2025以人才為核心：制造業(yè)持續(xù)變革的當(dāng)務(wù)之急研究報(bào)告（英文版）-世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇麥肯錫

IncollaborationwithMcKinsey&Company

PuttingTalent

attheCentre:

AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing

WHITEPAPER

FEBRUARY2025

Images:GettyImages

Contents

Foreword3

Executivesummary4

Understandingtheevolvingtalentimperative5

1Thekeytotalentstrategy:viewingthefrontlineasaninvestment10

1.1(Re)invigoratingyourapproachtotalentinvestment10

1.2Understandingyouruniqueworkforce12

2Buildingtheworkforcewithprovenfrontlineinnovations15

2.1Investmentsincapabilitiesmustmatchlocaltalentstrategy16

2.2Multinationalsmustalsolocalize17

2.3Innovativetalentinvestmentsacrosssixcapabilities17

3Wayforward:Operationalizingfrontlinetalentinvestment25

3.1Createastructuredprocess25

3.2Buildingacross-functionalteam26

Conclusionandnextsteps27

Appendix:FindingsfromtheFrontlineTalentoftheFuturepilot28

Contributors38

Endnotes39

Disclaimer

Thisdocumentispublishedbythe

WorldEconomicForumasacontributiontoaproject,insightareaorinteraction.

Thefindings,interpretationsand

conclusionsexpressedhereinarearesultofacollaborativeprocessfacilitatedand

endorsedbytheWorldEconomicForumbutwhoseresultsdonotnecessarily

representtheviewsoftheWorldEconomicForum,northeentiretyofitsMembers,

Partnersorotherstakeholders.

?2025WorldEconomicForum.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformation

storageandretrievalsystem.

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing2

February2025

PuttingTalentattheCentre:

AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing

Foreword

KivaAllgood

Head,CentreforAdvanced

Manufacturingand

SupplyChains,WorldEconomicForum

Technologyisn’tattheheartofproduction.People

are.Puttingpeopleatthecenterisnotanewidea,

buttechnologyhasundeniablytransformedindustryandcontinuestodoso,whichmeansthisimperativeisevolving–andsomustourplaybookformeetingit.

Currently,agapexistsbetweenbusinessambitionsandthefrontlinetalentneededtoachievethose

aims.By2030,54%oftheworkforceinthe

advancedmanufacturingsectorwillrequiretrainingtomeetevolvingskilldemands.Asformerleadersinproduction,we’veheard“peoplefirst”countlesstimes.Yet,weknowhowchallengingitistoturn

thatsloganintoreality–especiallyinmanufacturingandsupplychains.

Whyisthefrontlinetalentchallengesoacute?

Atabasiclevel,workersoftenstruggletoearna

livingwage,especiallyindevelopingeconomies.

AccordingtoMcKinsey&Company,40%of

frontlineworkersinmanufacturingfacefinancial

insecurity,drivinghighturnover.Eveninhigher-

wagecontexts,competitivepayaloneisn’tenough.Employeesseekmeaning,growthandaworkplacethatvaluestheircontributions.Withoutthis,burnoutanddisillusionmenttakehold.

Asaresult,talentretentionhasbecomeoneof

thebiggestchallengesforindustrialorganizations.AMcKinseystudyshowsthatcompanieswith

FernandoPerez

SeniorPartnerandLeader,theFrontlineWorkforce

oftheFutureServiceLine,McKinsey&Company

effectivepeoplestrategiesare2.2timesmorelikelytooutperformtheirpeers.Yetmanystilltreattalentasacostratherthananinvestment.It’stimetoshifttoaperspectivethatviewsfrontlineworkersaskeydriversofstability,productivityandgrowth.

Organizationsthatembracethismindset

–offeringnotjustfairwagesbutopportunitiesfor

developmentandconnection–willleadthefutureofproduction.Imagineaworkforcewhereemployeesproudlysay,“Ibelong.Icontribute.Ihaveafuture

here.”Thesearethecompaniesthatwillthrive,

balancingbusinesssuccesswiththewell-beingofthepeopleattheircore.

ThisisthefocusoftheFrontlineoftheFuture

Initiative,aWorldEconomicForuminitiativein

collaborationwithMcKinsey&Company.This

initiativeexploreshowinvestingintalentinnovationcreatesawin-win:boostingbusinessoutcomes

whilestrengtheningpeople’srelationshipwith

theirwork.Itoffersanewplaybooktomeetthechangingimperativetokeeppeopleatthecentreofproduction.

