Talent and resources
PwC’s core expertise lies in People & Transformation – defining the employee experience and the optimal approach to managing people. Our extensive range of services means that we offer a distinctive and comprehensive approach, one which can help you define and shape a holistic value proposition, supporting various types of transformations by placing people at the heart of your endeavours.
Tackling the talent shortage
One of the most pressing challenges currently facing healthcare companies is the scarcity of available talent. Recruiting the skilled workforce necessary for the future is an increasingly competitive endeavour. Therefore, it’s vital to position your organisation as an attractive and rewarding place to work. According to PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025, only 57% of non-managers in health industries understand their organisation's long-term goals and objectives—a figure that drops further when it comes to believing in those goals (53%) or feeling their daily work aligns with them (56%).
The scarcity challenge is further amplified by the AI revolution: PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer, cited in the CHRO Survey, shows that workers with AI skills command a 56% wage premium, wages are rising 2x faster in industries most exposed to AI, and the skills employers seek are changing 66% faster in AI-exposed roles. Pay structures anchored in static job titles and degree requirements are losing relevance at speed. Organisations that want to attract the capabilities that drive value must reward skills, not just positions.
Prospective employees consider your corporate culture, your commitment to staff wellbeing, and the compensation packages on offer. These elements are critical components in creating a compelling proposition. Employees content with their work environment tend to be happier and better engaged, positively influencing the entire organisation.
The pressures on health industry workers are acute: 51% of respondents experience fatigue, while only 20% report feeling contentment in their daily tasks. Implementing even minor improvements in this regard can yield substantial benefits. PwC can provide you with an independent and external perspective on the steps needed to present the fresh and modern standards that align with the expectations of your employees.
In addition, we can assist you in forecasting, assessing, and optimising your workforce while profiling the specific qualities and skills you should seek. We can help identify the most suitable recruitment sources and assist in the planning and budgeting necessary to onboard new talent. In PwC's 2025 Hopes & Fears survey, we found that access to upskilling remains uneven: only 54% of non-managers in health industries say they have access to the learning and development resources (L&D) they need—compared to 70% of senior executives. Workers who feel supported to build new skills are 73% more motivated to perform, making investment in skill pathways not just a recruitment tool but a powerful retention lever.
Embracing change
It’s critical to embrace and adapt to change in the healthcare industry. Digitisation, such as the integration of AI and the implementation of cloud or enterprise resource planning systems are key strategies for enhancing patient care and operational efficiency as well as for delivering improved healthcare services. These changes unavoidably necessitate structural changes within organisations.
A critical finding from the CHRO Survey is that while 47% of Belgian organisations say culture and change initiatives are embedded from the start of transformation efforts, 53% admit these efforts begin late or receive insufficient attention. Organisations that delay culture and change efforts end up managing resistance retroactively instead of enabling adoption proactively—they spend more, move slower, and lose momentum precisely when it matters most. In transformations driven by AI and new operating models, change isn't something that accompanies the strategy—change is the strategy.
The change process, however, must be carefully managed both internally and externally. Existing employees must be able to grasp the logic behind the required changes, gain insight into the specifics, and understand the implications for them.
PwC can guide you through the change process and facilitate a smoother and less disruptive transition providing you with high-level guidance to implement those aspects that position you as an employer of choice.
How can PwC help you in talent and resources?
- HR transformation as a performance enabler
- Establishing the desired company culture
- Strategic workforce planning
- Managing operational change and transitions
- Leadership development
- Navigating the AI transition
- Dealing with legislative change
HR transformation as a performance enabler
The CHRO Survey reveals that 43% of Belgian HR leaders say the role of HR is already changing and they're actively adapting, while 27% acknowledge transformation is needed but lack the right technological tools. Strikingly, 30% believe their current HR organisation is fit for purpose and see no need for review for at least three to five years—a position increasingly at odds with the pace of change. PwC can help you assess whether your HR function is equipped to shape and sustain the performance your organisation needs.
