Adecco Staffing CEO Survey 2014

September 4, 2014

SURVEY BACKGROUND

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Methodology & Background

• This survey explores CEO and business owner opinions of departments within their organization; specifically evaluating:• Customer Service/Sales• Operations• Marketing/Communications• Research and Development• Human Resources• IT• Finance• Legal

• This report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted among a sample of 500 business owners and CEOs, living in the United States. Interviewing for this survey was completed on July 27th – August 12th, 2014. The margin of error is +/- 4.38%

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KEY FINDINGS

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CEOs and Business Owners Emphasize the Value of their Spouse and Salesforce

CEOs and Business Owners Look to Their Spouse First When Making Major Business Decisions

• CEOs and business owners tend to listen to their better half before senior members of their staff when making business decisions, as 37 percent say the opinion of their spouse is what matters most to them. This is followed by the heads of their business development department (16 percent) and operations department (13 percent).  

The Company Salesforce is Second to None When it Comes to CEO and Business Owner Priorities

• CEOs and business owners attribute the financial success of their company to customer service or sales staff (42 percent) over any other group. Roughly one-quarter (23 percent) believe the same of operations while fewer note marketing and communications (15 percent) and finance (5 percent) as contributing most to the success of the business.

• They also clearly value customer service and sales staff in the organization. One-quarter (26 percent) plan to increase headcount in 2015. Of those business leaders, half (51 percent) intend to do so for customer service and sales personnel. This is followed by those in operations (43 percent), marketing and communications (32 percent) and research and development (15 percent). 

• Legal (34 percent) is by far the most likely department to be outsourced by CEOs and business owners rather than supported by internal resources. This is followed distantly by IT (15 percent) and marketing communications (8 percent). However, there are some areas of business they prefer to keep under the same roof – when it comes to finance, customer service/sales, HR and research and development, CEOs and Business owners would much rather keep these functions in-house.

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CEOs and Business Owners Know They Need to Cough up the Cash to Keep Their Best Talent, but Many Do Not Plan to do so in 2015

• Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) CEOs and business leaders anticipate a need to increase salaries in the coming year to help attract and/or retain top talent within the company.

• Interestingly, this is especially true of companies in the south where 68 percent of business owners expect to increase salaries compared to those who live in the:• Northeast (59 percent)• Midwest (52 percent)• West (47 percent)

• Although the majority believe that they need to increase salaries in the upcoming year to keep their top talent, only two-fifths (38 percent) of CEOs and business owners actually plan to do so in 2015.

Despite Ambitious Plans to Grow Business, CEOs and Business Owners Express Doubtful Outlook on the Economy

• Business growth is a top priority for CEOs and business owners with over half (56 percent) planning to expand products and services to reach new customers and in 2015.

• However, despite plans for growth, eight in ten (79 percent) of CEOs and business owners believe the recession is not yet over.

• Moreover, only three in 10 (29 percent) CEOs and business owners believe hiring within the United State job market as a whole has returned to where it needs to be in order to continue to push the economy in the right direction.

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There is Scepticism Among CEOs and Business Owners When It Comes to the Future of the Economy

MAIN FINDINGSCEOs and Business Owners Emphasize the Value of their Spouse and Salesforce

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The head of the Legal Department; 3% The head of the IT Department; 1%

The head of the Finance Department; 6%

The head of Business Development; 16%

The head of the Operations Department; 13%

My spouse/partner; 37%

Other; 12%

None of the above; 13%

CEOs and Business Owners Look to Their Spouse First When Making Major Business Decisions

Q1. When it comes to making major business decisions for your company, whose opinion matters most to you? (n=500)

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CEOs and business owners tend to listen to their better half before senior members of their staff when making major business decisions, as 37 percent say the opinion of their spouse is what matters most to them.

When it comes to making major business decisions for your company, whose opinion matters most to you?

37%

My Spouse/Partner

The Company Salesforce is Second to None when it comes to CEO and Business Owner Priorities

Q3. In which of the following departments within your company, if any, do you feel most contributes to the overall success of your company as a whole (meeting your fiscal goals) (n=500) Q8. In which of the following department(s), if any, do you plan to increase headcount/make hires? (n=141)

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They also clearly value customer service and sales staff in the organization. Of those planning to increase

headcount in 2015 (26 percent), 51 percent, intend to do so for customer service and sales personnel.

