Research Overview

Preparing for the 2020 workforce is critical to business strategy, growth, and performance. To understand the challenges and opportunities, Oxford Economics and SAP surveyed over 2,700 executives and more than 2,700 employees in 27 countries during the second quarter of 2014.

Based on survey responses, we found that many companies lack the structure, strategy, culture, solutions and resources to manage employees effectively. In order to succeed, a number of factors need to be addressed, including the role and relevance of people strategy; changing demographics and evolving definitions of work; leadership ability and cultivation; employee wants and needs; and talent development.

Our study includes:

  • A global survey of 2,718 executives and 2,872 employees
  • A research report
  • Country fact sheets
  • Industry fact sheets
  • Regional fact sheets
  • An SME fact sheet
  • Four think pieces
  • An ongoing blog discussion of the diverse issues surrounding the 2020 workforce
  • A series of webinars

Key findings overview

This executive summary presents results and analysis of our global survey of more than 2,700 employees and 2,700 executives.

View the report

Workforce 2020 blog

How well are executives prepared for the challenges of Workforce 2020? How many of them have a strategic vision, much less an action plan, and how well do those plans match the views of their employees? This blog covers these issues and more while tracking key milestones throughout the research program.

Read the blog

Reports

 

Research report

This research report provides an overview of the findings from our global surveys and interviews with executives in 27 countries.

 

Think Piece: A Millennial Misunderstanding

Millennials are different, but not always in the ways companies think.

 

Think Piece: What Matters Most at Work

Most companies do not understand (or deliver) what their employees really want from them.

 

Think Piece: The Leadership Cliff

Executives and employees agree that leadership—and leadership development—is lacking.

 

Think Piece: The Learning Mandate

Better training and education opportunities would benefit employees and businesses alike.

 

Think Piece: The Contingent Workforce

The nature of employment is changing; over 80% of executives say they are increasingly using contingent employees. Managing these workers effectively requires major updates to the way business is done.

 

Think Piece: Better Workforce, Better Business Performance

Our global study shows a strong correlation between workforce development and financial performance in key areas like revenue and profitability growth. Yet most companies still have ground to cover in preparing for the 2020 workforce.

 

Think Piece: Challenges and Opportunities for Financial Services

Our research shows that financial services firms have far to go in meeting their HR goals, but their established position as a leader among other industries puts them at an advantage.

Graphics

 

 

Interactive infographic: A Millennial Misunderstanding

Millennials are different, but not always in the ways as companies think.

 

Interactive infographic: What Matters Most at Work

Most companies do not understand (or deliver) what their employees really want from them.

 

Interactive infographic: The Leadership Cliff

Executives and employees agree that leadership—and leadership development—is lacking.

 

Interactive infographic: The Learning Mandate

Better training and education opportunities would benefit employees and businesses alike.

 

Infographic: The Contingent Workforce

The nature of employment is changing; over 80% of executives say they are increasingly using contingent employees. Managing these workers effectively requires major updates to the way business is done.

 

 

 

Interactive infographic: Retail's Technology Opportunity

Employees are more tech-savvy than ever. As a result, retailers are well positioned to take advantage of new technologies and opportunities to build an effective future workforce.

 

 

 

Infographic: The Performance Management Advantage for Financial Services

Most financial services companies have far to go when setting the performance-management strategies necessary to meet business goals and boost employee engagement and satisfaction.

 

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets: By country

These fact sheets outline key findings from each of the 27 countries surveyed in our global study of more than 5,000 executives and employees about the future of work.

APac MEA Europe LatAm NorthAm
Australia Kenya Czech Republic Brazil Canada
China Saudi Arabia Denmark Chile United States
India South Africa France Colombia  
Japan Turkey Germany Mexico  
Malaysia United Arab Emirates Netherlands    
    Poland    
    Russia    
    Spain    
    Sweden    
    Switzerland    
    United Kingdom    
 

Fact sheets: By industry

These fact sheets outline key findings from our survey of over 5,000 executives and employees about the future of work in the consumer goods, financial services, healthcare retail, professional services and public service industries.

Industry
Consumer goods
Financial services
Healthcare
Professional services
Public sector
Retail
 

Fact sheets: By region

A collection of fact sheets on the Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America regions outlining key findings from our survey of over 5,000 executives and employees on the future of work.

Region
Asia Pacific
EMEA
Latin America
 

Fact sheet: Small and medium-sized enterprises

Fact sheet on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) outlining key findings from our survey of over 5,000 executives and employees on the future of work.

 
 

Fact sheet: High performers by region and industry

These fact sheets outline key findings of our analysis of high performing companies across geographies and industries.

By Industry By Region
Banking North America  
Consumer Goods United States
Healthcare Asia Pacific
Insurance China
Professional Services EMEA
Public Sector MEE
Retail Germany
  UK
  LatAm

 

Workforce 2020

Building a strategic workforce for the future