Havewesolvedthetalentchallenge?Notyet.But

weknowthis:theorganizationsthattrulyinvestin

theirpeopletodaywillowntheindustrialfuture.Joinusasweexplorewhatitmeanstobuildabetterpathforward–forbusiness,forworkersandfortheworld.

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing3

Executivesummary

People,ratherthantechnology,remainthetrueheartofindustry.

Whiletherehaslongexistedanimperativetokeeppeopleatthecentreofproduction,thatimperativehasandcontinuestoevolveasindustryundergoesfundamentaltransformations.Anewageof

intelligentoperationshasemerged–andwhileit

requiresnewskills,italsocreatesnewopportunitiesforfrontlineworkers.Aconsciousapproachto

investingintalentisthemissingingredientthatwillallowcompaniestomeetthesechallengesandopportunities.

TheGlobalLighthouseNetwork,aWorld

EconomicForuminitiative,co-foundedin2018withMcKinsey&Company,andcounselled

byanadvisoryboardofindustryleaders,has

demonstratedtechnology’stransformativepotentialinmanufacturing.Yethumanworkersremain

centraltoproduction,andindustriesworldwidefaceanurgentneedtotransformfrontlineworkamid

mountingproductivityandstabilitychallenges.

TheFrontlineTalentoftheFutureInitiative

addressesthischallengebyidentifyingglobal

successstoriesandcreatinganactionableplaybookfortalentstrategy.Theinitiativelaunchedapilot

with10companiesandat13sitesacrosstheglobetoidentifyleadingtalentinnovations.Initialresults

demonstratepositiveimpact:pilotparticipants

achieved,onaverage,52%improvementinstabilitymetrics,34%improvementinfinancialmetrics,and28%improvementinproductivityandoperationalhealthandsafetymetrics.

Meetingtheimperativetokeeppeopleatthe

centreofmanufacturinghasalwaysbeendifficult,butdualfactorshavecompoundedthechallenge:productivitygrowthhasdeclinedtojust1%in

advancedeconomiesfrom2016-2022,while

71%ofUSmanufacturersstrugglewithworkforcestability.Fiverootcausesdrivethisinstability:talent

shortages,wideningskillgaps,evolvingworkerneeds,strugglingsupervisors,andinsufficientrewards,recognitionandincentives.

Leadingorganizationsarepioneeringa

fundamentalshift:viewingfrontlinetalentnotasacost,butasaninvestmentcomparabletocapital.Researchshowsthatcompaniestypicallyspendthreetimesmoreontalentthancapitalequipment,buttheylackthesamerigorousinvestment

approachfortalent–particularlyatthefrontlinelevel.

Successrequireslocallytailoredstrategies

andinvestmentinsixcorecapabilitiesbeyondcompensation:workdesignandsafety,talentplanning,attractionandonboarding,talent

development,talenteffectiveness,andcultureandexperience.

Researchconductedforthispaperfoundthat

leaderstakethreecriticalsteps:1)theyset

aspirationalstrategiesafterunderstandingthe

problem,2)theyinvestintalentinnovations,and3)theybuildtheholisticworkforceoperating

modelatthecorporateandsitelevelto

driveandsustainimpact.Whileevenleadingcompanieshaveonlybeguntotapthefull

potentialoftalentinnovation,theydistinguishthemselvesbyconnectinginnovationsdirectlytomeasurableimpact.

In2025,theGlobalLighthouseNetworkwill

deepenitsfocusontalentbyincludingadditionaltalent-relatedinnovationsandsolutionsinits

framework.Thismeanssitescanapplyfora

lighthouseawardtoberecognizedforachieving

world-classperformancewithdistinctionintalenttransformation.Theseorganizationswillhelpshapeafuturewherefrontlinetalentdevelopmentdrivessustainableindustrialgrowth.

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing4

Today’s

frontlineworkersaretechnologyoperatorsand

creativeproblemsolvers.

