Leadership Will Ignite To Drive Talent Strategy

2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report:
the talent strategy game-changer series

Game-Changer #1: Leadership will ignite
to drive talent strategy
contents
game-changer #1: leadership will ignite to drive talent strategy
10
understanding talent leaders in asia pacific
12
whats keeping talent leaders awake at night?
16
the need to build a world-class talent strategy
18
the new paradigm: planning for uncertainty
24
using talent analytics to improve the odds
28
outsourcing the talent strategy: the increasing adoption of recruitment

process outsourcing (RPO)
30
tackling the growing leadership chasm
34
the 10 new rules of the talent strategy game
country snapshots
Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14
37
Australia
42
China
46
Hong Kong
54
Malaysia
58
New Zealand
62
Singapore
50
India
Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 3
Todays business leaders know success depends on their

ability to understand and adapt their workforce at warp
speed, with the pace of social and technological change
greater than at any time in modern working life.
The 2013/14 Randstad World of Work research

tapping into the perspectives of over 14,000
employers and professionals across Asia Pacific
confirms we are not just witnessing incremental
shifts in the world of work, but game-changing
forces that require fresh thinking and new, innovative
approaches to building a sustainable talent strategy.
As momentum continues to move from West to East,
the growing innovation economy in Asia Pacific
will demand new and adaptive skills particularly
as work becomes increasingly knowledge intensive
and technology enabled. In this new world of work,
knowledge workers will continue the transformation
of work into a collaborative process. Talented,
creative thinkers and those with specialised skills will
hold the cards as the rules of the new game require
leaders to develop world-class talent strategies to
find and attract them.
Series will outline what it takes to become a leader

in positive workforce change and ride a wave of
competitive talent advantage.
Our Randstad Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series
will explore:

Game-Changer #1: Leadership will ignite to

drive talent strategy (November 2013 release)
Game-Changer #2: The innovation economy

will create demand for new skills
(December 2013 release)
Game-Changer #3: Talent will drive the

engagement agenda (January 2014 release)
Game-Changer #4: Work will evolve

from a place to a collaborative process
(February 2014 release)
From talent analytics and big data, to strategic

global sourcing, digital communication and managing
the blended workforce; the 2013/14 Randstad World
of Work Report 4-part Talent Strategy Game-Changer
Whats keeping talent leaders awake at night?
State of the Asia Pacific Region: Talent Strategy
The Top 3 Human Capital Challenges

increasing workforce performance & productivity
23%
retaining top performers 16%
attracting new talent 15%
The Top 3 Productivity Challenges
developing leadership skills to drive business growth
46%
lack of a multi-skilled workforce to manage todays speed of work
27%
filling critical vacancies 27%
Why outsource
the talent strategy?
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 7000 Asia
Pacific HR & business leaders
on the game-changers shaping
todays talent strategy
<10%
YES
45%
35%
to access to hard-to-find
& specialised skills
to improve recruitment
process efficiency
24%
24%
to better align the workforce

with business strategy
to increase workforce
flexibility & scalability
Are business leaders

planning ahead?
56
How will APAC
employers unlock a
high performance
talent strategy over
the next 5 years?
60%
47%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
improve middle
management
capabilities
46%
33%
32%
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
pursue product
& service
innovation
Invest in new
technology to drive
business efficiency
will look to outsource all or

part of their talent strategy
& recruitment process in the
next 5 years
Or are they constantly

planning for change?
45%
72%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance
of leaders devote 20%

or less of their strategic
planning time to future
workforce planning
How is big data playing a role today?

34% use talent analytics
& big data as part of their
talent strategy
more efficient workforce

planning is the #1 reason for
of
54% employers
To ignite
game-changer #1:
leadership will ignite
to drive talent strategy
/ gn t /
to take fire; begin to burn
The Asia Pacific region continues to lead global

economic growth and labour market development
despite ongoing turmoil among many of its trading
partners, including the United States and Europe.
While this puts pressure on export growth for many
nations in the region, it has also brought about
unprecedented progress in intra-regional relations
between countries that share wide-ranging economic,
business and human capital challenges. From rising
inflation through to shrinking and booming markets,
and from the growing leadership crisis to ongoing
skills shortages; the regions diverse community of HR
and business leaders is proving itself up to the task of
igniting to drive the talent strategy.
In this years Randstad World of Work Report, we see
power economies like China and India ignite in their
response to attract and retain talent in complex times.
We see mature economies such as Australia and New
Zealand ignite to tackle performance and productivity
issues in changing markets. We see leaders ignite in
buoyant markets like Hong Kong and Singapore to
attract hard-to-find skills via talent analytics and in
some cases, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO);
and we see organisations in emerging markets like
Malaysia ignite to attract the talent they need to
become a high income nation. Its this commitment to
success that makes us proud to partner with employers
right across the Asia Pacific region in support of their
talent management goals today and in the future.
understanding talent
leaders in Asia Pacific
40
15 %
3 %
17
19
34
44 %
60 %
n
Ko
g
Hon
13
38
13 %
16
2
%
53 %
ia
Ind
49
58 %
Baby Boomers
na
Chi
lia
tra
s
u
A
34
33
Generation X
Generation Y
Generation Z
lay
Ma
sia
an
d
While much has been written about differing leadership

styles among the generations, our findings show
many areas of agreement and a few key differences
particularly when it comes to views about flexible
work, adaptability and technology. It makes sense that
a different focus or perception may well originate from
the different priorities or life experience of each cohort,
as well as the broader business realities in their industry
or country. What is clear is each generation of leaders
brings both common and unique values and skills to the
table to address one of the most important issues for
organisations right across Asia Pacific creating and
implementing a game-changing talent strategy.
59
4% 4 %
45
Business leaders from every country in the Asia Pacific

region are well-represented in our 2013/14 Randstad
World of Work research. The majority (83%) of
employer respondents are responsible for recruitment
or HR management in their organisations. Their views
represent departmental leaders (40%), HR leaders
(37%) and CEOs (7%), in key commercial industries
such as banking and financial services, manufacturing,
government and information technology. From an
equal mix of men and women, almost half represent
Generation X (born 1965 to 1979), while the remaining
respondents comprise Baby Boomers (born 1946 to
1964) and Generation Y (born 1980 to 1994) in equal
measure. This shows, that while Generation X is now
the majority in leadership circles, there remains a strong
mix of generational influences shaping organisations
across Asia Pacific.
generational profile of Asia Pacific Leaders
New
Ze
al
a
Sing
re
po
whats keeping talent

