Shaping tomorrow's talent strategy – London

Sep 25, 2025   Updated Nov 10, 2025
By: Sally Hunter

Reflections from London: Navigating talent transformation through change

Recently, I had the privilege of facilitating Cielo's London roundtable. As we gathered in one of Europe's most dynamic business centers, we explored how organizations are adapting their talent strategies amid unprecedented volatility and generational shifts.

What resonated most was the pragmatic resilience displayed by these talent leaders. Rather than being overwhelmed by constant change, they were actively redefining what workforce planning means in today's environment. The perspectives from London provided valuable insights into how European and global organizations are balancing immediate needs with longer-term talent transformation.

London: Where tradition meets transformation

London's position as a global financial and business hub makes it an ideal setting to examine how established organizations are navigating talent disruption. The city's blend of centuries-old institutions and cutting-edge innovation mirrors the challenge many talent functions face: honoring proven practices while embracing necessary evolution.

As I highlighted during our discussions: Workforce planning needs to be redefined. It is currently “work” planning that leads to “workforce” planning, and six months has become the new strategic horizon. You can still be strategic even though it's a shorter sprint. This redefinition of timeframes reflects a fundamental shift in how European organizations approach talent planning.

3 key insights shaping European talent strategies

1. The redefinition of strategic timeframes

Perhaps the most striking contrast to traditional European approaches was the collective acknowledgement that long-term planning has fundamentally changed. Organizations are embracing more agile approaches to workforce planning, with six-month horizons now considered "strategic" due to the pace of change.

This shift represents a significant departure from the typically longer planning cycles favored by European businesses. As one participant noted, the focus has moved to "agile workforce planning – a shift away from even trying to plan out long term and think more about short term." This doesn't mean abandoning strategic thinking but rather adapting it to the pace of market context.

2. The skills revolution faces cultural resistance

While skills-based approaches are gaining momentum globally, our London discussions revealed unique implementation challenges in European contexts. Despite widespread recognition of its importance, cultural and organizational barriers are slowing adoption.

As one participant observed, it's "a mixed bag ... our hiring leaders recognize the importance of skills but not across the piece, and it is still very much dependent on the role." This highlights tension between traditional role-based thinking and more fluid skills-based approaches.

The contrast between organizations was striking. One company was highlighted for "not wanting to restructure with redundancy" and instead focusing on "upskilling and reskilling," while other organizations take "a very financial approach ... cost of heads, rather than the skills profile." These different approaches reflect varying organizational cultures and priorities across the European landscape.

3. Generational dynamics reshaping leadership roles

Perhaps the most provocative discussions centered on how generational differences are reshaping expectations around work, leadership, and organizational structures. European talent leaders are grappling with what one participant called "anti-capitalist sentiment in Gen Z and Alpha" and how these might require transforming traditional career paths and leadership models.

An attendee from a global medical technology company noted, "Gen Z and Alpha – they don't want or buy into the 'corporate dream' so how do we react to that challenge?" This represents a fundamental rethinking of the employee value proposition and career development models that have long been established in European business contexts.

The discussions highlighted that these aren't merely preferences but potentially transformative forces: "What impact will millennials play when they 'come of age' into C-suite leadership?" This question underscores the long-term implications of these generational shifts for organizational structures and leadership approaches.

Building resilient talent strategies: The European perspective

The London roundtable revealed that European organizations are at an inflection point in their approach to talent strategy. Success will increasingly come to those who:

• Embrace more agile planning timeframes while maintaining strategic direction
• Drive skills-based approaches through top-down leadership and cultural change
• Develop new leadership models that resonate with changing generational values
• Balance internal mobility with strategic external hiring

As an attendee from an information management company emphasized, there's "no right or wrong – it's all about context/commercial lens; it has to enable commercial strategy." This pragmatic approach to talent strategy, tailored to specific business contexts, emerged as a distinctly European perspective.

Connecting global talent conversations

As I reflect on our discussions in London and compare them to insights from Singapore, fascinating patterns emerge. While Singapore's conversations highlighted AI augmentation and the rise of the talent advisor, London's discussions centered more on redefining strategic timeframes and navigating generational shifts.

These regional variations provide a richer understanding of global talent transformation. Singapore's focus on technological innovation complements London's emphasis on organizational agility and cultural adaptation. Together, they form a more complete picture of how talent strategy is evolving worldwide. It also reflects the conservative approach to AI regulation in Europe, and the degree to which that will hamper innovation.

We recently held a roundtable in Chicago and will soon share North American perspectives to further enrich this global conversation. Each region brings unique insights shaped by their economic, cultural, and technological contexts, yet the fundamental challenges of building future-ready talent capabilities unite us all.

I invite you to share your thoughts on how your organisation is navigating these talent transformations. How are you balancing short-term agility with long-term vision? What approaches are you taking to bridge generational differences in your workforce?

Let's continue this vital conversation as we collectively shape tomorrow's talent landscape.