GoKawiilShopify COO Jess Hertz Says Company Now Prioritizes 'X-Shaped' Employees Over Specialists
Shopify COO Jess Hertz said the $185 billion e-commerce company is shifting its hiring criteria toward what she calls 'X-shaped people'—workers with multiple deep areas of expertise rather than one specialty paired with broad general skills. She explained this change is driven by AI's growing role in the workplace, which demands employees who can absorb complexity and work fluidly across disciplines. Hertz made the comments on the Rapid Response podcast, noting Shopify recently posted $3.58 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 34% year-over-year.