leaders awake at night?
Looking at the Asia Pacific region as a whole,

the top three human capital challenges for HR
and business leaders in the next 12 months
include increasing workforce performance and
productivity (23%), retaining top performers
(16%), and attracting new talent (15%). Yet there
is a large divide between the biggest challenges
in Australasia and Asia. Around a quarter of
employers in the mature western markets of
New Zealand and Australia see the need to lift
employee performance and productivity as the
single biggest challenge, whereas similar numbers
in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore say
attracting new talent for the next phase of growth
is the biggest challenge.
While this reinforces the two-speed nature of
economic growth across the region it is also
a reminder that despite weaker growth over the
last year or two, knowledge workers and technical
specialists remain in strong demand across
Asia Pacific.
the single biggest human capital challenge

in your organisation in the next 12 months
The growing confidence of the well-educated,

middle class employee in countries like China and
India makes it difficult for talent leaders to juggle
the challenges of stabilising profits and rising salary
expectations. Whatever the focus of their concerns,
more than half of the HR and business leaders in
the region rate their organisations ability to meet
these pressing human capital challenges as average
or poor.
This first report in our 4-part Talent Strategy
Game-Changer series shows how leaders across
Asia Pacific will ignite to drive talent strategy, to
ensure the success of their organisations in the
decade ahead.
Increasing workplace
performance &
productivity
16%
Retaining top performers

Attracting new talent for
the next phase of growth
15%
Managing internal
change problems
13%
Developing
talented leaders
11%
Managing wage pressure

& salary expectations
8%
Re-skilling your workforce

to drive innovation
6%
Addressing the skills

shortage by attracting top
talent to our industry
Other
23%
6%
2%
human capital challenges by country
25%
25%
25%
25%
23%
22
19%
19%
18%
17%
18%
17%
22%
17%
17%
18%
16%
15
14
9%
17%
attracting new talent

retaining top performers
Australia
China
Hong Kong
India
Malaysia
New Zealand
Singapore
increasing workplace
performance & productivity
the need to build a

world-class talent strategy
While the majority of employers surveyed across the

region represent large organisations with 200 or
more employees (60%), less than 10% describe their
talent strategy as world-class and a striking 39%
say their talent strategy is limited or non-existent. This
highlights the scale of the talent challenge for many
organisations, but these figures look set to improve as
HR and business leaders across Asia Pacific affirm their
commitment to bolstering their talent strategies in our
2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report.
When asked what strategies they would undertake
over the next five years to address one of the regions
biggest human capital challenges improving
employee performance and productivity employers
say they intend to strengthen employee engagement
and collaboration (60%), improve middle management
capabilities (47%), align their workforce plan with
business strategy (46%), seek innovation (33%), keep
up-to-date with new technology to drive business
efficiency (32%), and systematically measure
employee productivity (28%).
Our findings clearly show employers are ready to
invest in the talent management strategies and
systems needed to unlock the much sought-after
productivity gains.
which of the following will you undertake to

improve productivity over the next five years
Strengthen employee
engagement & collaboration
60%
Improve middle
management capabilities
47%
46%
Align the workforce plan with

business strategy
Seek innovation
(product &/or service)
33%
Keep up-to-date with

new technology to drive
business efficiency
32%
Systematically measure
employee productivity
28%
Use talent analytics to

improve the supply of
new talent
Increase workforce
flexibility with temporary &
contract employees
Use RPO to improve
attraction, engagement
& retention
17%
15%
14%
the new paradigm:

planning for uncertainty
The time and energy required to tackle daily

recruitment and talent management issues is one of the
common reasons talent strategy falls down the priority
list for HR and business leaders. Nevertheless, the
2013/14 Randstad World of Work findings demonstrate
an alarmingly short-term focus when it comes to
workforce planning. Leadership teams in almost threequarters (72%) of organisations across Asia Pacific
devote 20% or less of their total strategic planning time
to workforce planning.
Over a third of organisations plan their workforce
a year in advance (36%), and almost half (45%) plan
less than 12 months in advance giving them little
chance to benefit from more long-term talent
attraction strategies.
workforce planning lead-time
Less than 12 months in advance
45%
Australia
19%
12 months in advance
Over 2 years in advance
48%
China
Hong Kong
35%
51%
India
45%
46%
New Zealand
Singapore
31%
21%
46%
Malaysia
36%
40%
34%
35%
33%
43%
19%
15%
20%
21%
17%
talent mobility: employees who intend to leave

their job in the next 12 months
Experts agree the most effective talent planning

comes from a fluid and inclusive approach.
Leading employers have realised one of the best
ways to achieve this is to focus on making their
organisations talent ready so they can find
skilled knowledge workers and technical specialists,
and move quickly to attract and retain them.
This is generally done by adopting adaptive

workforce planning models, improving HR systems
and refining recruitment selection processes.
Modern workforce planning is less about
implementing a three-year plan and more about
having a range of enablers that give you the
business flexibility and talent agility you need
tools, systems and strategies in place to attract,
develop and retain an increasingly mobile, skilled
workforce whose demands are growing.
62%
35%
41%
65%
59%
Australia:
Yes
36%
No
64%
on
gK
n
Ho
How will your workforce plan incorporate the need

to attract local and international talent from an
increasingly mobile workforce?
na
Chi
ia
Ind
No
Yes
64
35
36
65
lia
tra
Aus
38%
35%
65%
sia
lay
Ma
49%
51%
36%
64%
an
d
Some boards and CEOs subscribe to the notion

that business requirements are changing too fast
for workforce planning to be meaningful. At a
tactical level there may be some truth to this but
the sheer rate of change in markets and the skills
required to compete and succeed, makes planning
for uncertainty a critical discipline for todays
talent leaders. How effectively leaders consult
with their workforce in the process is also critical
to achieving talent management goals. In 65%
of organisations surveyed, the senior leadership
team contributes to workforce planning, but only
56% include their HR team and 45% consult with
management at all levels. As the two latter groups
are responsible for the majority of hiring decisions
in most organisations today, a mismatch between
business needs and recruitment can easily arise if
these stakeholders are not involved in this critical
part of the process.
New
Ze
al
Sing
ap
e
or
talent analytics:
/ tal nt /a n I t i k s /
The process of analysing internal

