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Building a skills-first workforce
Building a skills-first workforce
Skills are the new currency of work. In the current climate of talent scarcity, technological disruption and shifting workforce expectations, HR teams are finding that traditional, credential-based approaches are not enough.
Our latest research paper, Building a skills-first workforce, reveals how a growing number of forward-thinking companies are adopting a skills-first mindset, recognising that competencies, not degrees or job titles, drive agility, innovation and business growth.
The report offers you:
Insight into how Top Employers are embedding skills-first practices across the talent lifecycle.
A practical roadmap for building an agile and resilient future-ready workforce.
Our research shows that organisations embracing skills-first practices are already seeing tangible results: improved internal mobility, reduced turnover, and stronger diversity outcomes.
Why it matters
The next wave of workforce performance will be defined by how organisations embed skills-first practices into strategy and culture. Leaders who invest now in skills transparency, career mobility and integrated workforce planning will be better able to meet the needs of their business while planning for the future of talent management.
Sign up to download the research paper for free today and start building a skills-first workforce.
Embedding Transparency and Building Resilience
What does it take to build a resilient workforce in a time of constant change? How can organisations balance transparency with trust, or use AI while staying human-centred? And what does career growth look like in a flatter, more agile world?
These questions reflect the real tensions that HR leaders are grappling with globally. In fact, trust in HR has declined by 11 percentage points since 2022, according to the World of Work Trends 2025 report by Top Employers Institute. This signals a growing need for people practices that are transparent, inclusive, and grounded in purpose.
During her recent visit to Singapore, Nicole Pieterse, Global Head of HR and Property & Casualty at Top Employer Swiss Re, shared how the organisation is responding to these shifts—investing in trust, adaptability, and long-term sustainability to better serve both employees and business goals.
Swiss Re’s approach offers valuable, real-world learnings for HR teams seeking to future-proof their people strategies amid continued disruption.
Let’s get inspired by how Swiss Re is approaching some of the most urgent priorities facing HR today:
Embedding global pay transparency as a trust-building practice supported by manager capability and open dialogue.
Reframing career development for a flatter world—moving beyond vertical promotions to focus on skills, exposure, and agility.
Equipping future leaders with adaptability, ambition and emotional intelligence needed in a rapidly changing, tech-enabled environment.
Evolving workplace culture through distributed ownership and real-time employee listening, rather than relying on top-down cascades.
Introducing AI gradually and purposefully, helping employees shift from fear to empowerment through productivity gains and clear communication.
Making Pay Transparency a Global Standard
Swiss Re is ahead of the curve in responding to upcoming EU pay transparency regulations. Going beyond taking a regional compliance approach, the company is implementing full pay transparency across all major global locations. The aim is twofold: ensure fairness, and foster trust. Employees are now able to see how their pay compares to market benchmarks. This has opened the door for more honest, informed conversations about remuneration, recognition, and career progression.
To support this shift, Swiss Re developed dedicated dashboards for line managers and delivered tailored training to help them navigate complex discussions. This was essential, particularly when addressing sensitive topics such as employees reaching the top of a pay band or those starting at the lower end.
Transparency in pay, when done thoughtfully, becomes a catalyst for deeper conversations about value, growth and retention. As Nicole shared, “It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about what those numbers mean to people.”
Building Line Manager Confidence
Swiss Re recognised early on that transparency would only be meaningful if line managers were confident and skilled in discussing it. To ensure readiness, the organisation took a pragmatic approach by investing in capability-building.
Managers received not only tools, but training sessions grounded in Swiss Re’s overall pay philosophy. Designed as a holistic learning journey. managers gained deeper understanding about the link between reward and development, and how transparency can strengthen employee trust. By treating transparency as a relational practice, the company ensured it was embedded across the employee experience.
This directly addresses a broader challenge identified in the World of Work Trends 2025 report: rebuilding trust in HR and leadership through open dialogue and systems that employees feel are fair and human-centred.
Redesigning Careers for a Flatter World
With fewer layers in the organisation, traditional hierarchical career paths no longer apply. At Swiss Re, this challenge became an opportunity to reframe how growth and development are understood. Employees are now encouraged to build a “skills portfolio” through lateral moves, project-based work, and cross-functional exposure. This is supported by learning opportunities and performance conversations that focus on future potential—not just role-based performance.
Nicole pointed out that employees are still looking for the same fundamental things: growth, good leadership, and purpose. But delivering those experiences now requires more agility and personalisation.
This approach resonates with the shift described in the Trends report – meaningful development is no longer tied to a job title, but rather the accumulation of experience, learning, and capability.
A Future-Ready Leadership Approach
Swiss Re continues to prioritise leadership development, particularly in preparing talent for bigger roles amid growing complexity. The organisation uses a structured assessment framework that goes beyond performance to evaluate ambition, agility, emotional intelligence, and cultural alignment. Importantly, leadership development is tailored to different career stages and integrated into succession planning — ensuring leaders are identified and nurtured well before key roles become vacant.
In parallel, Swiss Re is exploring how AI can complement leadership. Early efforts focus on using AI to improve productivity and data-driven insights, while preserving the role of human leaders as sense-makers and culture carriers.
This hybrid approach reflects an emerging trend: the rise of AI-powered leadership, where leaders use intelligent systems to support strategy and team development — without replacing emotional intelligence and ethical judgment.
Embracing AI with Clarity and Care
Swiss Re has taken a deliberate, phased approach to introducing AI into the workplace. The first phase focused on workplace productivity—giving employees access to tools that save time and reduce manual tasks.
This lowered anxiety and built confidence, laying the foundation for more transformative AI adoption in the future.
Importantly, Swiss Re has framed AI not as a threat, but as a co-pilot. This narrative shift—supported by education and clear communication—has allowed the organisation to introduce new technologies while maintaining trust.
The World of Work Trends 2025 report reinforces this as a best practice: organisations that embrace AI as a partner rather than a disruptor are seeing improved employee engagement and internal promotion rates.
Evolving Culture through Distributed Ownership
Swiss Re has opted for cultural evolution rooted in lived experience. Since the arrival of its new Group CEO in 2024, the company has focused on enhancing what’s already working, while being clear about new expectations for speed, collaboration, and impact.
Key to this effort is the activation of “culture movers”— employees embedded across the business who act as champions of culture and practice. Combined with regular pulse surveys, this approach ensures Swiss Re can respond to local realities without losing global coherence.
Culture, as Nicole puts it, “isn’t about sameness. It’s about alignment between our stated values and how people actually experience the workplace.”
This model aligns closely with insights from the World of Work Trends 2025 report, which highlights how organisations must design cultures that are inclusive of diverse experiences and that extend beyond the organisational boundary.
