entirely new responsibilities and career paths, and Wix has been proactive in preparing its workforce for this change. Developers today enter the profession from a new starting point: juniors are expected to arrive ready to work with AI tools from day one, while seniors are expanding their impact by leading AI-assisted workflows, focusing on quality, architecture and system-level thinking.

Wix has provided extensive training, resources and support to ensure employees can make a smooth transition into AI-enhanced work, equipping them with the tools to thrive in this new environment. As Tal describes it, “When working correctly with AI agents, every developer becomes a team lead of a small squad of agents.” This shift creates faster progress and opportunities to grow into roles that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.”

The expectation for new hires is clear: we seek self-driven and adaptable individuals who embrace change, are excited by new tools and are eager to explore the possibilities that AI brings to their work. We also value versatility, the ability to learn quickly, dive into new domains, and work across different technological stacks.

Lital Levi, R&D Recruitment Team Lead

The Human Element Remains Irreplaceable

Despite AI’s power, responsibility and human judgment are non-negotiable. Tal emphasizes: “Pressing the deploy button is done by a developer. Ownership is everything. AI can suggest, but humans must decide.”

Gal adds a metaphor: “AI is like a talented developer in their early career – full of potential but still in need of guidance. Someone has to steer the ship.” Managing AI effectively requires critical thinking and accountability – qualities AI can’t replicate at the moment.

Tips for Candidates in the AI Era

• Embrace environments that support AI integration. Look for teams and roles where AI is actively incorporated into workflows, and where learning and experimentation with AI tools is encouraged.

• Learn AI fluently and take ownership of your learning. Go beyond surface-level use: understand different models, practice prompt design, and know when to trust or challenge AI. If your current environment doesn’t yet allow AI, build your skills independently-recognize its importance, practice using it, and strengthen your research and self-initiative.

• Show control, not dependence. Explain your steps, self-check your work, and never submit code you don’t fully understand.

• Use AI to accelerate thinking, not replace it. The goal is enhanced problem-solving, not automation of judgment.

• Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. Everyone is still learning AI and evolving with the technology. What organizations value most is curiosity, openness to explore, and a willingness to grow – not just perfect results.

Looking Ahead: Recruitment in Constant Motion

Gal and Tal both agree: predicting the future of recruitment or developer roles is nearly impossible. One thing is certain – the landscape is constantly evolving, and adaptability is key.

Lital adds that adaptability and personal initiative will be essential in the coming period. Thriving in this new era means moving quickly, focusing on deeper levels of programming, and knowing where to shift your attention.

For tech professionals, the message is clear: embrace AI, master it and remember the human touch. Critical thinking, ownership and responsibility remain the ultimate differentiators in a world where machines can write code, but only humans can decide how it should evolve.

If you’re curious, collaborative and love solving big challenges, we’d love to meet you! Check out our open career opportunities.