organisational data about recruitment,
staffing, training, development,
employee performance, compensation
and benefits; as well as standard ratios
that consist of time-to-fill, cost per
hire, accession rate, retention rate, add
rate, replacement rate, time-to-start,
offer acceptance rate and attrition.
When external publicly available data is
analysed it is referred to as big data.
using talent analytics

to improve the odds
HR and business leaders looking to improve strategic

workforce planning and create talent-ready
organisations will find talent analytics a powerful
enabler. Organisations large and small, private and
public, hold vast amounts of data that can help them
find, engage and keep the most talented employees.
Following the principle that past outcomes are the
best predictor of future success, organisations are
beginning to use employee data such as resum
and exit interview data to improve their employee
attraction and selection process. For example, reviewing
10 years of resum data for an organisations salesforce
may show patterns in education, experience or job
history that continuously influence employee success
or tenure in a sales role. This data can then be used
to improve selection criteria when recruiting new
sales professionals ensuring these business critical,
revenue generating roles are filled with the right
talent in the shortest possible timeframes. The 2013/14
Randstad World of Work research shows around a
third employers across the Asia Pacific region are using
workforce analytics and big data, but adoption rates
vary by country.
percentage of organisations who use workforce

analytics as part of their talent strategy
24%
61%
35%
39%
39%
23%
33%
Australia
China
Hong Kong
India
Malaysia
New Zealand
Singapore
Talent analytics take-up is greater in Asian countries.

This may be due to the prevalence of talent strategy
of multinationals and global corporations that operate
on a larger scale in Asia, and the dominance of newer
cloud-based HR systems with in-built talent analytics
capabilities in high volume markets like China and India.
More mature markets, such as Australia and New
Zealand, see the benefits of talent analytics but often
face the barrier of using data from multiple legacy

systems in large organisations, while SMEs may be
unsure how to take advantage of the technique
and have less HR management resources at their
disposal. Our advice is to start small think of one
human capital challenge you need to address and
ask yourself whether the data available within your
organisation can help.
talent analytics in action:

Half of employers surveyed in the 2013/14 Randstad World
of Work Report tell us employee turnover is a significant
or business critical concern and the problem is serious
for both large corporates (59%) and SMEs (52%) alike. This
could be the perfect place to start reviewing meaningful
talent analytics.
Many organisations (47%) conduct employee exit
interviews, but how often does the data go beyond the
employee file to look for patterns about what is driving
turnover? For example, a medium-sized accounting firm
may try to attract the best talent by looking for multiple
qualifications in their selection process. But exit interview
data could indicate turnover is higher because accountants
are more highly skilled, and therefore more ambitious,
looking to quickly build experience and move on.
Over-qualified staff can also have a negative impact on
employee culture. If they feel too qualified for the role,
or the organisation is not the right fit for their career
stage, they may undermine management programs
and initiatives. To improve culture and attrition rates
as a result of analysing the data, this accounting firm
might decide to hire people with a single professional
qualification to work alongside support staff who will
achieve formal qualifications as part of their remuneration
package. This would in turn have knock-on effects to
This is just one example of talent analytics

deployed on a small scale, but the 2013/14
Randstad World of Work research found employers
across Asia Pacific are using the technique to craft
their talent strategy in a number of different
ways. Half (54%) of the respondents currently
use talent analytics to deliver more efficient
workforce planning, along with more accurate
talent mapping and addressing of skills gaps (43%).
Demonstrating the wide variety of applications for
talent analytics, 38% are also using talent analytics
to more closely link employee performance
and remuneration or to identify high potential
employees for development.
Now is the time to focus on talent analytics to

improve your workforce planning giving you
the visibility, transparency and insight to build a
world-class talent strategy. Here some more advice
on where to get started:
Employee retention what creates high levels of
engagement and retention?
Sales performance what factors drive
high-performing sales professionals?
Performance analysis why are some branches/
offices delivering higher levels of productivity and
what causes the variation?
Leadership pipeline who are the most successful
leaders, what makes them successful and whats the
profile of potential leadership talent?
Customer retention what talent factors drive
higher levels of customer satisfaction and retention?
Expected talent gaps where are talent gaps in the
organisation and what gaps can be expected in
coming years? Where can this talent be found?
Candidate pipeline what is the quality of the talent
pipeline and how does the organisaton better
attract and select people who will be successful?
the recruitment methods they use to attract this type of

candidate, and their employer brand strategy
would evolve to reach out to and engage the new
talent required.
outsourcing the talent strategy:

the increasing adoption of recruitment
process outsourcing (RPO)
So what tools lie at the disposal of employers to

build a world-class talent strategy? As globalisation
and the speed of work makes the talent equation
more complex, outsourcing key elements of
recruitment and talent management to experts
in strategic planning, talent mapping and
resource management is becoming an increasingly
appealing solution.
Once driven by a desire to consolidate recruitment
costs, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is
now seen as a far more strategic response to the
biggest talent management issues organisations
face. The need to hire specialised individuals with
hard-to-find skills, improve recruitment efficiency,
and increase workforce scalability and flexibility,
are now the main reasons more than half (56%)
of HR and business leaders surveyed say they are
somewhat likely or highly likely to consider RPO
in the next five years.
Sophisticated RPO solutions can provide access

to niche skills through work-ready candidate
networks, reduce hiring times on the most critical
roles, and help organisations manage a blended
workforce of permanent, temporary and contract
staff. RPO providers can also manage complex and
time-consuming cross-border legal and regulatory
requirements that can be a barrier to finding,
attracting and retaining the best talent.
The decision to outsource calls for taking
a complete approach to talent acquisition
and management inside and outside of the
organisation using the external expertise
and right talent analytics and metrics to attract,
identify, develop and retain the high potential
talent that drives business impact, agility
and success.
employers likely to outsource all or

part of their talent strategy & recruitment
process in the next five years
72%
China
53%
Hong Kong
70%
India
66%
Malaysia
New Zealand
Singapore
49%
Australia
45%
57%
tackling the growing

leadership chasm
For years, recruitment experts, organisational strategists

and business commentators have been talking about
bridging the growing leadership gap in organisations
across Asia Pacific, but the 2013/14 Randstad World of
Work research reveals the gap is better described as a
gaping chasm.
Almost half of those surveyed say developing leadership
skills for the next phase of business growth is a key
productivity challenge for their organisations, making it
the stand-out No.1 productivity challenge for business
leaders right across Asia Pacific in the next 12 months.
When asked what strategies they will undertake to
improve productivity in the next five years, nearly half
intend to improve middle-management capabilities.
This is reinforced by findings about specific gaps in
the leadership pipeline that show employers are most
concerned about a lack of talented middle managers
and high potential managers.
what are the key productivity challenges your

organisation will face over the next 12 months?
Lack of specialist skills to drive innovation

