Survey Results
The Global Talent survey was completed in two iterations: first in 2014 in the United States and second in 2016 in other APEC member economies.
U.S. Global Talent Survey
Research Questions
1. To what extent do companies value employees who are able to work effectively with customers, clients, and businesses across a range of different countries and cultures?
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2. To what extent do these organizations specifically value foreign language (FL) skills and international or multicultural experience (IME) in their new hires?
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3. Which economic sectors value FL skills and IME the most?
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4. Which corporate tasks are more likely to require FL skills or IME?
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5. Which academic majors are sought in combination with FL skills or IME?
Summary of Findings
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Concrete evidence of the demand for a multilingual, culturally competent workforce
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Room for growth in employers’ prioritizing language and culture
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Particular need in service industries and service positions
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A variety of college majors are sought in conjunction with language skills and international experience
APEC Global Talent Survey: Preliminary Results
Participating APEC Member Economies
Distribution of Survey Responses by Economy
NB: Responses from non-APEC member economies indicate that the respondent organization or company is headquartered in a non-APEC member economy, with offices within an APEC member economy.
Overview of Respondent SMEs
Organizations of varied sizes took part in the survey, from less than 100 to over 10,000 employees. The most conservative estimate from these responses indicates that the survey responses represent 215,224 employees; a larger yet still conservative estimate indicates that these responses represent 355,376 employees.
Sectors of Employment
Construction
Education Services
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
Government/Public sector
Health Services
Hospitality, Lodging, Food Services
Information Services
Manufacturing
Mining & Oil Extraction
Non-profit, NGOs
Other (Respondents asked to specify)
Professional, Business, Scientific Services
Retail & Wholesale
Transportation
Utilities
Preliminary APEC Survey Results
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87.9% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they value employees who can show that they are able to work effectively with clients and businesses from a range of difference cultures;
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83.8% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization values employees who are aware of the global challenges faced by their organization;
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66.1% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization values employees with the ability to speak other languages that are critical to their economic growth;
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73.4% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization values previous multicultural experience which demonstrates a new hire’s ability to adapt to new locations;
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81.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization values previous multicultural experience which demonstrates a new hire’s ability to integrate effectively in diverse teams; and
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69.4% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their organization values previous foreign experience which demonstrates a new hire’s ability to adapt to new locations.
In-depth analysis of the results is underway and this page will be updated periodically.