Responding to Generational Shifts with Inclusive Design
With Gen Z becoming the dominant demographic in many organisations, there’s pressure to tailor workplace strategies to their expectations. But Swiss Re has taken a more inclusive view by creating policies that resonate across generations.
While Gen Z may value flexibility, purpose and sustainability, these are increasingly universal desires. Swiss Re’s approach is to meet those needs in ways that also support mid- and late-career employees.
This is a core message in the Trends report: that building sustainable workplaces requires designing for all life stages, not just the loudest demographic. By doing so, organisations build cultures of trust, equity and long-term retention.
Advice to the HR Community
Reflecting on her own journey, Nicole shared one piece of advice for HR professionals that stood out: “Stop being apologetic. Claim your space.”
HR, she emphasised, must confidently take its place at the strategic table. That means understanding the business deeply, speaking its language, and demonstrating value through data and action.
It’s a timely reminder that HR’s influence grows when it delivers both care and clarity, and when it acts as both an advocate for people and a steward of business performance.
Closing Thought
Swiss Re’s example offers a practical roadmap for any organisation aiming to align its people strategy with the realities of the modern workforce. From transparency and culture to AI and careers, the emphasis is on intentionality—designing systems that are human, fair, and future-ready.
As the world of work continues to shift, these lessons serve as a benchmark for what forward-thinking, principle-driven HR can look like in practice.
How neuroinclusion drives a thriving team environment
Neurodiversity is gaining increasing attention in workplace discussions. A non-medical umbrella term that includes the conditions autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD, neurodivergence is evident in around 10-20% of the population.
As the workforce becomes more diverse, many employees will be working alongside a neurodivergent colleague in the coming years. And so, in this age of the collective workforce – the central theme of our newly launched World of Work Trends 2025 report – the ability to design workplaces that are intentionally neuroinclusive has become essential.
Our latest research paper, Neuroinclusive by Design, builds on this theme and explores how leading HR teams are embracing a systems-thinking approach to inclusion, building team environments that are collaborative, adaptive, and resilient by design.
The research offers a blueprint for organisations ready to move beyond isolated DEI efforts toward truly integrated talent strategies that ultimately tap into collective strength through individual empowerment.
Organisations could and should therefore be seeking a positive step change in productivity through their recruitment and retention strategies for neuroinclusion. Even so, many struggle with where to begin. So, to understand what makes neurodiverse teams excel, Top Employers Institute conducted in-depth interviews with neurodivergent employees and organisations, to offer guidance on how HR professionals can take immediate actions for the benefit of both.
Our resulting neurodiversity research paper, Neuroinclusive by design, explores the steps organisations can take to build truly inclusive workplaces.
Here are three actions that HR can take immediately to create a culture of neuroinclusion by design in their organisation:
1. Harness individual talents for collective success. Many neurodivergent individuals value opportunities to explore different roles, projects and responsibilities. By building teams where individual strengths are recognised and supported by colleagues with different skill sets, HR can ensure that everyone can contribute meaningfully to the team’s success.
2. Define and commit to consistent ways of working. This practice involves HR establishing explicit behaviours and rules, creating clarity and allowing all employees – neurodivergent and neurotypical alike – to contribute effectively.
3. Embrace empathy and nurture interpersonal trust. HR needs to create a culture where empathy is prioritised, and assumptions are avoided. When colleagues approach interactions with neurodivergent employees with patience and willingness to understand their perspective, they foster a more inclusive and supportive environment.
From accommodation to acceleration
HR leaders can apply these three practices to better support neurodivergent employees and unlock their full potential as a strength within their organisation. If they can, they will cultivate workplaces that embrace diverse ways of thinking, communicating, and working. This in turn encourages ongoing reflection on how work gets done — and whether there might be better ways.
What we can learn from high-performing neurodiverse teams
Neurodiversity research tells us that teams that leverage individual strengths, co-create clarity in how they work, and prioritise empathy form a strong blueprint for building more inclusive, high-performing teams across the organisation. They lead to more adaptable, resilient, innovative – and yes, more productive – organisations.
By championingneurodiversity best practices research within teams, companies are not just creating better workplaces, they are shaping the future of work itself and creating a thriving environment for all.
Neuroinclusion in practice: From awareness to action
Our recent webinar, Neuroinclusion in the workplace: From awareness to action, showed HR leaders how to take a giant leap forward from understanding the importance of neuroinclusivity to embedding it across leadership and teams at every level of an organisation.
Sarah Andresen, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Top Employers Institute discussed best practice neuroinclusivity with Eline Jammaers, Assistant Professor at Hasselt University and Tristan Lavender, Founder & Chair of Philips Neurodiversity Network.
The case is made, so let’s move to action.
HR leaders should already know that neuroinclusion helps organisations widen their talent pool, unlock latent potential and create stronger, more connected teams. There is no shortage of research showing that inclusive organisations have a better chance of meeting the expectations of socially-conscious consumers, while employees working there are more likely to feel engaged – and stick around.
Top Employers Institute’s new paper Neuroinclusive by design: Creative and thriving team environment for all echoes these findings and goes much further. It identifies three features of thriving, inclusive teams: harnessing individual talents, co-creating clarity and embracing empathy to drive better business performance.
Below are just some of the practices that the webinar looked at to show best practice inclusivity in action.
1. Start with leadership: Role models set the tone.
Senior leaders play a pivotal role in introducing neuroinclusive practices. When leaders are open about their own neurodivergence, it sends a powerful and positive message. It normalises differences and encourages psychological safety, especially among younger employees and others unsure about disclosing their neurodivergence.
Line managers are also vital role models. Their ability to sit and to listen, respond with flexibility and ask the normal day-to-day questions, such as ‘What support would help you do your best work?’ can be transformative.
One enduring myth that the webinar also explored is when neurodiversity is billed as bringing ‘superpowers’ to the workplace. While neurodivergent employees do bring unique strengths, these must be wholeheartedly supported. The true value of neurodivergence is only unlocked with the active encouragement of leaders and managers; a passive acceptance that we are all different is simply not enough.
2. Continue with teams: Embed psychological safety as an everyday instinct.
To move inclusion beyond good intentions means teams must also play their full part. Psychological safety needs to be a daily given, built through small, consistent behaviours. Both leaders and their teams should, for example, ask new hires about communication preferences, environmental needs or work styles as an instinct, without the need for a formal diagnosis. Simple common-sense actions like these have a wider purpose – they reduce barriers and improve collaboration among not only neurodivergent employees but everyone.
Inclusion happens in these ‘micro-moments’ of work: how to run meetings, give feedback, and handle discussions. Leaders and teams need to model empathy and openness, not just in policy but in day-to-day behaviour, until it becomes deeply embedded.
This needs to be visible externally, to attract future talent. Personal stories of neuroinclusion attract the job candidates of the future, as well strengthening internal alignment.