Australia
21%
23%
24%
23%
12%
46%
26%
17%
China
33%
31%
15%
12%
15%
41%
9%
28%
Down-time & knowledge loss created by

increased employee turnover
Hong Kong
23%
27%
38%
24%
11%
48%
10%
23%
Lack of skills to benefit from rapid

advancements in technology
India
22%
37%
31%
19%
13%
49%
11%
21%
Developing leadership skills for the next phase

of business growth
Malaysia
30%
36%
36%
27%
14%
49%
10%
35%
New
Zealand
22%
28%
39%
21%
17%
49%
14%
14%
Singapore
26%
28%
37%
27%
13%
52%
18%
22%
APAC Total
24%
27%
27%
21%
13%
46%
18%
21%
Lack of multi-skilled workforce to manage

todays speed of work
Filling critical vacancies
Government legislation impacting workforce

flexibility & costs
Lack of talent/workforce analytics to
effectively workforce plan
are organisations
across the region doing
enough to make good
leaders great?
Less than half (48%) of employers rate their organisations

leadership capabilities today as good, while only 14%
rate them as excellent. Thirty-nine percent rate their
organisations commitment to investing in the development
of their own leadership skills and capabilities as average
or poor a clear indicator that investment in tomorrows
leaders must come from the very top of the organisation.
how do you rate your organisations leadership capabilities?
13%
50%
30%
7%
20%
Australia
9%
45%
40%
38%
37%
6%
9%
48%
35%
32%
4%
62%
21%
4%
India
8%
17%
Malaysia
Excellent
53%
13%
China
Hong Kong
11%
5%
So what can CEOs do to boost their organisations

leadership capabilities? Common strategies such
as talent management programs to identify
high potential employees (49%), and structuring
remuneration and rewards to attract and retain top
leadership talent (40%), have an important role
to play. But CEOs must continuously look to new
methods and tools that will give them an advantage
when it comes to attracting and developing
high-performing leaders.
As the human capital challenges facing local

companies, global corporations and public sector
organisations across Asia Pacific converge, so too do
traditional leadership styles. Innovative companies
in emerging sectors can benefit from the rigour
of process-driven leadership that comes from a
career in government or the corporate arena, while
corporations in traditional sectors seek the adaptive
abilities and creativity of more entrepreneurial
leaders to drive new competitive edge.
52%
27%
New Zealand
Good
Average
Similarly, the blend of leadership backgrounds and

experience is changing across the region. Expatriate
leaders are increasingly making way for local leaders
coming through the talent pipeline in countries
like Hong Kong, Singapore, China and India but
often these same leaders find their Asian knowledge
and experience in demand back in the West, with
companies across many sectors looking to reach new
markets among the growing Asian middle class.
For most CEOs, these changes mean it will be
necessary to make more leadership hires outside their
organisations to accommodate for opportunistic hires
as they arise. Good use of external partners, academic
and industry networks, technology and talent
analytics, look set to play a key role in supporting
CEOs to be more agile in their leadership acquisition
and development efforts in the years ahead.
what strategies does your organisation

currently use to build its leadership pipeline?
4%
49%
Talent management
programs to identify high
potential employees
43%
Future leaders development

programs to fast-track high
potential employees
18%
Partnering with
recruitment firms to
find leadership talent
16%
Partnering with
universities to attract
management students
Poor
40%
8%
Structuring remuneration
& rewards to attact &
retain top leadership talent
Partnering with an external HR

consultancy to determine the
leadership development strategy
Singapore
in summary:
the 10 new rules of the talent
strategy game
#
Organisations across the region need to

make meaningful, inclusive workforce
planning a priority to ensure their
survival and success when it comes to
attracting global and local talent.
Skilled talent shortages are

expected to persist across the Asia
Pacific even in countries where
growth is slowing due to the
restructuring of many economies
and labour markets.
The critical need for specialist

professional and technical skills is driving
organisations to consider outsourcing
to experts in strategic planning, talent
mapping and talent management.
Talent analytics can help

organisations understand the
behavioural patterns and desires
of top professionals enabling them
to attract and retain them for the
leadership pipeline.
Effective workforce planning in

this decade means using a mix
of enabling tools, systems and
strategies to attract, develop
and retain an increasingly
mobile and skilled workforce.
High-end recruitment process

outsourcing (RPO) can provide access
to niche, hard-to-find skills, improve
recruitment efficiency, and increase
workforce scalability and flexibility.
Start small when it comes to talent

analytics choose one human
capital problem you need to address
and determine how the employee
data within your organisation can
help you to solve it.
The Asia Pacific region faces nothing

short of a leadership crisis its
time for organisations to re-think
their approach to attracting and
developing leadership talent.
Organisations who need creative,

adaptive leaders must find professionals
with wide-ranging experience across
multiple sectors or functions who are
confident with risk and uncertainty.
10
Achieving measurable success on a key
human capital challenge will help HR
and business leaders build the case for
greater investment in talent analytics
and big data in the future.
Australia
game-changer #1:
leadership will ignite to
drive talent strategy
Country Snapshots
In response to the rapid growth in the region,

Australian organisations continue to look to new
opportunities in burgeoning Asian markets shifting
their focus away from traditional export destinations
such as the United States and Europe who have
experienced ongoing economic turmoil over the
last 12 months. As a growing middle class emerges
across Asia, the region is seen as an important source
of demand for Australias rural, manufactured
and service exports. Australian business leaders
are committed to strengthening economic and
cultural ties with Asia, backed by a raft of free-trade
agreements with economies in the region, including
Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
As Australian organisations adjust to new global and
regional realities, the primary focus of HR and business
leaders is recalibrating their workforce for high
performance in a new world order. A quarter of those
surveyed in the 2013/14 Randstad World of Work
Report say increasing performance and productivity
is their single biggest challenge, while 18% point to
managing internal change as merger and acquisition
activity increases in key sectors such as energy and
resources, mining services, agribusiness and financial
services. Like much of the region, Australia also faces
significant demographic change such as an ageing
population, falling birth rates and lower than desired
workforce participation among women.
Australia
As Australia adapts to strong competition