Understanding

evolvingtalent

Tounlockproductivityandworldmustadapttomeettalentimperative.

thethe

imperative

stability,theachanging

Theworldmustadapttotheevolvingindustrialimperativecentredonpeople.Basedoninsightsgatheredfromleadingmanufacturersandsupply

chainsoverthepastyear,onekeytakeawaystandsout:nomatterhowadvanceddigitaltechnologiesbecome,peopleremainattheheartofall

transformation.Anewageofintelligentoperationshasemerged–andwhileitrequiresnewskills,it

alsocreatesnewopportunitiesforfrontlineworkers.Meetingtheseevolvingchallengesandopportunitiesforthefrontlinecallsforanewplaybook.

TheunderstandingoftheFourthIndustrial

RevolutionhasbeeninformedbytheGlobal

LighthouseNetwork,aWorldEconomicForum

Initiative,co-foundedin2018withMcKinseyand

Company,andcounselledbyanadvisoryboard

ofindustryleaders,itbeganwithafocuson

individualmanufacturingsitesthatcomprisedthe

vanguardforoperationalexcellenceandhassinceexpandedtorecognizeleadersinperformance

andsustainabilityimpactacrosstheproduction

valuechain.Nowcomprising189lighthouses,theGlobalLighthouseNetworkhasprovidedincreasingevidencethatforalltheadvancestechnologyhasmade,thehumanfrontlineremainsessential.

Achangingfrontlinerealitycallsforarevisedplaybook

Frontlineworkhaschangedremarkably.Inmany

ways,today’sfrontlineworkersaretechnology

operatorsandcreativeproblemsolvers.Robotics

connectedtotheinternetofthings(IoT)now

operatewherelineworkersoncelabouredin

repetitive,dullandsometimesdangeroustasks.

Theseadvancementshavechangedfrontlinelabour,butthenewskillstheydemandhavemadethe

talentpuzzleevenmorecomplexandcompaniescontinuetofacepeople-relatedchallenges–

specifically,maintainingfrontlinetalentproductivitygrowthandstability:

–Acompany’sfrontlineproductivitygrowth

isthechangeintheoutputgeneratedby

thesystemperunitofinput(e.g.unitsper

hour),butit’salsomorethanthis.Itisthe

improvementinquality,service,yield,non-

labourcosts,etc.Inotherwords,alltherelevantindicatorsforthesystem’sperformanceenabledbythefrontline.

–Acompany’sfrontlinestabilitydependson

havingpeoplewiththerightskillsandattitudeswhoconsistentlyshowupandstaywiththe

organization.Theultimatestableworkforceistheonethatisfullypresent,fullyengagedandremainswiththeorganization.

Becauseofthisreality–thatthefutureof

productionremainsaboutpeople–global

industryneedsanewplaybookfortalent,and

meetingsuchatallorderrequiresapowerful

collaboration.ThisiswhyMcKinsey&Company

andtheWorldEconomicForumcollaboratedagainin2023tochartertheFrontlineoftheFuture

Initiative,withtheaimofidentifyingfrontlinetalentsuccessstoriesfromacrosstheproductionvaluechain.In2025,theGlobalLighthouseNetworkwilldeepenitsfocusontalentbyincludingadditionaltalent-relatedachievementsandsolutionsintoitsframework.Thismeansthatstartingin2025,

sitescanapplytoberecognizedforachievingworld-classperformancewithdistinctionin

talenttransformation.

Thiswhitepaperpresentsinsightsfromthe

FrontlineTalentoftheFutureInitiative’spilotprogramme.Ithighlightschallengesidentified

byparticipatingsitesandsharestheinnovative

strategiescompanieshaveusedtoaddressthem–offeringthefirstchapterofanewfrontlinetalentplaybook.WhilethereportdrawsheavilyonUSdataduetoitsavailabilityandindustrialscope,

theseinsightsreflectglobaltrendsobservedbyinitiativeleaders.

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing5

FIGURE1

2.6

2.4

2.2

Theessentialdifferentiator:impactorientation

Muchhasalreadybeenwrittenabouttalentinthecontextoftheproductionsystem.Whatsetsthe

FrontlineTalentoftheFutureInitiativeapart?It’s

aboutdrawingadirectlinetoimpact.Unlikeotherthoughtleadershipeffortsfocusedmoregenerally

ontalent,thisinitiativehasintentionallytiedeachinnovationdirectlytoademonstrableproductivityorstabilityoutcome.Onaverage,pilotparticipantssawa52%improvementinstabilitymetrics,a

34%improvementinfinancialmetrics,anda28%improvementinproductivityandoperationalhealthandsafetymetrics.

