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Global Talent Trends 2020

Four trends changing the way you attract and retain talent.

Get the full report for actionable tips on each trend, along with company case studies, original insights, and more.

Explore key findings Download my full report

TREND 1

Employee experience

Your company will work for employees – not just the other way around.

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TREND 2

People analytics

Meaningful insights will inform talent decisions at every level.

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TREND 3

Internal recruiting

Your next hire will come from within your company — if you can find them.

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TREND 4

Multi-gen workforce

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers and beyond, good talent will prove ageless.

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The full report combines survey results from more than 7,000 talent professionals in 35 countries, LinkedIn data, and 40 interviews with experts to deliver data-driven recommendations on how to act on these trends.

Employee experience

Your company will work for employees — not just the other way around

What is employee experience?

Employee experience (EX) is everything an employee observes, feels, and interacts with as a part of their company. Improving your employee experience can help you attract and retain talent.

Why employee experience matters in 2020

Employees used to conform to whatever employers needed. In recent years, that dynamic has fundamentally changed. Organizations are now conforming to workers – understanding them, investing in them, and involving them to create a better working experience.

of HR and hiring professionals say employee experience is becoming more important

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Getting better all the time

“Employee experience” has become one of the buzziest terms in business, as the number of EX jobs has grown by 3x. But has all that extra attention made a difference? Yes: two-thirds of talent pros (68%) say the employee experience at their companies has improved in recent years – but there’s plenty of room to grow.

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Top 5 areas for improvement

Percentage of talent pros who say their company should improve the following:

1. Compensation and benefits - 48%

2. Simplified administrative processes - 40%

3. Open and effective management - 38%

4. Intuitive tools and technologies - 38%

5. Ongoing employee training - 38%

Source: LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends Report, 2020

Elevate what matters to employees

Companies need to work on issues ranging from bread-and-butter basics – like pay and admin processes – to deeper cultural shifts around management and training. To make meaningful progress, make sure you’re taking action on what your employees care about most.

“Employee experience is about doing things with and for your employees, not to them.”

Mark Levy
Former Head of Employee Experience at Airbnb and Allbirds

Improve your employee experience

Our full report of case studies and tips will help you:

✓ Map the moments that matter for employees

✓ Turn feedback into action with small steps that add up

✓ Embrace transparency as you improve experiences

Download the full report

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People analytics

Meaningful insights will inform talent decisions at every level.

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What is people analytics?

People analytics uses data to measure and improve HR and hiring operations. It can include practices like tracking hiring performance, identifying flight risks, and strategic workforce planning.

Why people analytics matters in 2020

Over the past decade, the people analytics revolution has been heralded as a new era for HR. The only problem? It’s been a revolution for an elite few, not the masses. While some enterprises have profited from people analytics for years, most companies have been stuck struggling with the basics – but that’s about to change: 73% of companies say it’ll be a major priority for the next five years.

of companies say they still need help with basic people analytics

increase in HR and hiring professionals with data analysis skills listed on LinkedIn over the last five years

Source: LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends Report, 2020

The hot new skill in HR

HR and recruiting are getting very data friendly – and fast. Talent pros are rapidly gaining data analysis skills and putting them to use across a number of different practices. The most common are measuring employee performance (68% of companies), workforce planning (58%), and evaluating recruiting channels (48%).

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Treat employee data with respect

For all the promise of people analytics, some caution may not be a bad thing. As companies are able to collect more and more data on their workers, it’s imperative they use that data ethically, transparently, and with consent from employees.

“If we build trust and use people data ethically, then we can unlock significant value both for the organization and for the people who work for it.”

David Green
Executive Director at Insight222

Improve your people analytics

Our full report of case studies and tips will help you:

✓  Launch a people analytics pilot

✓  Develop a workforce planning practice

✓  Predict attrition and improve retention

Download the full report

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Internal recruiting

Your next hire will come from within your company – if you can find them.

What is internal recruiting?

Internal recruiting is filling open roles with existing employees from another team, department, or function. It’s also known as internal mobility or talent mobility.

Why internal recruiting matters in 2020

Talent scarcity has been top of mind for HR and hiring professionals for years, as companies face fiercer competition for the most in-demand skills. That may be why 73% of them say internal recruiting is increasingly important to their company.

Internal recruiting has increased by 10% since 2015

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Why internal recruiting matters

Percentage of talent professionals who agree that internal recruiting provides the following benefits:

Improves retention - 81%

Accelerates new hire productivity - 69%

Accelerates hiring process - 63%

Source: LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends Report, 2020

A strong retention tool

Internal recruiting is about more than just finding talent, it’s also about keeping great employees. Improved retention was the number one benefit of internal recruiting cited by HR and hiring professionals, and 94% say internal recruiting helps them retain their most valuable talent. Your best people will change roles sooner or later – better they move within your company than out.

Employees stay an average of 41% longer at companies with high internal hiring vs. those with low internal hiring, per LinkedIn data.

Learn to let go and employees will stay

Since it seems like a clear win-win for companies and workers, you might wonder why internal recruiting isn’t far more common. According to our survey, the #1 barrier was managers who didn't want to let go of good talent. That’s why improving internal recruiting isn’t just about changing policies, it’s also about changing company culture.

“None of us get to ‘own’ an employee. If someone's hiring an employee from your team, that's not poaching. That's two managers collaborating for the win of the company.”

Chuck Edward
Head of Recruiting at Microsoft

Improve your internal recruiting

Our full report of case studies and tips will help you:

✓  Foster a culture of internal recruiting

✓  Upskill employees for in-demand roles

✓  Deliver a great internal candidate experience

Download the full report

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Multigenerational workforce

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers and beyond, good talent will prove ageless.

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What is the multigenerational workforce?

The multi-generational workforce refers to the increasingly common phenomenon of having several generations working together (i.e., Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z), and the way companies recruit and manage them.

Why the multigenerational workforce matters in 2020

Generational differences are as old as families themselves. But with the average retirement age rising, they’ve never been so prevalent in the workplace. Talent professionals are taking stock to appreciate what each generation has to offer.

of HR and hiring professionals say a multigenerational workforce makes a company more successful

Celebrating strengths

In aggregate, each generation has different preferences, strengths, and behaviors: Gen Z workers are the most likely to value training opportunities; millennials are the most likely to have data analytics skills; and Gen X employees tend to stay at companies longer than members of any other generation.

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Tenure by generation

The graphic below shows average (median) employee tenure by generation, according to aggregated LinkedIn data. Gen Z is not included, due to members’ limited history in the workforce.

Average employee tenure

Millenials

34% shorter than average

Generation X

22% longer than average

Baby Boomers

18% longer than average

Source: LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends Report, 2020

Recognize everyone as an individual

It’s crucial to remember that these differences only exist in aggregate. Every employee is an individual with their own desires, skills, and workstyles. And though each age group might have its own characteristics, there’s far more that all generations share in common.

“Organizations that take the time to break through stereotypes and myths can create tremendous trust, teamwork, communication, and openness that unlocks the potential of every generation.”

Jason Dorsey
Generational expert and author

Nurture an inclusive work environment

✓  Go beyond age-based stereotypes to serve all employees

✓  Promote informal interactions across generations

✓  Create safety for all workers to share their knowledge

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Dive deeper into these four trends that are changing the way you hire and retain talent.

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Download the full Global Talent Trends 2020 report today for more valuable insights, case studies, and tips.

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