3. Reinforce through ERGs and metrics: A key role for HR.
Our Neuroinclusive by Design research describes a necessary mindset shift from ‘accommodation’ to ‘intentional inclusion’, building flexibility, clarity and empathy proactively into team culture from the outset. And HR has a key role to play in driving this forward in several ways.
For example, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a powerful tool for accelerating inclusion. They provide safe spaces for connection, education and advocacy. For them to flourish, HR leaders must support them in a similarly active way, with funding, time and clear links to organisational strategy.
The webinar showed how companies like Philips have introduced formal neuroinclusion policies at a national level to make sure that ERG insights translate into organisation-wide support. And this is the kind of structural reinforcement that Top Employers’ new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion, has been designed to support. It provides the necessary tools, insights and expert guidance for embedding inclusion across the employee lifecycle.
Measuring neuroinclusivity also remains a challenge for many employers. One practical way for HR to play a role is to embed questions within existing wellbeing or engagement surveys, to align with key desired outcomes like job satisfaction or a sense of belonging. This requires trust, with participants needing to believe that their responses will not only be anonymous but used constructively. ERGs can play a unique role here too, for example through running pulse surveys or providing qualitative insights from neurodivergent communities.
Final word…
Neuroinclusion by design in 2025 is no longer only for the neurodivergent. It is a journey from awareness to action for all, a framework for designing better work for everyone, at every level of an organisation.
To explore how to start or scale your neuroinclusive practices, download our research paper or for tailored business recommendations and benchmarking solutions, find out more about our new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion.
Neuroinclusion by design: Progressive HR strategies to drive team success
Organisations today face growing pressure to create environments that embrace all forms of human diversity – including the need to accommodate diverse ways of thinking. In a recent LinkedIn Live webinar, Dr Emily Cook, Senior Researcher and Paola Bottaro, People Director, both from Top Employers Institute, explored the insights behind our new paper, Neuroinclusive by Design: Creating a Thriving Team Environment for All.
The session offered a compelling blueprint for HR leaders seeking to embed neuroinclusion into the way work gets done – not just as a reactive set of accommodations, but as a proactive principle of workplace design.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with neurodivergent professionals and the experiences of certified Top Employers such as Tata Consultancy Services and Bentley, the research identifies three essential traits of high-performing neurodiverse teams: harnessing individual talents, co-creating clarity, and embracing empathy.
The concept of intentional neuroinclusion is gaining traction, shifting focus from making adjustments for individuals to proactively structuring work environments to both expect and support a wide range of cognitive and behavioural styles. This not only benefits neurodivergent employees, but also enhances the working experience for all.
Rather than responding to challenges as they arise, this proactive approach integrates flexibility, clarity and empathy from the outset. This in turn enables a more inclusive and productive culture that supports differing ways of thinking, communicating and working.
Unlock collective success by harnessing individual talents
Many neurodivergent employees bring distinctive strengths, such as pattern recognition, that employers are in danger of overlooking when using traditional role definitions and job descriptions.
Our research encourages HR teams to look out for new skills. Techniques like skills profiling, using internal marketplaces for talent and more intentional performance conversations can help uncover and leverage these often-hidden strengths.
Neurodivergent professionals also frequently contribute beyond their formal roles, engaging in innovation projects and employee resource groups (ERGs). Supporting and celebrating this kind of engagement is one way that organisations can help fully unlock individual potential and elevate team performance.
Define and commit to consistent ways of working
The research found that inconsistent or mismatched expectations around how work gets done – whether in meetings, communication styles or collaborative processes – can become significant barriers for neurodivergent individuals.
Flexible and inclusive ways of working can be achieved by co-creating team norms, rather than imposing top-down rules. For example, teams might need to agree on meeting cadences, notification boundaries, or which tasks are best tackled together versus independently.
This shared clarity creates an environment where all team members, regardless of their cognitive profile, understand what’s expected and feel able to contribute effectively.
Embrace empathy to build trust
Our research showed that trust and psychological safety emerged as foundational to neuroinclusive teams. Neurodivergent employees often feel pressure to conform to behavioural expectations, such as direct eye contact or small talk, that may not align with how they naturally interact. This “masking” can take a toll on mental health over time.
Empathy, in this context, involves understanding and accepting diverse forms of communication and engagement. Employers can reinforce this through formal systems like manager training and inclusive policies, and through everyday signals – such as how to deliver feedback or how to understand alternative working styles.
Regular check-ins that focus on employee experience, not just outputs, can play a vital role in normalising support-seeking and creating space for authenticity.
Adapt neuroinclusion for differing cultures and contexts
In response to a question from the webinar audience, it was acknowledged that while in this instance our research interviews did not cover all geographic regions, the broader research we do at Top Employers Institute draws on data and insights from organisations across multiple continents. The principles highlighted in the paper – flexibility, clarity, and empathy – are designed to be adaptable to local context and nuance.
Neuroinclusion strategies should never follow a “one-size-fits-all” model. Different regions, industries, and cultures bring varying approaches, vocabularies and challenges to the topic. The key lies in building environments that are fundamentally inclusive by design, yet flexible enough to reflect local norms and realities.
A strategic blueprint for a better world of work
The overarching takeaway from our webinar was that neuroinclusion should not be seen as an adjustment to existing systems, but rather as a framework for the design of modern work. Through intentional design, organisations can build environments that both expect and celebrate diversity.
Along with this research paper, we’ve introduced a new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion, as a practical support tool for organisations at any stage of their neuroinclusion journey, providing access to tailored insights, expert guidance and a global network of HR leaders. And as the research makes clear, organisations that commit to neuroinclusion are not just improving workplace culture – they are positioning themselves for greater adaptability, innovation and long-term success.
How Top Employer, CME, transformed its People Strategy and gained business influence
In a media landscape defined by fierce competition and rapid transformation, Central European Media Enterprises (CME) did something bold: it made people strategy a business priority.
A few years ago, the HR team at CME operated with limited visibility, minimal influence, with no consistent processes across its regional markets. Employee engagement wasn’t measured, employer branding was uncharted territory, and HR did not have a seat at the table when the organisation discussed its business agenda.
That was the landscape Soňa Schwarzová stepped into as she took on the role of Chief People and Sustainability Officer, but fast forward to today, and the company is being recognised for its excellent people practices as a Certified Top Employer. That milestone reflects how the organisation.
From marginal to mission-critical
Fast forward to today, and CME stands tall as the first media company in Central and Eastern Europe to be Certified as a Top Employer. But as Soňa is quick to emphasise, the Certification itself wasn’t the final goal. It was the catalyst for continuous change and improvement.
The process of going through the audit is more important than the Certification. That’s more the cherry on top. — Soňa Schwarzová
The Top Employers Certification Programme acted as a powerful framework for CME as it gave the team data-led insights that allowed them to prioritise creating alignment, unlocking collaboration across markets, and transforming the HR function from reactive to strategic.