Averageproductivitygrowthacrossadvancedeconomies

1.5

2.1

1.9

1.6

1.1

GreatFinancialCrisis2008-2011

1.5

1.21.2

1.0

0.8

0.60.6

0.5

1997-2002

Source:Mischke,J.,C.Bradley,

/mg

2002-2007

Averageadvancedeconomies

AdvancedAsia

2012-2016

NorthAmerica

2016-2022

WesternEurope

M.Canal,O.White,etal.(2024).Investinginproductivitygrowth.McKinseyGlobalInstitute.i/our-research/investing-in-productivity-growth.

41%

ofrespondentsto

arecentsurvey

ofmanufacturing

employees,are

planningtoleavetheirjobsinthenextthreetosixmonths.

Productivityandstabilityremainelusive

Inmostsectorsofdevelopedeconomiestoday,

businesscannolongerrelyontheoldtacticsof

increasingpricesandfindingnewsourcesofgrowthasthedriverstoincreaseprofit.Rather,productivityisnow,inmanyrespects,theonlyviablepathto

increasedfinancialperformance.

Despitethis,productivitygrowtheverywhereis

slowing.Advancedeconomiessawproductivity

growthofonly1%between2016-2022,downfrom2.2%between1997and2002,aperioddrivenbytheboomofthe“dotcom”era.Thelast15years

haveseenproductivitygrowthdecline,largely

drivenbytheglobalfinancialcrisisbutalsobyothersystemicissues,includingageingpopulationsanddecreasedworkforceparticipation.

Manufacturingisnoexception

Themanufacturingsector,apillarofmost

economies,isnoexceptiontothetrend.IntheUS,asimilarproductivitypatternofaccelerated,

decliningandmeagregrowthhasunfolded.Between2011and2019,thedeclinein

productivitygrowthwasevenstrongerin

manufacturingthaninthebroadereconomy,withonly0.7%growth.Mostrecently,from2020to

date,themanufacturinggrowthratehaspartiallyrecoveredto1.8%,withthelatestreportat1.3%inQ220241–butitisstilllaggingthehistoric

rates,leadingbusinessleaderstoreevaluatetheirproductivitystrategies.

Labourstability,criticaltoimproving

productivity,presentsagrowingchallenge.An

outlooksurveybytheNationalAssociationof

Manufacturers(NAM)2foundthatmorethan71%ofmanufacturershavedifficultyattractingand

retainingemployees.Onedriverislabourmarketparticipation,whichdroppedsharplyduringthe

COVID-19pandemic;meanwhile,jobswitching

spiked–neitherofthesehasreturnedtopre-

pandemicnorms.InternalMcKinseyresearch3hasfoundthatamongrespondentstoarecentsurveyofmanufacturingemployees,41%areplanning

toleavetheirjobsinthenextthreetosixmonths.Absenteeismandattritionremainmajorissues

forcompanies

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing6

100

88

86

84

83

76

73

73

72

71

71

69

68

66

56

52

AIandbigdataTechnologicalliteracyCreativethinkingResilience,?exibilityandagility

TechnologyskillsCognitiveskills

Source:WorldEconomicForum.(2025).FutureofJobsReport2025.(Basedonupskillingreskillingfocus2025-2030).

39%

Attrition,especiallyamongthoseinthefirst90daysofemployment,remainsstubbornlyhigh,reachingthreedigitsinmanysectors.Thisinstabilityhasleftmanyexecutivesgrapplingwithhowtooperateinthenewnormal.

Unpackingthefivedriversoftalentinstability

Thesechallengeshavefiverootcauses:talent

shortages,wideningskillgaps,evolvingworker

needs,overburdenedsupervisors,andinsufficientrewards,recognitionandincentives.

Talentshortages

Thelong-termviabilityofanycompanydepends

onsufficientaccesstoskilledandcapabletalent.

Inevitably,thebalancebetweensupplyanddemandformanufacturingtalentvariesgeographically;

however,demandgreatlyoutpacessupplyinmuchoftheworld.TheUSBureauofLaborStatistics

reported622,000unfilledmanufacturingjob

openingsnationwide,whiletheoveralllabourforceparticipationratefellfrom67%inthe1990sto

below63%in2023.4

Furthermore,skillsgapscanmakeitfeelliketherearen’tenoughpeople–evenifthedatashowa

surplusinthelocalmarket.Iftheavailableworkerslackrequisitecapabilities,orifemployeesjump

fromcompanytocompanylookingforahigherwage,companiesstillfacetalentshortage

and/orinstability.