from Asia in labour-intensive and low-skilled
manufactured exports, large numbers of unskilled
and semi-skilled workers are also joining the
long-term unemployed, further reducing the
nations participation rate. Given these market
dynamics and despite an improvement in overall
business confidence since the recent Federal
election brought a conservative Government to
power in Australia industrial relations policy
remains a vexed issue for many employers, with
26% of employers saying government legislation
impacting workforce flexibility and costs will be
a key productivity challenge over the next
12 months.
Its clear the Government will have to quickly
address the re-skilling of industrial workers for jobs
in the knowledge economy or be left with a group
of people who may never re-join the workforce.
While Australias unemployment rate has risen to
5.6% in September 2013, traditional manufacturing
industries and the public sector have borne the
brunt of job losses, leaving skilled knowledge
workers in strong demand in industries such as
pharmaceutical, financial and technology services.
As it stands today, just 46% of employers in these
sectors are confident the skills they need over
how to build a world-class talent

strategy in Australia
the next decade will be delivered by the education

system in Australia, suggesting a significant shake-up
is required.
The next five years will be all about finding the
right people at the right time, and managing
their transition through the leadership pipeline in
changing and emerging sectors rather than simply
sourcing a huge volume of talent across all areas,
as was the case during the boom years. This will
make practical tools like talent analytics increasingly
important for Australian employers. Yet our
research shows they are less likely to take-up talent
management strategies such as recruitment process
outsourcing and talent analytics than their Asian
neighbours. This may in some part be due to the high
number of small businesses in the Australian market,
and the high quality of HR skills and expertise already
existing inside organisations.
Despite these capabilities, its clear the need to
find critical niche skills in white collar industries on
the one hand, while helping entire workforces in
traditional industries to re-skill on the other, will
require Australian employers to be leaders in talent
strategy constantly embracing new technologies
and approaches.
plan ahead
align workforce &

business strategy
cultivate
new leaders
Australian organisations spend less time of their strategic

planning time on workforce planning than any other
country in the region. With professional skills shortages set
to persist alongside rising unemployment for some time to
come, better workforce planning is essential to securing an
Tackling Australias productivity challenge means getting

every employee in your organisation working together to
achieve better outcomes. Aligning attraction, retention
and employee development strategies with overall business
strategy, makes it easier to plan your workforce and
Australias reliance on technical and commercial skills to build

the talent pipeline has left some organisations with a lack
of visionary, creative leaders who are comfortable managing
through uncertainty. Use talent analytics to target more
adaptive leaders evidenced by a successful work history in
adequate supply of talent for the future leadership pipeline.
motivates employees.
multiple sectors, countries or disciplines.

25%
managing internal change programs
18%
retaining top performers 15%
State of the Nation: Australia

46%
legislation impacting workforce flexibility & costs
26%
Why outsource
40%
to access hard-to-find
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
32
process efficiency
<10%
YES
49
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 3200
Australian HR & business leaders
How will Australian

employers unlock a
high performance
the next 5 years?
64%
51%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
41%
36%
35%
improve middle
management
capabilities
invest in new
technology to
drive business
efficiency
pursue product &

service innovation

next 5 years
23%
to better align the
workforce with
business strategy
22%
22%
to manage business
growth

planning ahead?
81%
77%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

talent strategy

of
% employers
62
China
Despite economic growth of 7.8% in the last year,

China is facing significant labour market challenges
as the nation attempts to move its economy
beyond a traditional reliance on exports to creating
more growth from domestic consumption. While
enviable by global standards, the annual growth
rate is the countrys lowest in 23 years, a sign that
businesses in China face tougher markets ahead.
Combine slowing growth with rapid urbanisation,
a shrinking working age population due to the
one-child policy, and a younger, more educated
and skilled workforce demanding better pay and
conditions and you have plenty of challenges to
keep HR and business leaders awake at night
in China.
What is striking about this stage in the nations
spectacular growth is how labour market dynamics
are shifting to produce challenges more in common
with developed mature economies, like Australia
and New Zealand in our research. Just three short
years ago, attracting talent in great numbers to fill
Chinas high-tech factories and mega-cities was the
main priority for organisations in China. By 2012,
increasing workforce productivity and performance
was a growing challenge and now in 2013 it has
overtaken talent attraction to become the single
biggest challenge for HR and business leaders across
the country.

strategy in China
Theres no doubt Chinas aim of increasing

domestic consumption to reduce its reliance on
foreign exports has happened at a slower rate
than anticipated, causing the SME market to
shrink. Meanwhile the mass manufacturing
model that fuelled its rise to a global economic
superpower is now under threat from growing
wage pressures and a lack of local talent willing
to take-up factory work.
Despite slowing growth, employee confidence
remains high, with 62% of employees planning
to leave their job in the next 12 months according
to the 2013/14 Randstad World of Work research.
China may now have to evolve its manufacturing
model away from homogenous mega-factories,
particularly as they will now compete for talent
with the growing number of multinationals
moving research and innovation centres to China
in response to their own skills shortages at home.
A period of labour market transition is the logical
consequence of rapid social and economic progress,
but employers both local and international
must now take stock to consider the impact on
their workforce, and develop a plan to ensure
they can attract and retain the talent that will see
Chinas economic miracle continue.
understand
labour market
realities
{{
one size
doesnt fit all
{{
take a
cross-cultural
approach
{{
Accept at this stage in Chinas economic development

that wage pressures will remain high and employees will
move approximately every two years. Ensure job roles and
induction programs are well-designed so new employees
can contribute to organisational goals quickly and design
remuneration around short-term motivators. This will
help to drive the workforce to achieving stronger levels of
performance and productivity faster.
Customise your employee value proposition depending on

the profile of talent you want to attract in each region. Salary
expectations are higher for professionals in Shanghai where
there is strong demand and a limited talent pool, whereas
training and development may be more important to semi-skilled
workers in inland provinces. Its also important to understand
that labour market laws change dramatically in different regions.
Actively develop cross-cultural skills within your organisation.

Keep building up a strong base of local talent who have
aspirations to work or study overseas and can bring back
valuable international skills to the organisation. On the flip-side
for international companies, sending western Mandarin-speaking
expats to China is one thing, but developing an understanding
of the cultural values and social dynamics that influence business
relationships is equally important.