What changed for CME?
The case study reveals a roadmap for HR transformation:
Structured audits became CME’s annual People strategy blueprint
Cross-country collaboration flourished, empowering smaller HR teams
HR gained credibility, influence, and internal legitimacy
Employer branding accelerated, enhancing CME’s appeal across talent markets
HR now informs business strategy, not just supports it
As Soňa notes, Every country CEO included the Top Employers [insights] in their top-to-top presentations. That’s a major shift. We’re on the agenda.
The key takeaway
This isn’t just a success story. It’s a strategic playbook for HR leaders navigating complex environments, limited resources, and growing expectations.
Whether you’re rethinking your HR operating model, seeking to elevate your employer brand, or striving for business alignment, CME’s journey offers concrete, replicable insights.
Discover how our globally recognised Certification Programme, along with our data-led insights and advisory expertise, enables you to advance your talent attraction, development, engagement and retention strategies.
Engage, upskill and reskill for a future-ready workforce
The workforce is changing more rapidly now than ever, and companies are being challenged to redesign. Technological changes, generational changes and the changing demands of the market have all meant that it has never been more critical for companies to work towards developing an effective talent development strategy.
We will explore why upskilling and reskilling are core to the future of workforce planning, which is the key component of a future-ready talent strategy that focuses on upskilling employees and boosting employee engagement.
Why talent development needs a strategic reset
The pace of disruption, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and hybrid work models, has exposed a growing gap between existing capabilities, existing technology gaps and emerging business needs. Organisations that want to survive and succeed are being pushed to upskill and reskill their employees to address the places where traditional approaches to training are falling short in this changing landscape. Just last year, in 2024, companies in the UnitedStates spent $101,8 billion on employee training, with organisations spending, on average, 13% of their budget on upgrading their learning tools and technologies.
Agility and adaptability are essential for organisations, and they are achieved by developing a new way of working that prioritises a holistic talent strategy. These talent strategies integrate:
Upskilling and reskilling the workforce
Employee engagement as a growth enabler
Future-focused workforce planning
When HR leaders view talent development as a strategic lever, they unlock workforce agility and create a sustainable competitive advantage that positively impacts the broader business strategy.
Why upskilling and reskilling are essential
The demand for effective learning and development strategies is essential in the changing business landscape. Companies that invest in skill development create a more agile and capable workforce that allows these organisations to be ready for future changes. Here are four reasons why reskilling and upskilling is essential:
Supports career growth
Keeps employees up to date with technological advances
Contributes to a flexible workforce
Improves career growth
The benefits of upskilling and reskilling your workforce
Investing in learning and development is one of the most cost-effective ways to retain talent, reduce turnover, and boost business performance. Organisations that focus on upskilling and reskilling have found:
Improved employee engagement and retention: Employee satisfaction is crucial for high productivity and output quality. Employee satisfaction is also vital in ensuring that turnover rates remain low. HR Magazine UK has found that 32% of employees in the United Kingdom changed their jobs because their previous employer did not offer sufficient training opportunities. That is linked to job satisfaction being closely related to retention – employees with high engagement levels are unlikely to seek new opportunities outside of their organisation. Upskilling employees also shows that a company is committed to their people, fostering a sense of loyalty among the team.
Faster internal mobility and leadership pipeline growth: Prioritising learning and development programmes is key in streamlining succession planning. That is because training programmes can be used not only as a way for organisations to identify high-performing employees who have the potential to excel in leadership positions but also as the possibility of developing these individuals while addressing any skills gaps within the company.
Improved financial results: While many benefits of upskilling and reskilling are related to employees’ experience, it is critical to recognise the financial benefits of these enhanced learning and development strategies. Forbes has estimated that companies that emphasise and prioritise employee development will yield a 218% increase in income per employee. Additionally, reskilling initiatives have been found to save money by reducing reliance on recruitment. Research by The HR Director has found an average cost saving of between 70-92% when employers concentrate on improving the skills of their current employees rather than hiring new employees.
Higher productivityand innovation capacity: Innovation is key to improved business performance. It helps no one to remain static and reliant on old working methods. A recent LinkedIn Learning Report found that 94% of employees would stay longer at an organisation that empowers them through increased investment in their career development. A Gallup report has also found that companies experience a 17% increase in productivity when employees receive the training they need.
Reskilling and upskilling for a future-ready workforce
To close skill gaps and future-proof capabilities, leading organisations are prioritising three things:
Skills audits and workforce mapping
Curated learning paths aligned to business needs
Real-world application through projects and stretch assignments
Creating effective learning and development initiatives should go beyond compliance training. They should empower all employees to transition into new roles as business needs evolve.
Key components of a future-focused talent development strategy
To ensure relevance and impact, a strategic talent development programme should include:
Leadership alignment: No talent strategy can succeed without executive leadership’s visible, vocal support. Senior leaders must not only approve budgets and resources but also model learning behaviours, champion internal mobility, and hold teams accountable for capability-building outcomes.
Skills-based frameworks: A skills-based framework maps out the competencies your business needs to thrive. This enables skills visibility, agile workforce planning, and better alignment between employee development and strategic priorities. It also supports fairer, more inclusive talent mobility by reducing reliance on traditional job titles.
Technology-enabled learning: Leverage AI-powered platforms like Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) to provide personalised, adaptive learning journeys that reflect individual goals and business needs. Technology enables you to scale development across geographies, roles, and learning styles—while capturing valuable data for insights and optimisation.
Cross-functional opportunities: Today’s top performers grow by moving across teams, functions, and geographies. Create pathways for rotational assignments, stretch projects, and internal gigs that allow employees to apply their skills in new contexts. This boosts engagement and drives knowledge sharing, innovation, and leadership readiness.
Impact measurement: Track development outcomes using leading indicators, including:
Employee engagement and satisfaction
Retention and internal mobility
Skills acquisition and application
Leadership pipeline strength
Business performance outcomes
How HR teams can lead the way in developing a reskilling plan from strategy to implementation
It is crucial for the success of any reskilling strategy to take careful, well-researched steps to ensure that their strategy creates a real impact in the organisation. For HR teams to ensure that this happens, they can take the following steps:
Audit current capabilities against future requirements: Use skills diagnostics and workforce analytics to understand what you have, what you need, and where the gaps are. Consider technical and soft skills and factor in upcoming business priorities, such as digital transformation, ESG goals, or market expansion.
Prioritise critical roles and high-impact skills: While creating a strategy that includes everyone in the organisation is essential, it doesn’t have to happen simultaneously. Focusing your resources on pivotal roles and skills that enable transformation can be more effective. This ensures your efforts are targeted and aligned with enterprise value drivers.
