Artificial Intelligence

The 4 Workforce Trends We’ll Be Discussing at Workday Rising EMEA

AI, evolving job roles, crowded candidate pools, and shifting employee expectations are redefining the European labour market. Join us in Barcelona to find out how leaders can adapt.

Angelique De Vries Schipperijn

President, EMEA

Workday

In this article we discuss:

If you look at the headlines across Europe today, you’d be forgiven for thinking everybody’s standing completely still - nobody’s switching jobs, nobody’s moving anywhere, and the whole workforce is just holding its breath.

But talk to anyone on the ground inside a real business and you’ll hear a very different story: the ground is shifting beneath our feet, and the everyday work we do is transforming in ways we're only just beginning to figure out.

In a few weeks, the Workday community will come together in Barcelona for Workday Rising EMEA, the AI event of the year. Beyond the keynotes and sessions, it’s the customers who make this event so special, coming together every year to tackle their biggest challenges. Rising exists because of our customers: their feedback shapes our roadmap, their wins inspire the community, and their challenges push us to innovate.

And to help us better understand their challenges, at this year’s event we’ll be publishing the European findings from our latest Global Workforce Report, and what they tell us about what’s happening in workplaces across Europe right now.

The full findings will be revealed first to those who grab a ticket to Workday Rising EMEA. But what I can tell you is while it might look like the labour market is stagnating, it’s alive with opportunity.

Excited for what’s to come? Here are some of the key workforce trends we’ll be exploring when we come together in Barcelona:

1. People Aren’t Changing Jobs, But Their Jobs Are Changing.

Career growth has historically been defined by movement, whether it’s moving to a new team, earning a promotion, or jumping ship to a new organisation. Right now, those moves are less frequent. But staying in the same job doesn’t have to mean doing the same work. Roles are being completely reshaped from within as AI changes the skills required to get the job done. At Workday Rising EMEA, we’ll be discussing how leaders can work with employees to co-design what comes next and help them build the skills they’ll need, even when traditional career paths seem unclear.

2. A Crowded Hiring Market Isn't Closing the Skills Gap.

If you’re an HR leader, you don’t need a report to tell you that open roles are attracting more applications than before. However, more applicants doesn't necessarily mean better matches. Hiring managers are still struggling to find candidates with the right capabilities. We’ll be diving into how European organisations can broaden their definition of qualified talent, looking past rigid screening criteria to identify candidates with strong, transferable skills.

3. The Changing AI-Workforce Contract.

The rise of AI is rewriting the employer-employee contract. Organisations expect their people to adopt new tools and work in new ways, while employees are looking for more clarity from leadership when it comes to the company’s strategic direction.

The market is moving from AI curiosity into an era of practical execution. The opportunity for leaders is to treat AI adoption as a shared investment, pairing their expectations around performance with a visible commitment to transparency and enablement.

4. Retention is Holding, But Advocacy is Eroding.

In uncertain times, voluntary turnover usually decreases. However, the data reveals a critical nuance: just because employees are staying doesn't mean they’re highly engaged.

A lack of attractive external opportunities can leave a workforce feeling stuck and unhappy. We’ll explore how European leaders can go beyond traditional retention strategies to ensure their people are genuinely invested, supported, and growing.

The Adaptability Advantage at Workday Rising EMEA

It might feel like work is stuck in a holding pattern, but the workforce is anything but static. Employees are eager for their jobs to evolve. They want change. At Workday Rising EMEA, we’ll highlight how leaders can embrace this and give their teams the safety, space, and guidance to confidently break new ground.

Have you got your ticket to the AI event of the year? Register now to join us at Workday Rising EMEA in Barcelona and be part of the community that’s shaping the future of work.

About the Author

Angelique De Vries Schipperijn President, EMEA Workday

Angelique is president of EMEA at Workday. She is a recognised international technology leader, experienced in driving business growth with a values-driven, customer focused approach.

At Workday, she focuses on scaling international growth and helping organisations apply enterprise AI and responsible, people-first innovation across HR, finance, and operational decision-making.

Prior to joining Workday in October 2022, Angelique was at Salesforce where, in her role as EVP & CEO Northern Europe, she was responsible for the Salesforce business operations in Benelux and Nordics. In addition, she was the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of the Global Platform Solution Group.

Angelique previously held various leadership roles at SAP during her 24 years at the company. She led SAP's Global Pre-sales and Customer Experience organisations and was an executive sponsor of LEAP, the women leadership programme at SAP.

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