Global Human Capital Trends 2014

Drawing upon the findings from Deloitte Global's extensive survey of more than 2,500 business leaders and HR executives in 90 countries across the world’s major economic regions, we have identified the critical current and emerging trends shaping talent, HR and global business over the next few years.

Through extensive communications with clients and experts as well as detailed research and analysis, senior members of Deloitte’s Human Capital team have identified 12 global trends that we believe are driving human capital decisions. In our research, three categories of trends emerged, namely "Lead and develop","Attract and engage" and "Transform and reinvent".

Global Human Capital Trends 2014

Key messages:

• Leadership continues to be the biggest challenge companies face around the world.
• “The 21st-century workforce” is different – engagement and retention are now top issues on the minds of CEOs and CHROs.
• HR is falling behind in structure, skills, analytics, technology, and the development of world class recruiting and L&D programs.
• Technology, analytics, and the “overwhelmed employee” are acute focus areas for HR.
• Skills gaps, the rapid obsolescence of skills, the need for next-generation learning and talent mobility will differentiate companies.

This year’s 12 critical human capital trends are organized into three broad areas:

Analysis of data from China

Chinese survey respondents' perception (62%) of the economy and the overall business development in 2014 seems largely optimistic. Our research shows a significant gap between the urgency of the talent and leadership issues leaders face today and their organizations’ readiness to respond. On every critical issue—leadership, retention and engagement, learning and development, analytics— executives recognize the need to take action, but express reservations about their team’s ability to deliver results.

One of the most important takeaways from this research is the fact that doing more is not enough. Today,  companies have to manage people differently – creating an imperative to innovate, transform, and reengineer human capital practices.

Deloitte believes the real challenge for business and HR leaders today is to ask: What are we doing today to get in front of these trends? How do we make them work for us, rather than against us? In short, what are we going to do differently and how are we going to do it?

It is time to reset human capital horizons. Deloitte looks forward to having this discussion with you.