Wideningskillgaps

Theintegrationofdigitaltechnologiesintheindustryisrapidlychangingtheskillsrequiredforfrontline

workers.Companiesarestrugglingtofindworkerswiththerequisiteskillsastheyswitchfrommanualassemblytoautomatedanddigitizedlines.This

sentimentwassharedbyexecutivesparticipating

intheFrontlineoftheFutureInitiative,including

onehumanresources(HR)leaderwhosaid,“the

biggestchallengeisthedigitalrequirementsofourfrontlineworkers.Weneedtomakesurethatmoreandmoreworkersareknowledge-basedworkers,notjustskilledworkers.”ThisisechoedintheWorldEconomicForum’sFutureofJobsReport2025,

whichpredictedthat39%ofworkers’existingskillsetswillbetransformedby2030.5

Artificialintelligence(AI)andbigdataareamong

themostpressingprioritiesforworkforceupskillingin2024,especiallyinindustrieslikeadvanced

manufacturing,automotive,aerospace,consumerpackagedgoods(CPG)andelectronics.By2030,skillgapsinthelabourmarketareexpectedtobetheprimarybarriertobusinesstransformation,citedby63%ofsurveyedemployersintheFutureof

JobsReport2025.6Cognitiveandbehaviouralskills,creativityandagilityarealsogainingimportancetoensureemployeescannavigaterapidtechnologicalandorganizationalshifts.Companiesfocusing

ontheseareasarebetterpositionedtoadapttotheevolvingindustriallandscapeandmaximize

generativeAI’s(genAI)potentialforvaluecreation.

ofworkers’existingskillsetsarepredictedtobetransformedby2030.

FIGURE2

Focusareasofupskillingandreskillingbyshareofcompanies

●Advanc

edmanufacturing●Automotiveandaerospace

ElectronicsProductionofconsumergoods

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing7

Evolvingworkerneeds

3.Theydidn’tseepotentialforadvancement

(36%citedthisasoneoftheirtopthreereasons).

Today’sfrontlineworkersarelookingfordiscerniblecareerpath.Theyrespondtoinspiringleaders,valuemeaningfulworkandseekmoreschedulingflexibility.However,manyemployersdonotfullyappreciate

thesechangingneeds.ResearchbyMcKinseyfoundthatwhenmanufacturingemployerswereasked

whattheythoughtweredriversoffrontlineattrition,theycitedwork-lifebalance,flexibleschedulesandabilitytoworkremotely.7Infact,whiletheseissuesdidmattertoemployees,theydidn’tmatterasmuchasemployersthoughttheydid.Rather,thetopthreefactorsemployeescitedasreasonsforquittingwere:

1.Theydidn’tfeelvaluedbytheirorganizations(37%citedthisasoneoftheirtopthreereasons).

2.Theydidn’tfeelvaluedbytheirmanagers

Oneofthemostchallengingaspectsofdevelopinganeffectivetalentstrategyliesinthefactthat,forthefirsttimeinhistory,today’sfrontlineworkforcecomprisesfivegenerationswithconsiderable

variationintheirpreferencesandpriorities.For

example,whileGenZcaresaboutcompensation,theycareaboutitmuchlessthanolderworkersdo.Meanwhile,theyplaceahigherpremiumonmeaningfulworkcomparedtoothergenerations.8Thiscouldincludeprioritizingworkingforvalue-

basedorganizationswithpurpose-drivencultures.Thesegenerationalpreferencesandcareer-

progressionshiftsmeanthatorganizationshavetolookattheiremployeevalueproposition(EVP)holisticallytotakedecisiveaction.

(36%citedthisasoneoftheirtopthreereasons).

FIGURE3Factorsthatareimportanttomanufacturingemployeesversuswhatemployers

thinkisimportant

Employersseemto

overlooktherelationalelementsthatarekey

driversforwhyemployeesareleaving,suchaslackofbelongingorfeeling

valuedatwork.

