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HRM and skills development - September 2025
26 September 2025
Young workers and the skills gap
Randstad reports that young employees now spend on average just 1.1 years in a job. At first glance it looks like restlessness, but Randstad stresses it is "growth-hunting": a search for faster learning and more development opportunities. You can download the report after filling in your details. This trend links closely to a report (2.25 MB) by the Cengage Group, which warns of a growing mismatch between what schools teach and what employers need. Many graduates enter the labour market without the right technical or digital skills that businesses demand, leaving Gen Z frustrated and pushing them to move on quickly. Together the reports suggest that companies able to invest in training, mentorship and career mobility will stand a much better chance of keeping young talent on board.
Artificial Intelligence: adopted but not trusted
The AI Adoption Gap survey by Udacity finds that while 90% of employees already use AI at work, only a minority truly trust its output. This paradox - widespread adoption coupled with lingering doubt - reflects a broader hesitation in many workplaces. You can download the survey after filling in your details.
A study (in Dutch, 4.3 MB) by Newcom (in Dutch) echoes this picture: employees describe AI as helpful, yet also as opaque and sometimes unsettling. The message is clear: the technology is present in daily workflows, but confidence in its results is not keeping pace.
Tasks reshaped, strategies lagging
Research by Microsoft highlights a subtle but crucial distinction. The study (1.99 MB) finds that AI is often applicable to tasks within jobs, but that does not necessarily mean entire jobs are displaced. "AI is more likely to reshape tasks than to replace entire jobs," Microsoft notes. Yet this nuance is frequently lost. Two recent studies by BCG underline thi...