Geopolitical realignments, sociodemographic change and technological advancements are reshaping the modern workplace and affecting businesses all over the world. Ius Laboris has carried out global research to help better understand the impact and the strategic and operational challenges of this evolving landscape, surveying 630 senior HR and legal professionals across 17 countries throughout Europe and North America, across a range of industries and business sizes. The research has revealed that over the past year, the greatest workplace issues facing firms have been a talent/skills shortage, and an increasing demand for agile and flexible working conditions, with 49 per cent and 30 per cent of total respondents respectively selecting these as the most concerning issues. Skills gaps across the developed world are undeniably widening — a scenario that respondents identified as their greatest recruitment challenge of the last 12 months. Huge shifts in technology, demographics, international trade and the rise of the knowledge economy have all taken their toll, but in many instances, education and training have simply not kept up. The concern here is that business growth will be stifled as employers find themselves unable to access the skills they require to flourish.

Full version of the publication is available on the Ius Laboris website.