The Adecco Group [SWX: ADEN]
Turning Workforce Strategy into Business Execution

Workforce strategy has become an operational priority for businesses navigating skills shortages, technological change and shifting labour requirements. Hiring alone cannot resolve these challenges. Organisations must determine which capabilities they need, where those skills are required and how to develop or access them as priorities change. The challenge is connecting workforce decisions with business performance while maintaining the flexibility to respond to new demands.

The Adecco Group addresses this challenge through workforce solutions, talent acquisition, skills development and business transformation. Its broad portfolio positions workforce planning as part of organisational decision-making rather than an isolated recruitment function. The central question is how businesses can align talent with changing operational requirements while preparing their workforces for future demands.

From Workforce Planning to Workforce Delivery

An effective workforce strategy connects business objectives with the people and skills required to achieve them. Organisations must assess existing capabilities, identify shortages and determine whether to recruit, retrain, redeploy or redesign work.

The Adecco Group operates through three global business units. Adecco focuses on workforce solutions, including temporary and permanent recruitment. Akkodis combines technology expertise, engineering and talent services. LHH specialises in talent development, career transition and organisational change.

This portfolio allows clients to address challenges that extend beyond filling vacancies. A business introducing new technology may require specialist engineers, training for existing employees and support for roles affected by automation. Coordinating these requirements helps connect recruitment decisions with broader organisational objectives.

Workforce planning provides a starting point by helping organisations assess existing talent, anticipate future requirements and identify skills gaps. These assessments inform decisions about recruitment, internal mobility, learning and workforce allocation.

The Group also considers how work should be organised as artificial intelligence and automation reshape job responsibilities. Its concept of hybrid workforce orchestration examines how tasks can be distributed between employees, AI agents and automated systems. The objective is to align workforce capabilities with operational needs while identifying activities that require human judgement.

Recruitment, reskilling and automation can each address different capability gaps. The appropriate response depends on the organisation’s existing talent, future requirements and operating model. Digital tools can help recruiters match candidates to vacancies, while experienced specialists assess whether those candidates are right for the role.

An Integrated Model for Changing Business Needs

The Adecco Group’s international presence supports organisations operating across different labour markets. Its corporate materials report operations in more than 60 countries. For multinational businesses, workforce planning must account for regional skills availability, employment requirements and local operating conditions.

Its three-business-unit structure offers another point of differentiation. An organisation undertaking digital transformation may require engineering expertise through Akkodis, recruitment support through Adecco and leadership development through LHH. These capabilities can address different stages of the same transformation, depending on the client’s requirements.

The value lies in connecting workforce needs that might otherwise be managed separately. An organisation implementing a new operating model may need to identify future skills, recruit specialists, retrain existing employees and support people whose roles are changing. A coordinated approach gives management a broader view of these requirements.

The Group’s 2025 Annual Report states that 43 per cent of Group revenue came from clients served by all three global business units, with a 100 per cent retention rate for these multi-unit accounts. These company-reported figures demonstrate the significance of multi-unit relationships, although they do not independently establish the outcomes of individual workforce programmes.

Digitalisation further supports the Group’s strategy. AI and automation can assist with candidate matching and workflow management, but technology alone cannot determine the right workforce response. Leaders must still decide which capabilities the business needs, how responsibilities should change and what support employees require.

Translating Strategy into Workforce Outcomes

When a manufacturer introduces automation, it must consider more than the equipment itself. Engineers may be needed to install and integrate new systems, while existing employees may require training to operate them. Managers must also prepare teams for changes to daily work. Workforce planning helps businesses decide which skills to hire and which they can develop internally.

Talent development and career transition services also contribute to organisational change. As roles change, employees may need new skills, leadership guidance or support in moving to different positions.

The Adecco Group’s training, coaching and career transition services help organisations manage these changes while preparing employees for new responsibilities and future workforce needs.

The Adecco Group serves more than 100,000 clients and has approximately two million associates on assignment each day, including joint ventures. This reach gives the Group experience across a wide range of workforce needs and operating environments.

Workforce strategy helps businesses decide which skills they need and how best to secure them. Spotting gaps early allows leaders to weigh recruitment against training existing employees and prepare teams for changes in business demand.

The Adecco Group brings together workforce planning, talent acquisition, technology expertise and professional development within one portfolio. Its integrated structure gives clients access to capabilities spanning workforce transformation, supported by digital tools and specialist knowledge.

Workforce planning requires businesses to look beyond immediate hiring needs and consider how their skills requirements will change. The Adecco Group brings recruitment, technology expertise and employee development together to help clients address those demands. Its recognition as Top Workforce Strategy Services 2026 reflects the breadth of these capabilities and their relevance to businesses preparing for changes in how work gets done.