Engage managers as development champions: Managers are the most influential factor in enabling (or blocking) growth. Equipping them with tools and training to have meaningful development conversations, allocate stretch assignments, and mentor purposefully ensures that employees can develop their skills best.
Launch pilot programmes to test and learn: Start small, think big. Use pilot initiatives to experiment with new learning models, technologies, or career mobility frameworks. Measure impact, gather feedback, and iterate. This agile approach builds momentum and uncovers what works in your unique context before scaling.
Final thoughts
Building a talent development strategy is not just about ticking a box. It is about creating a culture of learning that continuously adapts to workforce expectations, market realities, and organisational ambitions. It is integral to driving performance, innovation and long-term competitive advantage.
Find more strategies and trends to improve your workplace for all of your employees in our World of Work Trends 2025.
Moving beyond traditional talent acquisition and retention strategies
By Dr. Martin Hofmann, Executive Vice President of Human Resource, Orga & ITP of Volkswagen and David Plink CEO of Top Employers Institute
Executive summary
In this dramatic time of change, Top Employers must move beyond traditional talent acquisition and retention strategies to focus on economic value-based talent management. Regular organisational reviews as a way of adaption to business challenges, market impact and new technologies are forcing Top Employers across industries to rethink their human resource strategy and practices. Suddenly, there is an implicit challenge and criticism from employees to their employer, as cost efficiency, stricter performance orientation, a permanent exchange of competencies and, as a result, the steady renewal of organisational structures calls for new methods, tools, and processes. Managing the selection and separation of talents is becoming key for employers. Driving performance in the company to develop a high talent density organisation, applying new technologies with artificial intelligence to abolish inefficiency in processes and tools are core success indicators to keep the company a top performer and Top Employer in their industry. In this time, where major transformation has arrived in all industries, it is of utmost importance to every company to take care of the impacted talents in a professional manner. This needs new ways to define Top Employer excellence and correct the narrative that Top Employers are immune to professional separation management to maintain a dynamic, successful, and adaptable workforce.
Introduction
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, often called the “new normality,” driven by technological advances, globalisation, and evolving economic dynamics, the demand for skilled workers has skyrocketed, resulting in a growing talent shortage. A Korn Ferry study from 2021 predicts that skills gaps could result in more than 85 million unfilled jobs worldwide. Meanwhile, according to a 2022 Glassdoor report, 75% of job seekers consider a company’s reputation before applying. Being seen as a Top Employer has had a significant impact on talents and within the relevant industrial community.
The Top Employers Certification is the way to prove that the conditions for employees to develop themselves are at an adequate, often best practice level. A key attribute was to be attractive to potential recruits in talent acquisition and during their life cycle on board. However, this is has changed significantly, in the last few years after the COVID crisis.. As the economic landscape evolves, the influence of new technologies has arrived in all industries. Moreover, geopolitical impact and the disruption of value chains due to a global separation of spheres push companies worldwide into a mode where new efficiency requirements impact human resource management. High talent density approaches to strengthen employee performance and quickly adjusting organisational structures to new market needs are now essential.
In these tumultuous times, company success through a more efficient and leaner workforce is at the forefront of employers’ agendas. This leads to debate and confusion. On one side, the question is whether the investment companies have made in becoming a Top Employer over the past decade can be retained to win more and more specialised talents with rare skills. On the other side, the question is how to drive workforce reduction and create professional separation management. This contrast of investing in talents on one side and separating from talents on the other side is part of the same coin. However, the compounded technological shift in labour markets and industries now poses significant challenges for employers to innovate and remain competitive in a globalised economy. The key question is: what is the definition of a Top Employer in today’s environment?
Key human resource professionals from a variety of industries were interviewed to answer this question and share the practices of market leaders. These interviews provide valuable insights into the strategies used by leading organisations and help to reflect on what is needed for an up-to-date Top Employer definition. Additional case studies and practical insights were analysed to prove and support some key findings. Using thematic analysis, it was possible to synthesise key trends and strategies, especially those of Top Employers who can maintain their position in these ambivalent times. Three key areas are shaping an impactful part of an updated narrative when it comes to a Top Employer definition: first, core economic value and talent management; second, a consequent review of organisational and individual performance; and third, professional separation management.
Core economic value and talent management
Talent management has emerged as a cornerstone of success. Insights from Smith in 2020 suggest that companies excelling in this area enjoy a boost in employee engagement, productivity, and overall performance. This is not just about human resources; “Talent management is a strategic imperative that drives organisational success.” It is about recognising that the right people, effectively developed and engaged, can be the difference between a company that thrives and one that merely survives.
Under these circumstances, strategic workforce planning becomes a helpful solution. In practice, strategic workforce planning along certain competencies mostly gives good insight into what is coming and needed in the next two to three years. However, in long-term planning, it often remains a theoretical and analytical exercise. This needs to be converted into organisational renewal and consequent management of measures related to workforce capability and size.
Strategic workforce planning requires organisations to consider both economic trends and business developments in a rational, forward-looking manner. By aligning workforce planning with business value, organisations can minimise workforce size while ensuring that the right skills are in place to drive growth and profitability. This rational approach, combined with cascading action plans into the last business unit and clear economic indicators for each planning cycle, helps to optimise the workforce. This ensures it is right-sized and strategically positioned to meet current and future business needs, supporting better financial performance.
The research above links talent management to improved financial performance, while Collings & Mellahi’s research in 2009 found that it enhances a company’s economic value by optimising its workforce. Brown, in 2019, echoes this, noting that such practices lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention. Moreover, Jones, in 2019, observes that effective talent management is key to an organisation’s agility and resilience, allowing it to bend but not break in the face of challenges. The research paints a clear picture: organisations that prioritise action-based talent management see the benefits in their cost structure and business value creation. But this is not just theory; real-world examples show the impact of these strategies. It is a testament to the idea that considering economic value in talent management is more than a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for organisations aiming to stay actively ahead.
Looking into the practice of human resources management teams in China within leading companies, it is demonstrated that management teams who manage their workforce with the principle of “right sizing to expected forward-looking volume” have faced severe challenges from both internal and external perspectives. Like many other top global companies, they have realised their overcapacity problem in the Chinese market in the recent past. They must take proactive measures to manage workforce structure under a new paradigm. Creating workforce flexibility while ensuring a stable supply of new competencies and having human resource strategies in place to adapt more quickly to shifting volume and competence demands is essential.
While the workforce must be planned forward-looking and more strictly according to product volume and competence demand, efficiency KPIs often do not allow contingency planning anymore. Active apprentice strategies, an ideal workforce structure of experienced senior and junior profiles, and innovative cells of internal talents and external experts need to be included in the planning to increase flexibility and adaptability during transformation times. As a result, Top Employers need concrete plans to size, up-skill, and re-skill their workforce, including necessary rotation if the structural aspect or competence level does not serve the business appropriately.
