Most organisations in Spain have already begun their journeys to become a skills-based organisation or intend to become one, according to research from Randstad Spain.

The research showed that 80% of companies are moving towards this model to combat talent shortages. The vast majority (80%) say they are putting more emphasis on investing in employee skills development and professional engagement, up from 76% last year.

Regarding graduate recruitment and talent management in general, Randstad found that more employers are placing less importance on traditional credentials and are moving towards skills-based organisations. According to this report, skills-based considerations lead the list when evaluating candidates, with aspects such as learning and growth potential (83%), intellectual or personality traits (80%), and personal motivations and aspirations (80%).

In the case of the adoption and use of new technologies such as AI in the Spanish labour market, it could lead to the loss of 2 million jobs, offset by the creation of 1.6 million new jobs, resulting in a net balance of 400,000 lost jobs, according to the Randstad Research study.

Despite this, the integration of AI in companies is projected to increase the productivity of 3.24 million jobs in Spain by 2033, representing 15.9% of total jobs, driven by the new economic opportunities generated by the widespread use of this technology.

Further research found that 72% of talent leaders report that the skills gap will create greater challenges for their business in the near future, a total that’s up from 64% last year and is the highest since 2019. Moreover, 77% say rising automation impacts workforce planning, the highest level ever recorded in Randstad’s Talent Trends reporting history.

Oriol Mas, general manager of Randstad Enterprise in Spain, said (translated from Spanish), “Faced with the challenge of the talent deficit in the Spanish market, which is structural in all sectors and training levels, and the rise of new technologies, such as AI, companies are focusing on the development of hard and soft skills to alleviate this gap. Investing in internal talent, with training, career plans, support and mentoring, as well as empowering employees and keeping them engaged, is essential to being an attractive employer brand and to anticipate the challenges of the labour market.”

Randstad also found that 97% of talent leaders and executives agree that technology adoption has improved talent attraction, engagement and retention, marking an 8% increase from 2023, the highest value recorded for this response in the history of Talent Trends.

However, employers also express concerns about AI, including reducing human contact in the workplace (34%), the risk of amplifying biases or using technology irresponsibly, unfairly or unethically (32%), and over-reliance on automation (32%). Still, 76% of leaders agree that AI and big data impact every aspect of talent management.

Despite AI’s opportunities, its adoption is still in its early stages. The report shows that approximately 30% of talent leaders use AI to identify employees with specific skills.