At the end of this decade there will be unprecedented diversity in the workplace. Several generations will be working together, with different skills, experiences, habits and motivations. These were the findings of a study called Workforce 2020 carried out by Oxford Economics, a consulting firm associated with the University of Oxford, England, together with SAP, the German company that develops corporate software. According to the study, the demand for advanced technological skills, such as software for data analysis and cloud computing, is expected to grow worldwide—and Brazil will be no different. The data indicate that there will be a greater demand for professionals with solid academic training and specialization in these fields, as already happens today. Masters and PhD students are the professionals most in demand to fill vacancies as software developers.
The survey was conducted with 2,718 executives and 2,872 employees of companies from different industries in 27 countries during the second quarter of 2014. Among respondents in Brazil, 58% of employees said that the companies in which they work provide adequate tools to help them develop and improve their professional performance. However, 53% expect to be proficient in analytical tools in the future, compared to just 22% who say they are proficient now.
The survey also shows that companies in Brazil will face a talent crisis in the labor market. In the opinion of survey respondents, which included executives of companies in various industries, the five major changes that affect the future of the Brazilian labor market are: difficulty in recruiting professionals with basic skills (66%), globalization of the labor supply (58%), more seasonal/temporary employees (56%), increase in the number of consultants (55%) and aging of the workforce (50%). The research also shows that there is a large discrepancy between what employers and employees think about competitive compensation: 70% of employees say it is the most important part of their benefit and incentive package, while only 35% of executives cite this as something the company offers broadly.
As in the other regions of the world that also participated in the survey, Brazilian executives do not seem to fully understand the Millennial Generation, or Generation Y—those born between 1980 and 2000—who are highly connected to new technologies. In one of the points addressed in this study, 56% of entrepreneurs interviewed said the millennials want more feedback on their work, compared to 40% of respondents from that generation.
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