Consequent review of organisational and individual performance
An organisational review is not new to the Top Employer definition, as it linked strategic goals to the organisation for decades. However, the dynamic of how organisations structure their workforce and way of working is becoming a core criterion for success. Reviewing the current workforce structure helps identify skill gaps, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. The overall organisation of work, processes, and decision-making structure amplifies success when reviewing Top Employer impact in different industries. Especially in disruptive industries, modern workforce and process structures are key differentiators of success in speed and efficiency.
Regular reviews and benchmarks help Top Employers make informed decisions about staffing, restructuring, and training. Make sure the workforce is adaptable to future needs. While this may be uncomfortable for units wishing for stability, it fosters operational efficiency and long-term growth. As Brown & Jones highlighted in 2019, regular assessments help identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement, leading to better performance. These reviews allow companies to assess their structures and operations, ensuring they are on track to meet both short- and long-term goals. Williams, in 2021, adds that companies that conduct these reviews are better equipped to identify new opportunities and mitigate risks, positioning themselves for success.
Companies should use a systematic, data-driven approach to conduct effective organisational reviews, including evaluating structure, employee performance and gathering stakeholder feedback. Researchers emphasise the importance of identifying bottlenecks, redundant processes, and skill gaps that slow performance. Continuous reviews, rather than one-time events, ensure organisations can fit market changes, improve efficiency, and refine strategies.
In practice, the final value of organisational renewal and restructuring always comes with reviewing and matching individual performance. Since organisations are composed of units, teams, and individuals, the questions come down to the core: who is the right person for the challenges ahead? Each function needs to be analysed for occupation or deletion. If there is a need to occupy the function, the question is, who can do it? In terms of competencies, skills, and performance, human resource strategies need to answer these questions during restructuring. Therefore, periodic personnel changes are essential to maintain competitive strength. A basis for this is not only excellent training and skill management but also a performance-driven culture, including a clear approach to differentiate talents. This includes the creation of talent relativity to award top performers and address low performers with the same distinction and clarity. Leaders and managers are crucial in this process but are often the weakest part of this value chain. It is essential for a high-performing organisation to address the right level of expectation and provide honest feedback to those who do not meet the set level. Human resources strategies need to support and select the performance and internal employability level in a revolving process.
Especially in challenging market situations, internal and external employability is key for talent development, which is not limited to the current position. Future companies that want to be Top Employers need to consider and address this openly and frankly, not just rest on good, solid, or acceptable performance in their current function. Taking transformation seriously and believing in the strategic role of personnel changes, most employees will likely be affected by new assignments, pivoting functions, or efficiency measures. As the organisation’s long-term health lies in its ability to renew and change, human resource strategies in this field are crucial to support high talent density in all aspects. Experience shows that managing resistance to change, especially during job cuts, is a critical success factor. The agility to change processes, tools, and methods is a differentiating factor for future Top Employers when assessing forward-looking, successful HR practices.
Professional separation management
One of the most common feedbacks during job cuts at Top Employers is the phrase: “Top Employers don’t lay off people.” However, the time to leave an organisation, voluntarily or involuntarily, is part of the employee journey. This process is necessary for Top Employers to maintain competitiveness, as it allows for the continuous renewal of the organisation with new influences, skills, traits, and competencies. This does not contradict talent retention strategies; rather, it complements them. Both parts underpin the need for companies to orchestrate healthy competition among talents based on transparent organisational and individual performance criteria and honest feedback.
When it is time to leave the organisation, effective separation management is critical to minimise the impact of employee departures on organisational performance and maintain a positive workplace culture. As Williams in 2021 points out, having professional separation strategies in place can significantly enhance an employer’s brand and reduce turnover rates.8 When managed well, separations can lead to higher employee satisfaction and morale, which in turn supports organisational stability. For example, one multinational company that implemented a comprehensive separation management programme saw a 10% reduction in turnover and an improvement in its employer brand. This example may be the best endorsement of this point of view. In addition, Smith in 2020 suggests that companies that implement professional separation strategies often report improved employer branding, which can attract top talent and create a more resilient workforce.
To achieve these benefits, organisations should establish clear, well-structured separation management systems, including well-defined policies and procedures to ensure fairness and consistency. Offering support to departing employees, such as career counselling or job placement assistance, can help make a positive impression and maintain strong relationships after they leave. In examining best practices, data from the Top Employers Institute shows a slight decline in the consistent use of formal offboarding programmes—from 85% to 79%. While most Top Employers maintain structured exit processes, this decline signals a potential concern. However, the increase in recognition of departing employees, from 50% to 54%, reflects a growing appreciation for their contributions. Similarly, the increase in post-departure conversations, from 18% to 21%, and alumni networks, from 16% to 18%, suggest an increased focus on maintaining positive relationships with former employees. These efforts can lead to a stronger alumni network, potentially aiding in rehiring and promoting the organisation’s brand.
While there is still significant room for improvement in this field across all industries, the trends observed in these practices point to a shift toward better recognition of departing employees and a greater emphasis on post-departure relationship management. Companies that excel in these areas are likely to experience not only reduced turnover but also improved employer branding and a more resilient workforce. The rise of more fluid employment relationships and the decline of lifetime employment are driving a shift toward long-term talent relationship management. Employers are increasingly focused on nurturing these relationships after employees leave, providing opportunities for future rehiring. Alumni networks and referral programmes allow organisations to stay connected with former employees, attract them back, or leverage their networks to identify new talents. This evolving approach reflects a dynamic and interactive talent ecosystem that extends beyond an employee’s tenure and contributes to long-term organisational success.
Based on other best practices, the approach to managing separations demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering positive relationships with departing employees while maintaining the integrity of the organisation. For managing separations, processes are needed to accompany this phase, starting with defining the ways to identify positions or functions that need to be abolished and defining selection mechanisms on the people side. Along with this first approach of a professional separation identification mechanism, it is important to integrate strategies for different incumbents in affected functions and positions. Best practices include programmes to facilitate departure for employees close to retirement age, programmes for re- and up-skilling, as well as measures of downgrading, ordered position transfer, secondments, and other assignments within the internal and external labour market. A significant trend among Top Employers is to invest in strategies to bridge this period and invest in this part of the talent lifecycle. It becomes clear that in challenging times, the last part of the departure process is as important as the talent acquisition part. However, not enough strategies are observable in the market.
A benchmark is a professional, clear, and structured process for separations, where the company ensures that both the management team and employees are well prepared for the transition and the ultimate decision of no longer working together. This is especially crucial in companies that have never experienced or applied a professional separation process. A key best practice was the on-site transfer hub, which allowed employees to cool off and maintain a connection with the company, creating a smoother exit process. In addition, the company’s focus on offering a variety of support options, such as on-site career consultations for employees, highlighted their care for departing employees, enhanced their employer brand, and fostered a resilient workforce. Furthermore, the company’s recognition of the importance of long-term professional relationships with former employees through alumni networks and referral programmes exemplifies a forward-thinking approach that not only aids in talent reacquisition but also strengthens the company’s reputation as an employer of choice.
