Randstad Enterprise

We are entering the Great Workforce Adaptation! We surveyed over 27,000 talent and over 1,200 employers in 35 markets to understand what’s really driving the world of work in Randstad's Workmonitor 2026. While 95% of business leaders are forecasting growth but only just over half of talent sharing their optimism, our data shows a significant Confidence Gap that needs to be bridged. From a massive 1,587% jump in demand for AI Agent Skills to the end of the traditional career ladder, the report is packed with insights on how we can grow together. 📥 Download the full report here to see what’s shifting: https://lnkd.in/gex6JDvw

Each year at The World Economic Forum, we convene a small group of senior leaders to pressure-test what we’re seeing in our Workmonitor research. This year, we brought together 20 CHROs, CEOs, and CTOs from large enterprises for a workforce roundtable at the World Economic Forum focused on what we’re calling “The Great Workforce Adaptation.” Our Workmonitor 2026 research points to a global workforce under real pressure. Technology, demographics, geopolitics, and economic volatility are all converging at once, and for many organizations, that tension is already showing up as a risk to growth. But the conversation in Davos reinforced something important: this moment also represents a meaningful opportunity, if employers and talent adapt together. Those insights are grounded in input from nearly 27,000 workers across multiple markets, alongside perspectives from more than 1,200 C-suite leaders, giving us a rare view across both sides of the workforce equation. Here are a few themes that stuck with me from our conversation: 1. There is a growing confidence gap. There is a clear disconnect between how leaders and talent are feeling. 95% of employers believe they will grow in the next year, but only 51% of workers share that optimism. Leaders around the table talked candidly about seeing engagement and trust soften even as confidence remains high at the top. While leadership sets direction, many noted that direct line managers are becoming the real anchor for teams navigating uncertainty day to day. 2. Alignment on AI still isn’t there. AI featured in nearly every discussion, often through the lens of misalignment. Our data shows that 1 in 5 workers do not believe AI will meaningfully impact their role, even as job postings requiring AI agent skills have increased by 1,587%. Leaders agreed that humans must remain in the lead, but there was also recognition that talent now wants clearer communication. Not just about adoption, but about what advantage AI creates and how it changes individual opportunity. 3. Career paths are changing. Career expectations are shifting. 72% of employers believe linear career paths are outdated, and many workers are increasingly drawn to portfolio careers that evolve over time. Several shared that progress depends on creating space for experimentation and reframing failure as part of growth, not something to avoid. 4. Adaptive leadership is becoming essential. When you put all of this together, the picture is complex. Collaboration across ecosystems will matter, but so will a different leadership posture. One that is comfortable not always having the answers and instead focuses on helping people adapt as the environment continues to change. The Great Workforce Adaptation is not a single initiative. It’s an ongoing shift in how we lead, how we design work, and how we build trust with the people who make growth possible. Grateful to everyone who joined the conversation in Davos. Randstad

🔭 Reimagining Work: 3 Ways to Design for the Next Era of Performance. As AI reshapes the boundaries of work, the challenge for organizations becomes less about traditional transformation, and more about redesign with intent. When we design work this way, performance becomes a living system rather than a fixed plan. Three forces are accelerating this shift: https://lnkd.in/gfMVrRji Article by Sam Schlimper

🫶🌍 Me and The World: from Displacement to Augmentation - "AI blind spot." While businesses race to embrace a new way of working, our data shows that half of talent believe it will have a limited impact on their roles. This denial leaves them vulnerable in both their careers and the value they can add to organizations. AI is not a rival to labor; it should be seen as key to augmenting tasks and highlighting the importance of roles that only people can do. 📥 Download the full 2026 Workmonitor report here to see what’s shifting: https://lnkd.in/gex6JDvw

💻 Sign up for our free four-part virtual masterclass that moves beyond the introduction of AI to deliver a practical, caution-led road map with global digital innovation expert Alastair Schirmer and Randstad Advisory leader Glen Cathey to learn how to deploy AI deliberately and sustainably.   The “hiring in the AI age: strategy and risk” masterclasses will equip you with the frameworks, strategies and real-world insights to build an adaptable workforce in the fast-changing world of AI.   📅 Next virtual masterclass: January 30, 2026 | 1 p.m. SGT/ 4 p.m. AEDT or 4 p.m. CET/ 10 a.m. EST Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/geXw3fZH

We surveyed over 27,000 talent and over 1,200 employers in 35 markets to understand what’s really driving the world of work in Randstad's Workmonitor 2026. The headline? We are entering the Great Workforce Adaptation! While 95% of business leaders are forecasting growth but only just over half of talent sharing their optimism, our data shows a significant Confidence Gap that needs to be bridged. From a massive 1,587% jump in demand for AI Agent Skills to the end of the traditional career ladder, the report is packed with insights on how we can grow together. 📥 Download the full report here to see what’s shifting: https://lnkd.in/gex6JDvw

🔎 New article - beyond the AI hype: how CHROs can drive necessary change in 2026. "From discussing how businesses can embrace AI without mass job displacement, to changing skills needs and redefining entry-level work, it’s clear that the CHROs I (Frank Congiu) met with are well prepared for what lies ahead. The following are five of the key takeaways from our latest dinner that show just what they are doing to adapt for whatever 2026 may bring." Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gGGt_DzE

January 23rd, 16:00 CET - Unlock 60 days of market intelligence in 30 minutes with the Randstad Enterprise Talent Intelligence team What are the latest global and local labor market trends that will impact your business? Is it currently an employee market or an employer market? How are skills supply and demand shifting? And which talent strategies are actually giving employers an edge in their quest to build agile and skilled workforces? Register here to join Joost Heins for the Talent Market 30 webinar: https://lnkd.in/eVV36iqZ

Congratulations to Randstad Enterprise on successfully completing your SOC 2 Type II audit! 🎉 You have not only demonstrated your commitment to data security and client confidence, but you have also ensured that you meet the highest levels of security. We are grateful to be your partners in compliance! Way to go!

Workmonitor 2026: The Great Workplace Adaptation is here! 📥 Download the full report to see what’s shifting: https://lnkd.in/gN6t5hBP