SHL Talent Report 2012 Provides Unprecedented Insight on the Global Workforce

ATLANTA, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SHL, the global leader in talent measurement, today announced the release of the first annual Talent Report, providing an unrivaled worldwide view of the value and potential of talent pools across industries, regions, and job functions. SHL has analyzed data from 4 million candidate and employee assessments from 205 countries and territories held in the SHL Talent Analytics™ database, and extracted scientifically valid and objective benchmarks which are critically relevant in today's marketplace. SHL will unveil the 2012 Talent Report at the HR Technology Conference & Exposition in Booth #467.

"Employers are grappling with unpredictable global economic forces and rapid technological change. To continue to thrive they need a steady supply of qualified, skillful and highly motivated workers. The Talent Report highlights the countries with the best or greatest volume of expertise in specific geographical and functional areas and examines some of the big opportunities and challenges in developing future talent," said David Leigh, CEO, SHL.

The Talent Report provides businesses, public organizations, academic institutions and governments with insight on the most critical management issues today: leadership, skills, diversity, organizational risk and innovation. The report, which provides invaluable insight for workforce planning, provides international indices on leadership potential, gender disparity in leadership and IT skills shortages as well as SHL's expert analysis of the data by leading behavioral psychologists Eugene Burke and Ray Glennon.

Key Findings:

• Mexico, Turkey and Egypt have the greatest source of potential future leaders while Hong Kong, Germany, and the UK face a leadership talent time-bomb
• Although the difference in leadership potential for women and men is less than 1%, men hold senior positions 3 to 1 over women
• Oil & Gas along with Utilities rank among the top three industries in behavioral risk at the manager and professional level
• Only 5.8% of global population has the potential to be a true innovator
• Eastern Europe tops the board in supply of IT and Essential Business Skills, while the US ranks far behind at 23^rd in both

"The Talent Report explores critical issues facing employers and governments today and provides valuable 'people intelligence' to support strategic workforce planning," said Eugene Burke, Chief Science & Analytics Officer, SHL. "We wanted to be able to help our clients answer the question 'How do we know that our people are equipped and ready to help our organization achieve its goals?' along with the benchmarks to help set meaningful goals measure their progress."

For more information on the SHL Talent Report, visit www.shl.com or stop by Booth #467 at the 2012 HR Technology Conference & Exposition, October 8-9.

Talent Report Methodology
The SHL Talent Report is based on over 4 million assessments within SHL's Talent Analytics database. The data set is drawn from more than 150 million assessments conducted across 205 countries and territories between 2006 and 2011.

About SHL - People intelligence. Business results.
SHL is the leader in talent measurement solutions, driving better business results for clients through superior people intelligence and decisions - from hiring and recruiting, to employee development and succession planning. With a presence in over 50 countries, SHL delivers more than 25 million assessments annually in over 30 languages - allowing over 10,000 business customers to benefit from both global expertise and local insight. Along with its world-class consulting practices and 24-hour support center, SHL clients can access over 1,000 assessments through an easy-to-use technology platform. SHL was acquired in 2012 by CEB, the leading member-based advisory company.  By combining the best practices of thousands of member companies with advanced research methodologies and human capital analytics, CEB equips senior leaders and their teams with insight and actionable solutions to transform operations.  Headquartered in London, UK, SHL has offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. For more information, visit www.shl.com.

SOURCE SHL