Staffing Industry Analysts, the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions, held its Executive Forum Europe from 13-14 October with over 200 attendees at the Grange St Pauls in London.

John Nurthen, Executive Director, Global Research, Staffing Industry Analysts, opened the conference with a keynote session on ‘Opportunities Across the Staffing Industry’, speaking about uncertainties in the industry and the opportunities that come from them. Speaking about Innovation in Human Cloud, growth rate for global staffing market, workforce solutions ecosystem and where the best opportunity may be, the most attractive staffing markets globally, Total Talent Management and the evolution of procurement models supporting talent outcomes, the uncertainty in automation and whether it will create more jobs than it destroys.

The session was followed by an Executive Perspectives session, discussing challenges to staffing market in regards to Brexit, the skills shortages and the difficulties in filling jobs in different countries, challenges in the staffing sector.

A networking reception honouring the staffing 100 ended the first day and featured senior industry colleagues and vendors from across Europe.

Day 2 began with a keynote session from James Woudhuysen, James Woudhuysen, Visiting Professor, South Bank University, and Forecaster & Author, "The Myths & Realities of the Future of Work". Woudhuysen went against the theory of IT destroying jobs and mentioned sociology is more important than IT or infrastructure for innovation in companies and advised not to postpone investment in the very best because of supposed uncertainty. He also said IT will enhance human intelligence and not take over.

The morning and afternoon sessions included concurrent sessions that went over such topics as ‘prospects in professional staffing sectors’, identifying opportunities across European Markets’, ‘the future of work’, total talent management’ and more.

Day 2 had a ‘Women in Recruitment’ lunch with guest speaker Natasha Clarke, Managing Partner at SThree, providing an inspirational talk, empowering women to be strong and empower one another, and how recruitment should lead from the front by offering an inclusive industry that welcomes everyone to be part of it.

The day ended with facilitated roundtable discussions and a final session: ‘Research Live!: Future Directions, Future Opportunities”.