The CHRO Survey also underscores the urgency of digital transformation in HR. While 66% of Belgian HR leaders regularly test new digital solutions, 54% acknowledge that their organisation remains overly dependent on outdated systems and processes. This innovation paradox—layering modern tools on top of legacy foundations—results in fragmented HR ecosystems, siloed data, and efficiency gains that never fully materialise. This structural weakness becomes even more critical in the context of GenAI.
Establishing the desired company culture
Modern organisations demand modern cultures. Through our offerings, PwC can help you cultivate the desired values and inclusive behaviours within your organisation, including:
Assessing your existing culture through a cultural diagnosis,
Developing a strategic plan to develop your culture,
Integrating the formal and informal cultural-enabling mechanisms,
Assisting in measuring behavioural change, and
Using market-leading PwC tools, including real-time behaviour analysis, performance alignment, and our Culture Diagnostic Accelerator™.
One vital aspect of modern organisational cultures is psychological safety. This requires organisations to build an environment where employees feel safe to voice ideas, experiment, and learn from setbacks. In health industries, only 56% of non-managers feel comfortable sharing honest opinions, and just 46% believe it's safe to try new approaches—compared to 69% and 61% respectively among managers. Employees with the highest psychological safety are 72% more motivated, making this a critical enabler of innovation and employee retention.
Strategic workforce planning
Ideally, recruitment planning aligns with a company’s strategy and objectives. PwC helps you implement strategic workforce planning (SWP), ensuring the right personnel are available when needed. This comprehensive approach considers skills, competencies, and cultural alignment in recruitment. PwC assesses your talent pool, identifies gaps, and pinpoints areas for improvement. We guide you through upskilling and reskilling in the specific areas that benefit you most.
Managing operational change and transitions
Introducing new systems and innovative approaches may necessitate significant changes in the workplace. PwC can assist you in managing:
Change readiness assessment – Assessing your organisation’s preparedness for change.
Change impact analysis – Evaluating how proposed changes can affect people and the organisational environment.
Communication strategy – Designing and implementing a communication process to inform stakeholders on the reasons for change and its implications.
Training and skill development – Identifying the skills needed for change and designing relevant training programmes. In health industries, only 49% of non-managers feel their manager supports them in building new capabilities, and just 51% say they have learned new career-advancing skills in the past 12 months. Closing these gaps is essential for change readiness.
Creating change ambassadors – Identifying and establishing ‘Change Champions’ as credible advocates, providing support throughout the change process.
Leadership development
According to the CHRO Survey, leadership development remains a weak link: while 61% of Belgian organisations report having dedicated leadership programmes, 39% don't offer any dedicated development at all—only embedding leadership topics within general L&D. Even among those that do invest, only 21% work with external partners to design tailored leadership initiatives that equip management with the skills required to effectively drive and manage change.
In an AI-enabled, skills-based organisation, leadership is fundamentally different. Leaders must navigate uncertainty, redeploy skills dynamically, lead hybrid teams, and foster cultures of continuous learning—capabilities that require deliberate, sustained investment.
This topic is also highlighted in PwC’s 2025 Hopes and Fears Survey. Currently, only 47% of health industry non-managers believe their organisation's leadership is capable of leading them to achieve long-term goals—compared to 70% of senior executives. Bridging this confidence gap is vital for successful transformation. At the core of this confidence gap is trust. In health industries, only 55% of employees trust their direct managers, and just 43% trust top management—both below global averages. Our global data shows that workers with the highest trust in their direct managers are 72% more motivated than those with the lowest. PwC can help you close this trust gap by developing leadership behaviours rooted in transparency, empathy, and consistency.
Navigating the AI transition
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare—from diagnostics and treatment planning to administrative workflows and resource allocation. Yet PwC's 2025 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey reveals that health industries lag behind other sectors in AI adoption: 59% of workers have never used AI tools, and only 9% use GenAI daily (vs. 45% and14% globally).
