Human Times

European Edition

25th March 2026

Together with

THE HOT STORY

AI will not lead to staff cuts at Norway's wealth fund, CEO says

The use of artificial intelligence at Norway's $2.1 trillion wealth fund, which is improving investment decisions and saving "billions of kroner" in trading costs, will not lead to job cuts, its chief executive officer Nicolai Tangen has said. “You should introduce AI in society to increase your production and value creation rather than cutting people out,” he said, describing such cuts to staff as “destructive.” Bloomberg notes that more than half of the fund’s 650 employees currently write code as part of a drive to boost efficiency by 20% across the organisation.

Bloomberg

HIGH-POTENTIAL TALENT

New Research: Identifying High-Potential Talent

Identifying high-potential employees is one of the most important talent decisions organisations make. But many companies still find it difficult to judge who has the potential to succeed in more complex roles.

New research from Talogy shows that 86% of leaders and 91% of HR professionals rely on performance ratings and manager recommendations when identifying high-potential talent.

Based on insights from more than 1,000 leaders and HR professionals worldwide, the research report High Potential, High Impact: Insights to build better programmes explores how organisations define potential, the signals they rely on, and the challenges they face when making these decisions.

Download the executive summary to explore the key findings.

HIRING

Germany launches alliance to fairly recruit skilled workers

The "WE‑Fair alliance for the fair recruitment of skilled workers" is a newly-established alliance involving the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and partners which seeks to attract foreign skilled workers to Germany while at the same time strengthening training structures and transferring knowledge in their countries of origin. "We often see companies assuming they will get a fully trained employee whom they can deploy immediately," said Edith Otiende‑Lawani, a Kenya‑born managing director of a consulting firm who supports the integration of migrants in the Munich area. "The fairy‑tale notion is that people will arrive already speaking German, integrate quickly, be resilient and be enthusiastic about Germany and everything that comes with it." But that, she points out, is not the reality.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

STRATEGY

Russian steelmaker MMK to cut management jobs

Russian steelmaker MMK plans to cut 10% of its management personnel and pause new investment amid diminishing demand for metals from the firm's major customers - Russia's construction, energy, automotive and machinery manufacturing sectors. "The metals industry is the most sensitive 'barometer' of the economic situation, and today the state of the industry is quite challenging," MMK's CEO Pavel Shilyaev said. "We are forced to make a decision to reduce the number of staff considering the current capacity utilisation of production facilities."

Reuters

ECONOMY

Energy shortages in Europe 'could hit by next month'

Shell CEO Wael Sawan has said energy shortages could hit Europe by next month due to the Middle East conflict, now in its fourth week. "South Asia was first to get that brunt. That's moved to Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and then more so into Europe as we get into April," Sawan said while speaking at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas. He added that countries cannot have national security without energy security. Sawan said Shell was trying to work with governments to help them address the energy crisis, including with storage and purchasing.

TECHNOLOGY

Siemens boss says Europe risks ‘disaster’ from prioritising AI independence

Siemens CEO Roland Busch has said it would be a “disaster” for Europe to prioritise building its own sovereign AI infrastructure ahead of boosting economic growth by deploying existing tools. Meanwhile, Cedrik Neike, who heads the firm’s Digital Industries unit, has said Siemens believes AI is less of a threat to its software business than some peers because it is difficult to meet the high standards of industry processes covered by its products.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

REGULATION

Labour to transfer EU powers back onto the UK statute book

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is to introduce new legislation in the King’s Speech in May that will pave the way for the introduction of European regulation covering the agriculture and food sectors. Officials have identified 76 laws that could be transferred over to UK law with regard to the production of food, the Telegraph reports, with civil servants also reviewing other sectors, such as automotive and chemicals.

The Daily Telegraph

CULTURE

Workers impressed by corporate jargon 'may be worse at their jobs'

A study by Cornell University in the US has found that employees who are impressed by corporate jargon may struggle with effective decision-making. “There's a lot of useful things about the way people in a certain company speak to each other. But it becomes problematic when that turns into nonsense that's used for misleading purposes,” Shane Littrell, a postdoctoral researcher and cognitive psychologist at Cornell University who authored the study, said. “It's the people that can't tell the difference that seem to have the most problems.” The research indicates that those susceptible to corporate jargon often display lower analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. The study highlights the need for awareness of how corporate jargon can mislead even highly educated professionals.

The Guardian

INTERNATIONAL

Americans' outlook on job market turns increasingly pessimistic

According to a Gallup survey, Americans' perceptions of the US job market have become increasingly negative, with only 28% of workers believing it is a "good time" to find a quality job. This marks a significant decline from mid-2022, when 70% felt optimistic. The survey, conducted in late 2025, highlights a stark divide in sentiment based on education, with just 19% of workers with a college degree thinking that now is a good time to find a quality job, while 35% of workers without a college degree are optimistic. The Gallup results come as government data shows that overall hiring is at its weakest level in more than a decade.

U.S. News

China touts itself as safe, reliable and stable

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has pledged to further open the country's economy to foreign businesses and pursue more balanced trade with its global partners. Li told the China Development Forum in Beijing that China will import more high-quality foreign goods and work with all parties to promote optimised and balanced trade development. He also touted China as a safer, and more reliable and stable, partner in contrast to an America embroiled in a war with Iran. Li didn’t directly name the US. Global chief executives including Apple’s Tim Cook, UBS’s Sergio Ermotti and HSBC’s Georges Elhedery attended the annual two-day gathering.

Financial Times

Reuters

Femsa cuts jobs in Spin fintech unit amid strategic refocus

Mexico’s Femsa has begun laying off staff within its Spin fintech division, with reports suggesting hundreds of roles are affected as part of a broader strategic shift to prioritise the company's core Oxxo convenience store operations. The company said that the cuts are largely focused on support functions and will not impact customer-facing services. The move reflects a reassessment of its fintech ambitions amid increasing competition in Mexico’s digital wallet market, where multiple players have emerged in recent years.

Reuters

OTHER

More Dutch opt for European vacation amid Middle East conflict

Tensions in Iran have led many Dutch travellers to change their holiday plans, and they are now favouring European destinations. Frank Radstake, director of the Dutch Association of Travel Agents (ANVR), has noted a significant increase in European bookings. He said: "Although vacationing in Europe has always been common among Dutch travellers, this share is now noticeably higher." Countries with travel advisories are losing tourists, while Spain and Greece are among the most popular choices. Radstake warned that rising demand could lead to increased prices for these trips.

NL Times

The Human Times is designed to help you stay ahead, spark ideas and support innovation, learning and development in your organisation.

The links under articles indicate original news sources. Some links lead directly to the source material. Others lead to paywalls where you may need a subscription. A third category are restricted by copyright rules.

For reaction and insights on any stories covered in the Human Times, join the discussion by becoming a member of our LinkedIn Group or Business Page, or follow us on X.

Online

Advertise

This e-mail has been sent to [[EMAIL_TO]]

Click here to unsubscribe