[CEO Column] Strategies for Securing Talent in a Changing Workforce

“At a time when the paradigm of talent management is shifting, the key for HR is to focus on internal voices and build a trusted work environment.”

Media Coverage

• [Column] Strategies for Securing Talent in a Changing Workforce

One of the biggest challenges companies face today is the increasing turnover of experienced employees. The departure of skilled and seasoned professionals directly impacts productivity and organizational stability, adding significant financial and operational burdens to businesses. This is why retaining core talent already within the organization is just as critical as acquiring new talent.

According to the 2025 Workmonitor report, which surveyed over 26,000 people across 35 countries, 83% of respondents cited “work-life balance” as the most important factor when choosing a current or future workplace—surpassing salary (82%). While employment remains a key source of income, these results reflect a shift in employee mindset, showing that workplace environments supporting work-life balance have become a major factor in job selection.

These changes have influenced how companies secure and retain talent, one of their core competitive advantages. Since the pandemic, flexible work models—such as remote work, hybrid work, and flexible schedules—have become the new normal. According to Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report released in February 2025, 48% of experienced job seekers prefer hybrid roles, while 26% favor fully remote work. Furthermore, 76% of employees stated they are more likely to stay with their current employer when workplace flexibility is high, highlighting flexibility as a key factor in both job searches and talent retention. This is why corporate policies ensuring workplace flexibility are attracting significant attention.

Flexible work systems reduce commuting stress and allow employees to work more efficiently in line with their individual work styles, increasing job satisfaction and improving overall productivity. Because flexibility plays such an important role in supporting work-life balance, it is valued by both employees and employers. Companies must strategically utilize flexible work arrangements to prevent valuable talent from leaving and to enable sustainable growth.

The key to successful flexible work implementation lies in operating a system trusted by both management and employees. This requires building efficient, digital workforce management infrastructure. For companies running multiple flexible work models—such as staggered start times or flexible work schedules—traditional management methods are often insufficient for accurate workforce management. Workforce management systems solve this by enabling time- and location-independent management of attendance, work hours, and work locations. They also support productivity measurement, task allocation, collaboration, and performance evaluation using recorded data. Moreover, transparent system-based management fosters a culture where employees feel confident participating in flexible work, free from concerns about how they are perceived.

For flexible work arrangements to positively impact talent acquisition, they must be carefully designed and operated in ways tailored to an organization’s unique characteristics and strategy. Likewise, workforce management systems must allow flexibility—not requiring strict adherence to preset processes, but enabling customization and operation according to the company’s industry and scale.

Governments also recognize the importance of work-life balance and actively support businesses through various policies and initiatives. They are particularly focused on promoting workforce management infrastructure and related cultural changes. For small and medium-sized businesses, which often lack such infrastructure compared to larger corporations, the government provides direct funding for workforce management systems, incentives for flexible work, campaigns promoting work-life balance, and awards for exemplary companies—all to support talent acquisition and improve working conditions.

With rapid advances in AI and automation, workplaces are evolving faster than ever. The types of talent companies seek and the workplace environments employees desire are also changing. Work environments guaranteeing work-life balance have become a key consideration for employees making job changes or career decisions. Companies are making active efforts to reflect these changes, working hard to retain experienced talent and recruit the right people. At a time when the paradigm of talent management is shifting, the core of HR lies in focusing on internal voices, bridging expectation gaps, and building trusted work environments.

Integrated Workforce Management Solution, Shiftee