More companies are tapping into overseas talent to deal with a lack of qualified workers in North America, according to a Deloitte & Touche LLP survey. The firm's Technology Fast 500 CEO survey shows 55% of CEOs plan to offshore talent in the next five years. Thirty percent of respondents also say by 2012 they plan to offshore up to 10% of their workforce, while 27% say they'll offshore up to 20%. Less than one-fourth of respondents (20%) plan to offshore up to 30% of their workers, and 15% expect to offshore up to 40% of their workforce.
The trend coincides with a struggle to find skilled workers. Nearly half of those surveyed (48%) say locating and retaining qualified employees is the greatest operational challenge they face, up from 41% in 2006.
"When it comes to talent, supply and demand are out of balance, making employees more like consumers," notes Jeff Alderton, a principal of Deloitte Consulting. "And like consumers, if employees with those in-demand skills sets are not receiving the satisfaction they seek from their workplace, they will find it elsewhere -- with the competition. This will put an even greater strain on employers for available talent."
Nearly two-thirds of employers say they're offering stock options as an incentive to attract and retain workers, while more than half are providing flexible work hours, according to the report.
See Also