Conclusion
Human resource management is no longer just about filling roles or managing processes. Companies must adopt strategic workforce planning, regular performance reviews, and effective separation management to navigate these challenges. These practices ensure that organisations remain competitive, driving growth and profitability. By focusing on core economic value and talent management, consequent review of organisational and individual performance, and professional separation management, companies can maintain their status as Top Employers and thrive in the “new normality.”
Navigating a Dynamic Workforce
Top Employers Institute’s Navigating a Dynamic Workforce analyses the latest trends in the changing nature of the workforce and how employers can navigate and adapt to a dynamic workforce while maintaining employee engagement and success.
In the report, our analysis offers organisations a look at how they can unlock business success by leveraging and empowering their contracted, non-traditional talent with four recommendations. Those recommendations are:
Include contingent workers: Successful organisations value and respect every contributor, including contingent workers. They should be included in opportunities that normal employees would experience, such as access to various HR processes, practices, and deliverables.
Support employees with directing their own career evolution: Organisations should empower employees to chart their career paths and provide resources for self-directed learning. This can be done through online self-service resources, interactive career portals, internal digital career marketplaces, and mentoring/coaching for career development.
Provide resources that promote self-directed learning to all employees: The speed at which skills and skill demands are evolving requires ongoing reskilling. Organisations should offer online training programs, personalised learning portals, and micro-learning content integrated into everyday activities and facilitate opportunities for employees to learn from one another through online learning communities.
Facilitate a smooth transition into and out of the organisation for all employees: With a dynamic workforce, onboarding and offboarding become important ways to leave a lasting impression on employees. Organisations should optimise the onboarding experience and implement meaningful offboarding practices, including a fit-for-purpose offboarding experience and gathering feedback from departing employees.
You can read more about each recommendation and gain a better understanding of the trends affecting the world of work by completing the form on the left and downloading the analysis for free.
Thriving in a Virtual Workplace: How TransUnion GCC Africa Supports and Engages Employees
Insights and best practices for successfully maintaining a fully remote workforce
TransUnion GCC Africa has transformed its recruitment and employee experience programmes to be hosted entirely online in their ongoing commitment to providing a fully remote work environment. Shivani Ramsaroop, HR Manager for the company, presented some of their best practices for training, providing upskilling opportunities, and financial benefits during the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event. As the moderator, I was encouraged to hear that these initiatives equip employees for remote work and prioritise their essential wellbeing. Some of the highlights from the presentation follow to serve as a guide for other companies aspiring to have a 100% fully remote workforce and the full presentation is available here.
Creating a Personalised Work Experience
Transitioning to a completely remote work environment was a logical step in catering to the diverse needs of their workforce. “With multi-generational talent in the workplace, we can no longer take a one size fits all approach. In the world of HR, talent holds the power. Therefore reinventing our employee experience will always be relevant and top of mind,” Shivani explained. Achieving a seamless transition required a comprehensive approach.
To evaluate their progress with creating a personalised work experience, listening and learning metrics are at the forefront of TransUnion GCC Africa’s talent attraction and management process. The organisation regularly conducts engagement surveys and convenes focus groups, complemented by impact and success measurements. Additionally, they have a dedicated business process re-engineering team that works collaboratively across various company functions. The team’s focus is twofold: first, to map out the customer journey, ensuring a seamless experience. Second, they fine-tune the sourcing experience, eliminating waste.
Talent Acquisition & Performance Management
Various virtual tools are used during the talent acquisition process, which helps prepare potential hires for their new, fully virtual environment. Some of the tools used by the HR team at Transunion include:
AI-enabled digital video screenings,
Online skills tests,
Assessment speed interviews, and
Online psychometric assessments to test candidate aptitude for a virtual environment.
Once someone is hired, a heavy emphasis is placed on the onboarding process. Shivani described why the company made that decision, “Our talent acquisition and HR teams invest a lot of time with our associates up front to help them understand what working in a virtual environment really means.” In addition to working with the HR team, new employees complete virtual onboarding sessions, which offer the considerable advantage of self-paced learning. A package of equipment is also delivered to the employee’s house including a laptop, accessories, and a secure router. The IT team then guides that individual through the setup process.
TransUnion GCC Africa prioritises personalisation in their performance management approach by fostering open one-on-one conversations. Associates are encouraged to voice what matters most to them, benefiting from a continuous feedback loop, one-on-one coaching sessions, and tailored training plans. Shivani mentioned one notable trend, “We’ve seen a rise in requests from our associates to move to another province either temporarily or permanently. We also approve requests to work internationally, on a temporary basis, to allow associates to spend time with their families. All of this is possible because we operate on a premise of trust and measure outputs.”
Learning & Development
Four pillars guide the company’s learning and development initiatives:
Sponsored education,
External training,
Internal training, and
Leadership programmes.
The organisation takes pride in covering 100% of the costs for degrees and diplomas that align with the needs and aspirations of their associates. To foster a culture of continuous learning and curiosity, Six Sigma training is a mandatory part of the development initiatives. This training program teaches quality management techniques and problem-solving skills. Having all employees complete the program ensures a consistent approach is applied to quality control issues and general day-to-day troubleshooting when employees encounter challenges while working remotely.
Because the company prioritises the wellbeing of its workforce, a dedicated career coach is available to any associates seeking individual coaching, career guidance, and mentoring. Furthermore, employees have access to financial education tools and the ability to access earned but unpaid income in an emergency before the payroll cycle.
Preventing burnout is critical in a fully remote workplace. To address this issue, all employees have access to a wellness guru, rejuvenating yoga sessions, relaxing guided meditation programmes and are granted two wellness days a year in addition to their annual leave allotment.
Employee Engagement
The last key area of the employee journey Shivani addressed was around how to maintain high levels of engagement among a fully remote workforce. Their philosophy, she explained, is to “create moments that matter both online and in-person for our associates.” An employee-led committee spearheads initiatives to ensure that activities are appealing and engaging. They create initiatives that are not work-related and resonate on a personal level, such as volunteering at soup kitchens or with youth development programmes.
The overarching aim is to provide a platform that fosters a sense of enjoyment, social connection, and collaboration. Through a personalised approach to the work environment and outreach activities, TransUnion GCC Africa is dedicated to helping their employees lead fulfilling lives, on and off the clock.
