Can OpenAI Really Take on LinkedIn with AI-powered Hiring?

You have to admire OpenAI. 

The Sam Altman-led company has been growing aggressively this year – at time of writing that growth has seen 16 product and company announcements in the last 30 days (checked and verified by its very own GPT5, naturally). 

With that kind of momentum, it’s not surprising that in OpenAI’s San Francisco HQ every market and every application looks like an opportunity. 

So, why not take on the likes of LinkedIn with a new AI-powered hiring and employee certification platform? 

That’s what OpenAI CEO of Applications Fidj Simo announced in a blog on 1 October, saying that the business will “use AI to help find the perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer”.

The product, known as the OpenAI Jobs Platform, will help large companies and small businesses find AI-savvy workers and unlock future skill sets

Nurturing AI-native talent

While most C-suite leaders are still grappling with just how much AI will change the job market, the disruption it brings will require inevitable changes.

OpenAI’s aim is to limit that impact by putting the technology front and centre of the future job market. 

“AI will unlock more opportunities for more people than any technology in history,” says Fidj. “It will help companies operate more efficiently, give anyone the power to turn their ideas into income and create jobs that don’t even exist today. 

“But AI will also be disruptive. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us – from shift workers to CEOs – will have to learn how to work in new ways.”

She says that, while OpenAI can’t eliminate this disruption, it can focus on what it does best: helping people become fluent in the technology, provide greater access and learning opportunities, then connect individuals with businesses. 

Helping businesses hire

The OpenAI Jobs Platform is one of two initiatives the company is working on to help democratise AI in the workforce. 

“If you’re a business looking to hire an AI-savvy employee, or you just need help with a specific task, finding the right person can be hit-or-miss,” says Fidj.

“The OpenAI Jobs Platform will have knowledgeable, experienced candidates at every level and opportunities for anyone looking to put their skills to use. And we’ll use AI to help find the perfect matches between what companies need and what workers can offer.”

Despite large enterprises crying out for AI-native skills, the platform will also have a dedicated service for small and local businesses, as well as local government organisations looking to recruit the right talent. 

Trust and collaboration

Trust is a critical part of the hiring process. And while OpenAI’s platform can serve up businesses with AI-savvy talent, the company is also developing certifications that demonstrate future employees know how to use the technology. 

This development builds on the already existing OpenAI Academy, a free online learning platform that has helped connect more than two million people with resources, workshops and communities focused on AI education. 

“Now we’re going to expand the Academy by offering certifications for different levels of AI fluency, from the basics of using AI at work all the way up to AI-custom jobs and prompt engineering,” says Fidj. 

“We’ll obviously use AI to teach AI: anyone will be able to prepare for the certification in ChatGPT’s Study mode and become certified without leaving the app. And companies will be able to make it part of their own learning and development programmes.”

Through this approach, the tech firm aims to certify 10 million Americans by 2030. 

The work is being developed and rolled out with several major US employers, including the likes of John Deere, Boston Consulting Group and Walmart. 

“At Walmart, we know the future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone – it will be defined by people who know how to use it,” says John Furner, CEO of Walmart US, the biggest private employer in the world. 

“By bringing AI training directly to our associates, we’re putting the most powerful technology of our time in their hands – giving them the skills to rewrite the playbook and shape the future of retail.”

OpenAI says the new initiatives are being launched as part of its commitment to the White House’s efforts to expand AI literacy.