How can organisations adapt their workforce as business needs, technology and skills continue to change? And what distinguishes companies that are better prepared to respond to disruption?
These were the central questions at Built to Adapt, an executive event hosted by Gi Group Holding in Milan on 13 October 2026, in collaboration with FT Longitude, a Financial Times company.
Bringing together business leaders and workforce experts, the event explored a central finding from the upcoming research: workforce adaptability is not simply an HR priority. It is a business capability that can help organisations improve productivity, strengthen resilience and respond more effectively to change.
What is workforce adaptability, and why does it matter?
The event opened with Hannah Stubbings, Group Editor at FT Longitude, who introduced the research methodology, its international scope and the context behind the study.
Conducted by FT Longitude in collaboration with Gi Group Holding, the research surveyed 750 senior executives across 15 countries and seven industries.
Only 10% of organisations qualify as Workforce Adaptability Leaders, combining agile workforce models with rapid decision-making. They outperform their peers across every business measure examined in the research.
Why workforce strategy needs to move beyond hiring
Hiring remains essential, but organisations must also develop existing talent, redeploy skills, access external expertise and use technology to respond to change.
During the event, Domiziano Pontone, Chief Corporate Sales Officer at Gi Group Holding, explored the business implications of the research and the importance of moving beyond a transactional approach to hiring.
The findings highlight the range of levers organisations are already using to respond to skills gaps. These include upskilling and reskilling, automation and AI, internal redeployment and outsourcing.
The key is to connect these approaches as part of a coherent workforce strategy, rather than treating them as separate solutions.
What does workforce adaptability look like in practice?
Research can identify trends and highlight differences between organisations, but translating those findings into business decisions requires practical experience and discussion.
The event’s fireside chat brought together three perspectives on workforce adaptability, moderated by Danielle Myles, Senior Editor at fDi Intelligence:
- Alexander Puecher, EMEA HR Director at Fontana Group, brought an organisational perspective on workforce transformation.
- Domiziano Pontone, Chief Corporate Sales Officer at Gi Group Holding, connected workforce decisions with business needs and client expectations.
- Matt Norton, Vice President of Research at Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), added a broader view of workforce markets and changing workforce models.
The discussion highlighted that adaptability needs to be embedded in leadership decisions, workforce design and the way organisations operate. The shift is from reacting to skills shortages towards anticipating workforce needs. As Matt Norton also explained, workforce volatility is structural rather than temporary: organisations need to coordinate different types of workers and technology rather than manage them in silos.
How can organisations build a more adaptable workforce?
Four executive roundtables invited participants to consider how to turn these findings into action.
The discussions focused on four connected priorities:
1. See change earlier
2. Build capability continuously
3. Orchestrate the workforce
4. Turn adaptability into performance
Together, these areas show how organisations can anticipate change, build capability, coordinate workforce options and connect adaptability to performance.
From workforce adaptability to sustainable business performance
For business leaders, the challenge is not simply who to hire next, but how to build and access the capabilities their organisation will need. Ultimately, adaptability matters because it helps organisations respond to change while sustaining business performance.
Relive the event: