The insights come from Adecco Outsourcing’s II Barometer on productivity, which surveys more than 2,000 executives about how their organizations perform. The standout finding is a drop in the average productivity score for Spanish companies compared with last year. The questions this raises are practical and immediate: what is driving this decline, and what steps can firms take to regain momentum?
In a thorough look at the data, the barometer highlights a waning sense of near-term business optimism and significant changes in flexibility management introduced by recent labor reforms as two primary contributors to the productivity dip. These elements influence how teams plan, execute, and measure work, ultimately shaping sustained performance across industries.
The study notes that Spain faces stiff questions about its competitiveness relative to European peers. Official Eurostat figures show Spain performing above the European average in several measures, yet the country still trails in key areas such as technology adoption, investment in human capital, and infrastructure. These gaps help explain why productivity growth lags behind neighboring economies and point to structural factors that require targeted policy and corporate action.
The report also asks whether some sectors are clearly outperforming others and what positions them to win. The finance, technology, food, and automotive sectors emerge as leaders, driven by investments in automation, modern processes, and large production volumes. Company size matters here, with larger centers often benefiting from scale. At the same time, the prevalence of small and medium enterprises in Spain can complicate apples-to-apples comparisons with larger economies that host more extensive industrial ecosystems.
A dedicated portion of the barometer examines health and productivity. The connection is real: good worker health translates into fewer disruptions and more reliable output. Absenteeism remains a key indicator, and persistent gaps in process ergonomics and workplace conditions can erode well-being and performance. Thorough measurement of absenteeism, along with regular work-environment surveys, offers a practical route to identifying and acting on health-driven productivity improvements.
Looking at compensation, the study reports that about six in ten companies link some portion of pay to performance. Does this approach fairly reward employees and help counter inflationary pressures? While performance-based pay can motivate and align effort with company goals, it is only part of the equation. Carrying a meaningful share of total compensation in variable pay requires careful design, robust communication, and ongoing evaluation. In many cases, inflation and demand dynamics complicate the path to fair, predictable earnings, so variable schemes must be paired with transparent rules and realistic targets.
On outsourcing as a productivity strategy, the data suggests clear guidance: focus on the critical activities that differentiate a business and invest in the processes that drive efficiency. In a highly competitive landscape, it is prudent to delegate non-core functions to partners who bring continuous improvement capabilities. This approach can reduce risk and lift efficiency by letting in-house teams concentrate on high-value activities while trusted specialists handle the rest. Citations and practical experience from industry partners support this view, illustrating how outsourced support can stabilize operations and accelerate performance improvements across multiple sectors.