25%
19%
18%
State of the Nation: China

lack of specialist skills to drive innovation
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
<15
YES
72
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 1200 Chinese
HR & business leaders on the
game-changers shaping todays
talent strategy
41%
33%
31%
How will Chinese

employers unlock a
high performance
the next 5 years?
54%
38%
improve middle
management
capabilities
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
30%
28
use talent
analytics to
improve the
supply of new
talent
better align their

workforce plan
with business
strategy

next 5 years
30%
Why outsource
43%
29%
process efficiency
30%
26%
to build a total talent

solution across temporary,
contract & permanent hiring
to better align the

workforce with
business strategy

planning ahead?
79%
69%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

27
pursue product &

service innovation

talent strategy

%
of
employers
47
Hong Kong
With low unemployment, the job market in

Hong Kong remains buoyant thanks to the
strong performance of traditional sectors such as
financial services, trading and logistics, tourism
and other professional services over the last
12 months. Further optimism has arisen from
growing employment opportunities in emerging
industries including the creative sector, medical
services, education services, innovation and
technology testing, and certification services.
At the same time, Hong Kong is increasingly
seen as the gateway location for international
firms. With one foot in China and the other in
Western markets, Hong Kong is uniquely placed
to provide consulting and cultural services to
multinationals looking to target Chinas growing
middle class. Hong Kongs Closer Economic
Partnership Arrangement with China gives it
lower tariffs and preferential access to the Chinese
market, but the relationship goes both ways.
Hong Kong also helps Chinese companies enter
international markets and is the major capital
market for publicly-listed Chinese companies,
who in turn contribute to Hong Kongs growth.

strategy in Hong Kong
This is a great example of increased

intra-regional collaboration between nations
looking to compete on the global stage, and
it certainly sustains demand for highly skilled
talent. In fact, in this overheated market,
its no surprise that attracting new talent
(25%) and retaining top performers (22%)
are the biggest human capital challenges
for employers in Hong Kong, while 38% say
filling critical vacancies is a key productivity
challenge. Its clear a steady supply of talent
will be necessary to prevent bottle-necks arising
from skills shortages in professional sectors.
Skills shortages, combined with wage pressures
and high employee mobility, are also driving
the need to develop better selection and
development techniques. Over a third of
employers (35%) already use talent analytics and
big data to inform their talent strategy, and
78% agree the ability to analyse internal and
external employee data will play a crucial role
in sourcing talent in the next five to 10 years.
invest in your
employer
brand
When competition for talent is fierce, strengthening your

employer brand pays off. With salaries driving the market,
instead leverage your employer brand to convey messages
about career opportunities such as leadership development
and international secondments. Career advancement is
the number one driver employees in Hong Kong consider
another job perhaps surprisingly, ahead of more money
and benefits.
develop
career paths
Despite competitive salaries, employees in Hong Kong record

some of the lowest satisfaction and engagement ratings in
the region. Fifty-five percent feel either neutral or unhappy
in their current role, highlighting the importance of career
development and training when it comes to retaining top
talent in a tight labour market.
Despite persistent skills shortages in Hong Kong, almost

three-quarters of HR & business leaders devote 20% or less
of their strategic planning time to workforce planning, and
they are the least likely to outsource elements of their talent
strategy or the recruitment process when compared with
their counterparts in Asia. Establish a talent taskforce where
business managers and HR collaborate to tackle strategic
talent issues with a two to five year outlook.
put talent
strategy on
the agenda

25%
22%
17%
State of the Nation: Hong Kong

48%
lack of a multi-skilled workforce to manage todays speed of work 27%
Why outsource
25%
to better align the

workforce with
business strategy
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of Hong Kongs
400 HR & business leaders on
the game-changers shaping
process efficiency
<10%
YES
53%
How will Hong Kong
employers unlock a
high performance
talent strategy over the
next 5 years?
64%
51%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
improve middle
management
capabilities
46%
33%
27%
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
pursue product
& service
innovation
invest in new
technology to drive
business efficiency

next 5 years
to manage business
growth
49%
40%
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
29%
23%
to access recruitment
& HR expertise

planning ahead?
81%
72%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

talent strategy

%
of
employers
55
India
The economy in India has grown at an average

rate of 6.4% each year for the last three decades.
However, the fall of the rupee (resulting in higher
prices for imported goods), rising inflation and
a growing budget deficit, have seen the outlook
for Indias economy decline to a low of 4.7%.
Exporters are expected to take advantage of
improvements in external competitiveness due
to the continuing depreciation of the rupee, but
structural challenges continue to hinder Indias
growth trajectory. These include being reliant
upon a limited pool of skilled labour, and being
unable to create an industrial or manufacturing
base for the abundant supply of unskilled labour,
as other Asian nations have successfully done to
sustain growth. Rapid urbanisation and the lack
of employment opportunities for those moving
into the cities has seen unemployment rise to
4.7%, with urban unemployment sitting at 5.7%
and female unemployment higher still at 7%.
Employers in India say increasing workforce
performance and productivity is the greatest
human capital challenge their organisations face
in the next 12 months. With the rapid growth of

strategy in India
workforce practices and HR professionals within

Indian organisations trying to keep pace, 70%
say they are likely to outsource all or part of
their talent strategy and recruitment process
in the next five years 14% higher than the
regional figure. The main reason for this is
the need to hire specialised workers with
hard-to-find skills (43%), along with the need
to improve recruitment process efficiency (39%).
Almost half (49%) of Indias employers say the
key productivity challenge they face in the
next year is developing leadership skills for the
next phase of growth, followed by a lack of
a multi-skilled workforce to manage todays
speed of work (37%). The leadership crisis is
further highlighted by employers who are
concerned or very concerned about a lack of
talented middle managers (83%) and executive
successors (80%) in the leadership pipeline.
Interestingly, half of employers describe their
talent strategy as adequate, while 37% say
it is limited or non-existent putting talent
strategy at the top of the agenda for HR and
business leaders in India in the year ahead.
engage your
employer brand
With competition for highly-skilled talent higher than ever

before, there is the growing need for companies in India
to define compelling employee value propositions and
brands. Indian employers who lead this charge will enjoy
better retention and productivity, and attract a higher
calibre of talent while reducing recruitment, training and
development costs.
strengthen
talent pipelines
Eighty-five percent of Indias employers plan for their

workforce 12 months or less in advance. While this is evident
of constant change in a dynamic, emerging market, employers
may benefit from a longer-term view to talent mapping and
workforce planning ensuring they can adequately take
into consideration talent needs right across the organisation
to optimise learning & development programs, and build a
sustainable leadership pipeline.
consider
outsourcing
Outsourcing key elements of your talent strategy to experts

in talent attraction, recruitment and development is an
effective way to access hard-to-find skills, while boosting
the quality and leadership potential within your workforce.
Seventy percent of Indian employers surveyed are likely to use
recruitment process outsourcing in the next five years.