Artificial Intelligence and Talent Acquisition
How AI is Transforming the Recruitment Process in 2024
The talent market is more competitive than ever. Organisations are finding it more challenging to get the best candidates for the role, and prospective employees find the hiring process more arduous than it was years before. The difficulties in the talent acquisition process are due to several factors, including the lasting effects of the pandemic, younger generations entering the market, and more significant global shifts in recruitment from law changes, among others.
Despite these challenges, the recruitment industry has only recently moved away from established ways of working, as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are beginning to enter the game. While artificial intelligence and machine learning may still be new for many people, more and more organisations are investing in artificial intelligence systems and other digital tools to stay ahead of the market and leverage the tools to streamline their operations.
It is no wonder that AI is beginning to reshape the talent acquisition landscape. HR teams must be aware of many challenges when integrating AI into their recruitment strategy.
Some of the areas where AI is transforming the talent acquisition process or will soon be implemented in talent acquisition strategies include:
Candidate Sourcing: HR teams can utilise AI tools to search through online job boards, professional networking sites, and social media platforms to identify potential candidates based on specified criteria. These tools can assess candidates’ online profiles and professional backgrounds to identify potential candidates.
Resume Screening and Candidate Matching: AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) and talent acquisition software (TAS) can analyse resumes and job descriptions to identify relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications. By leveraging natural language processing algorithms, ATS platforms match candidates to job requirements, enabling recruiters to focus on the most suitable applicants.
Candidate Assessment and Screening: AI assessment tools are starting to administer psychometric tests, cognitive assessments, and job simulations to evaluate candidates’ competencies, personality traits, and job fit. These assessments give the recruiter objective insights into candidates’ abilities and suitability for specific roles, helping them identify top performers more effectively.
Predictive Analytics: AI analytics can analyse historical recruitment data and performance metrics to identify patterns, trends, and predictors of successful hires. By leveraging predictive analytics, a hiring manager can potentially forecast talent needs, optimise sourcing strategies, and make data-driven decisions to improve hiring outcomes.
Reporting: AI tools can generate reports about candidates for internal senior leadership and legal teams. Those reports can analyse the success of recruiting campaigns to a broader team, streamlining the talent acquisition process.
Benefits of Implementing AI in the Talent Recruitment Process
The benefits that can come to an organisation that decides to implement AI in its talent acquisition process include the following:
Improvement in the Time Needed to Hire New Employees: Using AI tools for recruitment can expedite the recruitment process, shortening time-to-fill positions and ensuring that critical roles are filled promptly, minimising productivity losses and revenue impact.
Data-Driven Decision Making: AI analytics tools offer hiring managers valuable insights into recruitment trends, candidate behaviours, and performance metrics, enabling them to make informed decisions, optimise recruitment strategies, and forecast future talent needs.
Efficiency: AI can streamline time-consuming tasks for a talent acquisition team, such as resume screening, candidate sourcing, and initial assessments, significantly reducing the time and effort required to identify suitable candidates.
Competitive Advantage: By embracing AI in the recruiting process, organisations can gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent, stay ahead of competitors, and position themselves as innovative employers in the marketplace.
Enhanced Candidate Quality: AI-driven algorithms can identify candidates whose qualifications match job requirements, leading to higher-quality candidate pools and improved hiring outcomes.
The Challenges of Implementing AI Tools in the Recruitment Process
Implementing AI in talent acquisition is challenging, especially as the technology is still relatively new. Some of these challenges include:
Ethical Considerations: AI raises ethical dilemmas related to using candidate data, algorithmic decision-making, and the potential impact on employment opportunities and socio-economic disparities. Organisations must navigate ethical considerations, uphold principles of fairness and integrity, and prioritise ethical AI practices to build trust and credibility in their recruitment processes.
Overreliance on Technology: While AI streamlines recruitment processes and enhances efficiency, an overreliance on technology may need more attention to human judgment, intuition, and empathy in assessing candidate suitability and cultural fit. Hiring managers and recruitment teams must balance technological innovation and human-centred decision-making to achieve optimal recruitment outcomes.
Candidate Bias: Despite efforts to mitigate bias, AI algorithms may inadvertently perpetuate or even exacerbate biases in the data used for training the models. AI systems may inadvertently discriminate against certain demographic groups without careful monitoring and intervention, leading to fairness concerns and potential legal repercussions.
Data Privacy and Security: AI recruitment platforms rely on vast amounts of candidate data, raising concerns about privacy and security. Organisations must ensure compliance with data protection regulations, implement robust security measures, and establish transparent data handling practices to safeguard candidate information from unauthorised access or misuse.
The possibilities of utilising AI tools and leveraging them for the talent acquisition process can help hiring managers streamline recruitment processes, enhance candidate experiences, and make more informed decisions, ultimately driving organisational success and competitiveness in the talent marketplace. However, organisations need to balance the benefits of AI with ethical considerations, transparency, and human-centred principles to ensure fair, inclusive, and responsible recruitment practices.
“We strongly believe in the power of sharing and inspiring each other and others”
Benchmarking and sharing best practices are essential for all Top Employers to keep evolving and improving their HR strategies. At Luminus, we strongly believe in the power of sharing and inspiring each other and others — it’s a fundamental part of who we are as a company. It should therefore come as no surprise that “All together” is one of our corporate values.
How do you share successful practices and processes (with other Top Employers)?
At Luminus, we encourage our employees in sharing their knowledge and innovative solutions as well inside as outside the organisation.
In June, we had the opportunity to host a Top Employers sharing session in-house on the importance of SDG’s in employer branding.
Bringing together a group of HR specialists to reflect on the war for talent and how integrating SDG’s can help to attract the “right” employees, was a true enriching experience.
We inspired other top employes on our successful Generation Zero campaigns. Our employer brand for young professionals in which we focus on attracting those who want to contribute actively to our companies purpose : building a CO2-neutral energy future together.
An ambition which resonates to many young graduates in various disciplines, all determined to make a difference : young graduates, young IT talents and young tech talents.
How does the Top Employer seal help us in attracting young professionals?
The Top Employer seal plays a vital role in attracting young professionals to our company. It serves as confirmation and reassurance that we have processes and leadership in place to support their professional growth, while also prioritizing their work-life balance and health & safety.
Our HR strategy, vision, policies & processes keep evolving thanks to TE insights & benchmarking.
As an open-minded, positive and caring company, we foster a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone’s contributions are valued and respected. We want our employees to feel “at home” so they can be the best version of themselves. However, Top Employer results & benchmarking insights showed us that there was still room for improvement in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I).
In response, we’ve made DE&I a dedicated HR focus for 2023, defining a DE&I vision, gaining insights from our employees and other companies and implementing processes to objectively evaluate and continuously optimize our DE&I strategy, initiatives and actions.
Our Luminus HR baseline is clear : we do what matters, we catch the moment & we challenge ourselves. TE has been a valuable partner over the past 11 years in supporting our team in achieving this continuous and challenging mission.
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