I'm proud that we have fewer employees!

Last week in Ghent, at the inspiring Work Smarter event, keynote speaker Steven Van Belleghem delivered a powerful and thought-provoking message: The future of successful companies lies not in hiring more people, but in working smarter with fewer.

This statement may sound counterintuitive in a business world where company size and headcount are often celebrated. But Van Belleghem’s insights point to a major shift already underway, one that’s rooted in automation, AI, and digital integration.

And if you’re thinking about hiring, it might be time to rethink what your company really needs.

From proud headcounts to proud efficiency

Traditionally, a large number of employees was a badge of honor, a signal of success, growth, and corporate might. But Van Belleghem made it clear: in just a few years, that perception will be flipped. Companies that pride themselves on doing more with less, leaner teams, more automation, and better processes, will come out ahead.

This doesn’t mean humans will be obsolete. It means that human talent will be focused on high-value, creative, and strategic tasks, while repetitive or administrative work will be streamlined through AI tools, digital solutions, and smart platform integrations via APIs.

Before you hire, ask this first

In the current climate of rapid technological evolution, every recruitment decision should begin with a different kind of question:

“Can this job be done better, faster, and more reliably through automation?”

With the annual cost of a new employee estimated between €40000 and €50000, companies need to ask whether those funds could instead yield a stronger ROI if invested in digital transformation.

Tools and automations don’t just replace tasks, they scale with your business. Whether you're working for 10 or 10000 customers, a properly designed automation system can grow effortlessly, while human processes often can't.

A broader industry shift

I heard Van Belleghem’s message already at the Supernova event in Antwerp on March 28th, where a panel of digital leaders (with Jurgen Ingels) discussed the same transition.

The consensus? Businesses should no longer default to recruitment as a solution to workload. Instead, they should examine internal workflows and processes and identify bottlenecks that could be automated or digitized.

Think of how many hours your team spends re-entering data across systems, sending follow-up emails, or handling basic customer service queries. Now imagine if those hours were partially automated and your team focused on growth, become more customer-friendly and innovation instead.

The Sevendays approach

At Sevendays, we help companies navigate this shift. Our solutions focus on process automation, digital integrations, and AI adoption, enabling teams to grow without growing headcount.

We believe the smartest companies of tomorrow will be those that build scalable digital foundations today.

So the next time your team says, “We need to hire someone for this” consider first asking, “Is there a smarter way to do this?”

If the answer might be yes, we’d love to show you how.

Want to explore smarter, leaner operations for your business? Let’s talk!