HRM and skills development – October 2025
Skills shortages meet digital ambition
According to ABN AMRO (in Dutch), people remain the key driver of performance, even in industries racing to automate. In the Dutch food sector, rising costs and staff shortages are forcing companies to improve efficiency through both automation and human development. “Without people, machines stand still,” the report (in Dutch, 628 kB) concludes. Companies that link efficiency investments to targeted training and retention strategies maintain a crucial competitive edge.
AI: strategy versus execution
A survey by Lucid reveals a widening gap between AI strategy and execution. While most firms experiment with generative AI, few have ethical guidelines or documented processes in place. AI agents often deliver inconsistent results, and interdepartmental coordination is weak. The study stresses that governance, documentation and collaboration must become core business disciplines to realise reliable value from automation.
AI adoption without clear returns
According to Adecco Group’s Global Workforce of the Future 2025 report (3.80 MB), 71% of employees now say “nothing holds me back” from using AI, up from just 19% a year earlier. Yet the perceived time saved often exceeds reality. Many workers use the extra hours for equally routine or administrative tasks.
Automation grows, anxiety lingers
Intelligence Group (in Dutch) research shows that one in three tasks in the Netherlands could already be automated by AI. The effects vary sharply by sector: administrative and data-heavy roles face rapid transformation, while craft and service-based jobs remain more resilient. You can download the report (in Dutch) after filling in your details. A survey (8.79 MB) by SHRM finds that 23.2 million US jobs already have half their tasks automated, though full job replacement remains rare.
These findings together suggest that employees see AI as a supportive tool rather than a threat—so long as employers redesign roles and retrain staff.
The human side of transformation
In a recent report (9.44 MB), BSI warns that AI-driven efficiency is reducing entry-level roles, especially in large organisations, threatening the pipeline of skilled young professionals. This imbalance could undermine long-term talent development unless firms reinvest in inclusive training. EBRI concludes in a report (300 kB) that while most employers now offer mental-health coverage, support for substance-use issues and burnout prevention still lags behind. A report (9.04 MB) by Gallup shows that emotional wellbeing remains fragile worldwide: 39% of people experienced worry and 37% stress on the previous day. The link between wellbeing and productivity, once peripheral, is now central to workforce resilience.
A call for inclusive growth
According to a report (2.84 MB) by the World Economic Forum, AI, robotics and digital technologies are reshaping seven job families covering 80% of the global workforce. Managing that disruption requires coordinated action on skills, inclusion and decent-work policies. From Gen Z’s precarious career start to executives’ limited readiness, one message recurs across studies: technology is advancing faster than people and organisations can adapt. Bridging that gap—through lifelong learning, better leadership and ethical deployment of AI—will define who truly benefits from the next wave of automation.
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