19%
18%
17%
State of the Nation: India

49%
37%
to manage business
growth
43%
30%
to better align the

workforce with business
strategy
39%
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 500 Indian
HR & business leaders on the
game-changers shaping todays
talent strategy
process efficiency
11
YES
%
70%
How will Indian

employers unlock a
high performance
the next 5 years?

next 5 years
55%
53%
improve middle
management
capabilities
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
50%
34%
28%
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
systematically
measure
employee
productivity
pursue product &

service innovation
32%
Why outsource
24%
to build a total
talent solution across
temporary, contract &
permanent hiring

planning ahead?
85%
58%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

and big data as part of
their talent strategy
accurate mapping of skills

gaps is the #1 reason for
%
of
employers
53
Malaysia
Still an emerging economy relative to other Asian

nations surveyed, Malaysia faces acute talent
shortages that could impede its aim to become
a high income nation by 2020. The country finds
itself facing the challenge of trying to attract
investment in key sectors, while thousands
of Malaysians add to the talent drain each
month by leaving to work or study overseas.
The result is significant skills shortages in
sectors as diverse as electrical and electronic
manufacturing, wholesale and retail,
information and communication technologies,
and construction and property services. The
shrinking highly skilled workforce that remains
can name its price, driving up salaries and
inflation, and increasing employee mobility.
Almost two thirds (65%) of employees surveyed
in the 2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report
plan to leave their job in the next 12 months
a mobility rate shared only by Singapore, 12%
higher than the regional figure (53%), and almost
double the mobility findings in Australia (36%).

strategy in Malaysia
Given the scale of Malaysias talent crisis, its not

surprising it is among the top three Asian nations
when it comes to the intention of its organisations
to outsource all or part of their talent strategy and
recruitment process in the next five years. Like the
rest of the Asia Pacific region, the main reasons are
access to hard-to-find skills and improved recruitment
process efficiency, but approximately 30% of those
considering outsourcing will do so to manage
business growth and build a total talent solution
across temporary, contract and permanent hires.
At the same time, Malaysias business leaders believe
developing leadership skills to drive the next phase
of growth is the No.1 productivity challenge. Its
encouraging to see that they are looking to tackle
this issue head on with talent management programs
in place to identify high potential employees (60%),
future leaders development programs (47%),
and structuring remuneration and rewards to
attract and retain top leadership talent (42%).
Skilled knowledge workers are attracted to Asia because

of its growing importance on the global stage and its
involvement in the latest, high-tech industries which
makes it hard for a country like Malaysia, still making
that transition in its development. Progress is being
made, with 31% of Malaysian organisations pursing more
innovate to
attract top
talent
develop a
multi-skilled
workforce
Talent analytics can play an important role in

broadening the talent pool in skills-short markets.
Employers may be able to find better ways to tap
into Malaysians studying and working overseas
or access new streams of unexplored talent.
Competing with more advanced Asian economies in

neighbouring Singapore and Hong Kong, Malaysia
has its work cut appealing to the best global and local
leadership talent. Organisations can build stronger
ties with Malaysian leaders overseas, encouraging
repatriation or seeking their involvement in mentoring
the next generation of Malaysian leaders.
support leadership
development
product and services innovation over the next five years.

23%
17%
17%
State of the Nation: Malaysia

49%
36%
Why outsource
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 400
Malaysian HR & business leaders
<10
YES
55%
30%
45%
to build a total
permanent hiring
process efficiency
28%
32%
to manage business
growth
66%
How will Malaysian

employers unlock a
high performance
the next 5 years?

next 5 years
62%
60%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
improve middle
management
capabilities
46%
35%
31%
better align their

workforce plan with
business strateg
systematically
measure
employee
productivity
pursue product &

service innovation
to better align the

workforce with
business strategy

planning ahead?
80%
49%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

talent strategy
accurate mapping of skills

gaps is the #1 reason for
%
of
employers
50
New Zealand
New Zealands economy, which often moves in

tandem with Australia, is set to overtake its Pacific
neighbour with growth of 2.5% (up from just 0.1%
in 2010) and predictions to rise to 3.5% in 2014.
This turnaround in New Zealands economic
fortunes has largely been led by the rebuild of
Christchurch, following the 2010-11 earthquakes
and New Zealands biggest export earner, the dairy
industry which produces annual exports in excess
of $10 billion dollars. However, the recent Fonterra
botulism scare that saw the New Zealand-based
dairy company raising a false alarm and recalling
tonnes of its infant formula products from the
shelves in China, has left a dent in New Zealands
dairy export and serves as cautionary tale for FMCG
brand managers targeting new Asian markets.
Not surprisingly, the construction industry
including residential building and civil
engineering projects on roads and bridges is
set to soar, as the rebuild of earthquake ravaged
Christchurch continues to provide employment
opportunities. It seems New Zealand may also
be seeing a reversal of the much talked about
brain drain, as professional expats return from
less favourable employment markets in the UK
and Australia. Inbound arrivals from Australia are
also the highest since records began in 1996.

strategy in New Zealand
The 2013/14 Randstad World of Work

research shows 64% of New Zealand
employers rate their organisations talent
strategy as adequate, compared to 52% of
employers across the Asia Pacific region.
Interestingly, just over half of New Zealands
employees are planning to leave their job
in the next 12 months compared with
just 36% of Australian employees. This is a
good indicator of a strengthening economy
and growing employee confidence, in
comparison to sentiment across the Tasman.
Unlike Asian countries, where employers
have more widely embraced the use of talent
analytics and big data, less than a quarter
of New Zealands employers are currently
using these innovative talent strategies. Those
who are say it helps them with more efficient
workforce planning, accurate talent mapping
and addressing of skills gaps, and better
alignment of people and company strategies.
To take advantage of talent on the move from
inside and outside of New Zealand, there
remains a significant opportunity for employers
to increasingly adopt these more sophisticated
talent identification strategies to drive business
growth or potentially risk falling behind.
strengthen
workforce
planning
Fifty-three percent of New Zealand employers

surveyed will focus on aligning their workforce
plan with business strategy over the next five years.
Ensuring your organisation has the right match
of skills in the right job roles can help improve
productivity and employee engagement and morale.
harness
technology
As New Zealand continues its transition to a

knowledge and services economy, harnessing new
technology will be a critical part of creating a
high-performance workforce. Forty-five percent of New
Zealand employers intend to embrace new technology
to improve productivity over the next five years.
explore
talent analytics
Currently adoption of talent analytics is lower in New

Zealand than in much of the Asia Pacific region . Employers
could benefit from use of the technique to understand
how well professionals transition from one industry or
role-type to another, or to compare the tenure of returning
expats with international skills vs. home-grown talent.

