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BlueSteps Executive Outlook - January 2014

The BlueSteps Global Executive Outlook Survey was conducted in December 2013 and received 508 responses from BlueSteps member executives worldwide, including 50% from the Americas, 37% from EMEA and 13% from Asia Pacific.

2014 Executive Job Market Outlook

The 2014 BlueSteps Executive Outlook shows that the majority (51%) of global senior executives share a positive outlook regarding the global executive job market in 2014—up 15% compared to the 2013 outlook. Only 13% of executives surveyed harbor a negative view of the executive job market for 2014.

Peter Felix, AESC President commented: The results of our Outlook survey suggest that many executives are of a mindset to consider a career change and are increasingly optimistic that the environment will be conducive for this to happen. A number of forces are at work to stimulate this not least being the strategic forces such as globalization, digital transformation and industry restructuring that are changing the corporate landscape and are presenting new challenges on a continuing basis.

In spite of continuing volatility in some regions and sectors, there is real evidence of organizations thinking more strategically and looking ahead with a positive mindset. Senior management appointments are one of the key focal points as Boards and top management evaluate the future and consider whether they have the right people in the right jobs.

After 5 years of moribund compensation growth and cost cutting pressures, many executives will consider themselves to be “mobile” once again and interested in a change of environment and opportunity. Greater economic certainty will encourage them to take career risk and this mobility factor may well usher in a new phase in a War for Talent which has been less visible during the financial crisis. Added factors will be the megatrends of the demand from new markets around the world, the major demographic shifts now biting to an unprecedented extent as the baby boomers finally want, and can afford, to retire and the desire by many corporations to feed their succession pipelines.

For talented executives this new and more positive environment may well offer unprecedented opportunity.

2014 Business Outlook

Sixty percent of global executives share a positive impression of the general business climate for 2014—up 18% over 2013. Only 9% of executives surveyed harbor a negative view of the general business climate for 2014.

2014 Outlook by Region

In numerous markets, including Canada (92%), China (78%) and Germany (70%), executives are reporting an extremely positive outlook on the executive job market for 2014. These results show a dramatic regional shift in many executives’ attitudes about the executive job market from 2013 to 2014. In 2013, executives in India had the most positive regional outlook (73%). Though executives in India still have a very positive outlook for 2014 (63%), it does not rank in the top three markets.

Executives in some markets harbored a more negative outlook than most. In Australia/New Zealand, 50% of senior-level executives stated that they have a negative outlook on the executive job market. Executives in Executive Summary The BlueSteps Global Executive Outlook Survey was conducted in December 2013 and received 508 responses from BlueSteps member executives worldwide, including 50% from the Americas, 37% from EMEA and 13% from Asia Pacific. Africa (33%) and ASEAN (31%) also have a less positive outlook than the majority of respondents.

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