PwC’s CHRO Survey sends another clear message: GenAI is no longer a future concern—it’s today’s boardroom reality. Yet almost one in three (29%) Belgian CHROs still expect little to no impact of GenAI on their workforce, a position that may prove costly. While 48% recognise workforce analysis as a short-term priority for 2026 and another 23% see it as a medium- to long-term goal, many organisations lack the digital HR foundations required to act on these ambitions. Sectors most exposed to AI are already experiencing labour-productivity growth nearly five times higher than less exposed sectors, while the supply of workers with AI-relevant skills continues to lag behind demand. Without rebuilding HR systems from the core, GenAI risks remaining an isolated experiment rather than a strategic workforce lever.
This isn’t for lack of interest. Among health industry professionals, curiosity (42%) and excitement (33%) outweigh worry (25%) and confusion (19%). The challenge lies in converting that openness into practical, everyday use.
The stakes are high. AI optimism varies sharply by seniority: 74% of senior executives feel strongly optimistic about the future of their roles, compared to just 47% of non-managers. This 27-percentage-point gap signals a disconnect that, left unaddressed, could undermine AI adoption programmes.
PwC can help you bridge this gap by:
Developing an AI adoption roadmap tailored to your organisation's clinical and operational needs,
Designing change management strategies that address workforce anxiety and build hands-on confidence through guided experimentation,
Creating inclusive communication strategies that connect AI initiatives to patient outcomes and employee wellbeing, and
Ensuring equitable access to AI-related upskilling across all levels of the organisation.
Dealing with legislative change
New legislation can often be a trigger for substantial change, necessitating detailed advance preparation. The CHRO Survey reveals a mixed picture on regulatory preparedness in Belgium: 44% of organisations report inconsistent impact assessments and controls, and 7% openly acknowledge they’re poorly prepared to handle the escalating complexity and risks involved. As the regulatory landscape grows more complex—including pay transparency requirements—organisations must build structured approaches to labour law compliance, combining specialised legal expertise with dedicated compliance tools, robust control frameworks, and regular audits.
PwC can help minimise disruptions to your workforce while:
Keeping you informed on pending legislation and its potential implications for your workforce,
Identifying steps to ensure your preparedness, tailored to your particular circumstances,
Assisting in updating policies and procedures and providing essential training, and
Enhancing your approach to people management.
Reinventing reward
The CHRO Survey highlights that pay transparency and equity are becoming strategic imperatives. As pay structures anchored in static job titles lose relevance, the survey recommends moving from a "match the market" approach to a "compete for value" model—segmenting the workforce by the scarcity and impact of skills, implementing skill-based pay, and strengthening non-financial drivers such as meaningful work, growth pathways, recognition, and flexibility. In an era of expanding pay transparency, employees judge fairness against tangible comparators, not just benchmark tables. PwC can help you redesign your total reward strategy to meet both equity and sustainability expectations.
PwC – a ‘one-stop-shop’ with access to the talent you need
These are just a few areas where PwC’s talent and diversity team can support you. Whether it’s management challenges, exploring employee rewards, tackling tax issues, or seeking legal insights, PwC’s unique ‘one-stop-shop’ approach is prepared and equipped to provide assistance. We can also leverage other PwC in-house expertise to address other issues that may arise.
The data points mentioned are derived from PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 and PwC’s CHRO Survey: Building the workforce of the future.
PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 aimed to gain a deeper insight into employee attitudes and behaviours. A total of 49,843 employees were surveyed across 48 countries and regions and 28 sectors, from 7 July through 18 August 2025. Among the global respondents, over 4,500 are active in health industries.
PwC's CHRO Survey: Building the workforce of the future survey was conducted online between 16 December 2025 and 15 January 2026, targeting Belgian HR decision-makers responsible for HR policy within their organisation. A total of 189 Belgian-based companies participated, covering a broad cross-sector sample including public sector and non-profit organisations. The sample is linguistically balanced between Dutch and French speaking respondents, ensuring national relevance.
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