25%
18%
16%
State of the Nation: New Zealand

49%
28%
to access recruitment
& HR expertise
52%
21%
to better align the

workforce with
business strategy
37%
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 560 HR &
business leaders from New
Zealand on the game-changers
shaping todays talent strategy
process efficiency
<10
YES
45%
How will New Zealand

employers unlock a high
performance talent
strategy over the next
5 years?

next 5 years
72%
53%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
45%
45%
40%
invest in new
technology to
drive business
efficiency
improve middle
management
capabilities
pursue product &

service innovation
21%
Why outsource
20%
to manage
business growth

planning ahead?
79%
78%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

talent strategy

%
of
employers
57
Singapore
If Hong Kong is a springboard into China,

Singapore has positioned itself as a pan-Asian hub
for organisations looking to expand into multiple
markets across the region. Always a leading
destination for professional and executive expats
from the West, the growth of multinationals
seeking a regional base to explore and test new
products for local markets has made Singapore
even more popular. To meet the needs of global
organisations looking to develop new products and
services for local markets, the $64 million Institute
of Asian Consumer Insight was set up in 2011 to
study the consumption habits of Asian customers
and serve as a research, training and executive
development centre.
Tax incentives for key industries and those setting
up research and development facilities add to
the appeal for the electronics, retail, professional
services, information technology, and medical,
biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. With so
many opportunities for skilled professionals,
unemployment is extremely low though
higher among the resident population, causing
the Government to recently review immigration
regulations for foreign workers, including
professionals. Some market commentators expect
the move will potentially lead to labour shortages
and further wage pressures that may see some
companies relocating to emerging markets in the
region or beyond.

strategy in Singapore
All this means demand for talent will remain

very high in Singapore and workforce planning,
leadership development and training will play
an important role in retaining top talent and
unlocking the Governments productivity agenda.
Singapore and Hong Kong currently lead the
region in workforce planning, but their efforts
will continue to be tested in the future as the two
nations also share the highest employee mobility
rates in the region.
Seventy-eight percent of HR and business leaders
believe keeping pace with rapidly evolving
technology to enhance workforce performance
and productivity will be a challenge. But its good
to see that Singapore organisations are proactively
addressing this challenge with 35% looking
to invest in new technology to drive business
efficiency, and 34% looking to pursue product
and/or service innovation.
Looking to the future, organisations in Singapore
are poised to use every available strategy to
improve productivity and continue to position
Singapore as the most attractive hub for regional
headquarter investment.
think global,
act local
With a quality education system and a strong

presence of global companies spanning several
decades, Singapore is a great place to build a
base of local talent to help organisations better
understand and access new Asian markets.
improve
access
to talent
As the search for skilled talent becomes harder,

consider outsourcing all or part of your talent
management or recruitment process to experts
with proven talent networks to help you find
and attract top talent with specialist skills.
The need to improve the leadership pipeline is a

big challenge for organisations in Singapore and
there are some innovative new tools to tackle the
problem. Follow the lead of more than half the
employers surveyed and use talent analytics to
identify high potential employees for development
and make workforce planning more efficient.
unlock
leadership
potential

22%
17%
14%
State of the Nation: Singapore

52%
lack of a multi-skilled workforce to manage todays speed of work 28%
57%
27%
to build a total
permanent hiring
49%
Do business
leaders think they
have a world-class
talent strategy?
Leadership will
ignite to drive
talent strategy
Heres the views of 630 HR &
business leaders from Singapore
process efficiency
<10
YES
28%
Why outsource
25%
to access
recruitment &
HR expertise
57%
How will Singapore

employers unlock a
high performance
the next 5 years?

next 5 years
67%
55%
strengthen employee
engagement &
collaboration
improve middle
management
capabilities
46%
35%
34%
better align their

workforce plan with
business strategy
invest in new
technology to drive
business efficiency
pursue product &

service innovation

planning ahead?
83%
70%
plan for their

workforce
12 months or
less in advance

workforce planning

and big data as part of
their talent strategy
identifying high potential employees

for development is the #1 reason for
59% of employers
Look out for the 2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report:

Talent Strategy Game-Changer #2 in December where we
will further explore the demand for new skills in todays
innovation economy.
www.randstad.com.sg/wowr

Leadership Will Ignite To Drive Talent Strategy

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Leadership Will Ignite To Drive Talent Strategy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2013/14 Randstad World of Work Report:

the talent strategy game-changer series

game-changer #1: leadership will ignite to drive talent strategy

understanding talent leaders in asia pacific

whats keeping talent leaders awake at night?

the need to build a world-class talent strategy

the new paradigm: planning for uncertainty

using talent analytics to improve the odds

outsourcing the talent strategy: the increasing adoption of recruitment

tackling the growing leadership chasm

the 10 new rules of the talent strategy game

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 3

Todays business leaders know success depends on their

The 2013/14 Randstad World of Work research

Series will outline what it takes to become a leader

Game-Changer #1: Leadership will ignite to

Game-Changer #2: The innovation economy

Game-Changer #3: Talent will drive the

Game-Changer #4: Work will evolve

From talent analytics and big data, to strategic

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 5

Whats keeping talent leaders awake at night?

State of the Asia Pacific Region: Talent Strategy

The Top 3 Human Capital Challenges

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

to better align the workforce

Are business leaders

better align their

will look to outsource all or

Or are they constantly

plan for their

of leaders devote 20%

How is big data playing a role today?

more efficient workforce

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 7

to take fire; begin to burn

The Asia Pacific region continues to lead global

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 9

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

While much has been written about differing leadership

Business leaders from every country in the Asia Pacific

generational profile of Asia Pacific Leaders

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 11

whats keeping talent

Looking at the Asia Pacific region as a whole,

the single biggest human capital challenge

The growing confidence of the well-educated,

Retaining top performers

Managing wage pressure

Re-skilling your workforce

Addressing the skills

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 13

human capital challenges by country

attracting new talent

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14

Talent Strategy Game-Changer Series | 15

the need to build a

While the majority of employers surveyed across the

Randstad World of Work Report 2013/14