51%

43%

32%

15%9% 8% 8%

2%

CEOs and business owners attribute the success of their company to customer service

or sales staff (42 percent) over any other group.

In which of the following departments within your company, if any, do you feel most contributes to the overall success of

your company as a whole (meeting your fiscal goals)?

In which of the following department(s), if any, do you plan to increase headcount/make hires?

Customer Service/Sales

42%

Operations

23%

Marketing/Communications

15%Finance

5%

R&D

4%IT

3%

Human Resources

3%

Legal

1%

(among those planning to increase headcount)

Legal Needs Are Most Likely To Be Staffed Externally According to CEOs and Business Leaders

Q2. In which of the following departments within your company, if any, are you most likely to staff with external support rather than internal resources? (n=500 )

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Legal (34 percent) is by far the most likely department to be

staffed with external support by CEOs and business owners rather

than supported by internal resources.

This is followed distantly by IT (15 percent) and marketing

communications (8 percent).

However, there are some areas of business they prefer to keep under the same roof. Finance,

customer service/sales, HR and research and development, are

functions that CEOs and business owners would much rather keep

in-house. None of the above

Other

Research and Development

Human Resources

Finance

Customer Service/Sales

Operations

Marketing/Communications

IT

Legal

16%

3%

2%

3%

5%

5%

7%

8%

15%

34%

In which of the following departments within your company, if any, are you most likely to staff with external support rather than

internal resources?

MAIN FINDINGSThere is Skepticism Among CEOs and Business Owners When It Comes to the Future of the Economy

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CEOs and Business Owners Know They Need to Cough up the Cash to Keep Their Best Talent, but Many Do Not Plan to do so in 2015

Q4. Do you anticipate the need to increase salaries in the coming year to help attract and/or retain top talent within your company? (n=500)Q7. Which of the following things, if any, does your company plan to do in 2015? (n=500)

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Interesting FactThis is especially true of companies in the south where 68 percent of business owners expect to increase salaries

compared to those who live in the Northeast (59 percent), Midwest (52 percent), West (47 percent)

Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) CEOs and business owners anticipate a need to increase

salaries in the coming year to help attract and/or retain their top talent within the company.

Do you anticipate the need to increase salaries in the coming year to help attract and/or retain top talent

within your company?

Reduce head count/ eliminate current posi-tions

Expand geographically

Increase headcount/make hires

Cut cost on overhead

Increase salaries

Expand products and services to reach new customers/grow your business

3%

19%

26%

34%

38%

56%

Which of the following things, if any, does your company plan to do in 2015?

Although the majority believe that they need to increase salaries in the upcoming year to keep their top talent, only two-fifths (38 percent) of CEOs and business owners actually plan to do so in 2015.

Yes No Prefer not to answer

57%

41%

2%

Yes; 29%

No; 69%

Prefer not to answer; 2%

Yes; 19%

No; 79%

Prefer not to answer; 2%

Despite Ambitious Plans to Grow Business, CEOs and Business Owners Express Doubtful Outlook on the Economy

Q5. Do you believe the economic recession is over? (n=500)Q6. Do you believe hiring within the United States job market as a whole has returned to where it needs to be to continue to push the economy in the right direction? (n=500)Q7. Which of the following things, if any, does your company plan to do in 2015? (n=500) Slide 13

Business growth is a top priority for CEOs and business owners with over half (56 percent) planning to expand products and services to reach new customers and in 2015.

However, despite plans for growth, eight in ten (79 percent) CEOs and business owners believe the recession is not yet over. Moreover, only three in 10 (29 percent) believe hiring within the United State job market as a whole has returned to where it needs to be in order to continue to push the economy in the right direction.

Do you believe the economic recession is over?

Do you believe hiring within the United States job market as a whole has returned to where it needs to be to continue to push the economy in the right direction?

Adecco Staffing CEO Survey 2014

September 4, 2014