Lookingfor

abetterjob

Valuedbyorganization

Potentialforadvancement

Valuedbymanager

Inadequate

compensation

Learningnewthings

Senseof

Work-lifebalence

belonging

Havingcaringandtrusting

Manageableworkload

Poachedby

anothercompany

teammates

Interestingwork

Flexibleschedule

Safety

Accesstotechnology

Abilitytoworkautonomously

Livingina

desirablelocation

Carefor

family

Poorhealth

Meaningfulwork

Abilityto

workremotely

Startingabusiness

-2-10+1+2

Less

Somewhat

Most

important

important

important

Employees0

Somewhatimportant

Most

important

Less

important

+2

+1

-2

-1

八

<Employers>

importanttoemployeesthanemployersappreciate

More

Asimportanttoemployeesasemployersthink

.(2024).TalentTrendsSurvey.

Source:McKinsey&Company

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing8

①Overburdenedsupervisors

Supervisorsareeagertohelppeopledevelop,butthey’refindingthatthey’reabletodedicateless

thanathirdoftheirtimetopeopleleadership,whichincludesactivitiesrelatedtocoachingandemployeedevelopment.Themajorityoftheirtimeisdedicatedinsteadtoindividualcontributorsandadministrativeefforts.9Meanwhile,employeescitefeelingvalued

bytheirmanagerandhavingasenseofbelongingastwoofthemostimportantfactorsimpactingtheirdecisionstostayatacompany.Middlemanagers,inparticular,arestruggling,withapproximately

40%ofthemreportingburnout–thehighestrateofburnoutreportingamongalljoblevels.10Thisisbeingreflectedamongtheirreportingworkers,too:31%ofworkerssaytheyarereportingtouncaringanduninspiringleaders.

FIGURE4Wheremanagersspendtheirtime,bypercentage

Averageshareofworkingtimespentineacharea,percentageofrespondentsNon-managerialwork

Strategy-focusedwork

23

Talentandpeoplemanagement

28

AdministrativeworkIndividual-contributorwork

1831

Source:McKinseyGlobalSurveyofmiddlemanagers,706middlemanagers,29March-8April2022.

Insufficientrewards,recognitionandincentives

manyfrontlinepositions–theincentivetoswitchisevenstronger.

Wagegrowthhasoutpacedinflation.Infact,

in2022and2023,itpeakedatroughly8%

annualized.In2024,wagegrowthhasremained

around4%.11However,additionalcompensationisnotenoughtokeepfrontlineworkersintheirroles.Therearetworeasonsthisistrue.

Firstly,whilewageshavegrowninproductionroles,they’vealsogrowninothersectors,

whichhasincentivizedworkplaceswitchingand

contributedtoinstability.Incaseswherewagesarebelowthelivingwage–whichremainsthecasefor

Secondly,asmentionedabove,it’saboutmore

thanjustwages.Paymatters–indeed,McKinseyanalysisfromOctober2024indicatesthat41%ofworkersfeeltheircompensationisinsufficient.12

Thedollaramountistransactional,anditistable

stakes.Beyondthis,non-monetaryfactorsplay

in,andtheperformanceoffrontlineworkershas

tobesupportedbythingsthatgobeyondthe

transactional:recognitionandappreciation.Whenworkersconsiderleavingacompany,acontributingfactorisoftennotfeelingvaluedbytheirmanagersortheorganizationasawhole.

PuttingTalentattheCentre:AnEvolvingImperativeforManufacturing9

1

Thekeytotalentstrategy:viewingthefrontlineas

aninvestment

Frontlinelabourshouldbeconsideredan

essentialinvestment,ratherthanjustacostline.

Historically,businessleadershaveviewedthe

workforceasacostcentre.RecentMcKinsey

researchanalysedthetop1%ofpubliclytraded

companiesindevelopedmarketsintermsof

labourproductivityandtotalreturntoshareholders(TRS)andfoundthatcompaniesthatcreatevaluefocusondrivingcapitalandlabourproductivityintandem.Theydothisbythinkingoflabournotasacostbutasaninvestment,similartohowtheythinkaboutcapital.

TheFrontlineTalentoftheFutureInitiativehas

identifiedacommonmindsetthatunderpinsall

leadingorganizations:thebeliefthatinvestingintalentallowsthemtoshapetheirowndestiny.

Thesecompaniescreatetheirownfuturebybuildingatalentstrategywithalocalizedapproach,investingtobuildtheworkforcetheyneed.Thischapter

willexaminethatmindsetshift,thenexplorehowcompaniescanmakealocalizedtalentinvestmentstrategyb