Respondents around the world are less worried this year about talent as well as the global economy and global events. However, this difference is more pronounced in some regions than others. The EMEA region saw a particularly steep drop in the portion of respondents who cite global struggles as a top challenge this year, though it’s important to note that survey data was collected before the October 2023 conflict in the Middle East began. For talent, the steepest drop came in the Americas, with the portion of respondents citing this factor as a top challenge cut in half—from 56% to 28%.
Miro Lin, chief executive officer of tool business group (Taichung) at machine and equipment manufacturing firm Fair Friend Group, offers his view on why business priorities have shifted significantly in the last year. “In the short run, cost control is most important because of the economic slowdown,” Lin says. “But for the mid- and long-term, talent is still the top issue.”
Percentage of recipients who selected “attracting, training, and retaining talent” and “global economy and events (e.g., wars, pandemics, inflation, strikes)” as their top challenge.
Survey question: What are the top 3 challenges your company or organization faces today?
