AI in office jobs: what employers are actually asking for

AI features heavily in discussions about the future of work. But what does it look like in the adverts people are applying to today?

We reviewed 3,500+ office-family adverts published on Ontap. Just 4% mentioned AI or a named tool such as ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot—only 130 adverts.

Reading the surrounding wording made a difference. In 74 adverts—2% of the sample—the mention concerned the work itself, skills, workplace tools or an interest in learning. The other 56 concerned recruitment processes, guidance about AI-written applications or company background.

Marketing has the clearest signal

Of the 226 Marketing adverts reviewed, 41 contained a role-related AI mention—18%. That compares with 1% across the other office families combined.

The marketing examples included content creation, campaign workflows, research and responding to changes in AI search. Some requested experience; others welcomed an interest in the technology.

Practical examples beyond marketing

For people in admin and finance, the examples were often recognisable everyday tasks.

An Office Administrator in Cambridge, advertised at £30,000–£35,000, called for practical generative-AI experience alongside Microsoft 365. Uses included research, drafting, meeting summaries and managing information.

A Project Coordinator in Hertfordshire, at £28,000–£32,000, would help manage meeting minutes, including checking AI-generated notes.

A Finance Assistant in Aylesbury, at £35,000–£38,000, asked for familiarity with AI tools or a willingness to learn how to use them appropriately for finance tasks.

Those examples suggest a useful starting point: learn how to apply AI to a task you understand, then check the result carefully.

Read the AI wording carefully

An advert saying the recruiter uses AI to screen applications tells you about recruitment. It does not, by itself, mean you need AI skills.

Similarly, advice about keeping an AI-assisted application truthful and personal is different from a requirement to use AI at work.

Even among the 74 role-related adverts, the expectations varied. Existing experience, desirable knowledge and willingness to learn should not be treated as the same requirement.

About this snapshot

We searched the titles and available descriptions of Ontap’s published office-family adverts on 16 October 2026, removed exact formatting duplicates and reviewed every matching mention in context.

This is an Ontap snapshot, not a representative survey of UK employers. Separately attached person specifications were not searched, and some reworded duplicate adverts may remain. An advert’s silence about AI does not mean the employer does not use it. Percentages are rounded to whole numbers.

Want to try a practical task? Read Ontap’s AI tips, or see our first-hand beginner course reviews.