Did you hear?… Survey says senior executives upbeat about economy

More than 73 percent of senior executives and managers queried by NFI Research are upbeat about the economy, predicting it will gain strength over the next 12 months. About 15 percent said that the economy won’t gain strength over the next year, while 11.6 percent said it will lose strength.

Of those polled, 55.1 percent said that business growth is one of the biggest issues facing their organization. Forty-five percent reported that business efficiency is one of the biggest issues, while 33.3 percent said customer issues and 32.9 percent said industry conditions are among the biggest issues.

Senior executives who wrote in seemed worried that qualified workers won’t be available to meet the challenge:

>> One respondent wrote, “With aging demographics and a strong job market in the West, it is challenging to find qualified applicants and to retain good employees.”
>> Another noted, “Skilled and unskilled labor shortages are and will have major ripple effects on costs and productivity (including customer service) within our markets.”

Nearly 75 percent reported that they are optimistic of the increase/growth of business in general over the next 12 months. Twenty-three percent said they’re somewhat pessimistic, while just 1 percent was extremely pessimistic of the increase/growth of business in general over the next year.

“Focused, motivated and engaged employees are the key to sustainable growth,” one respondent concluded.

NFI Research (www.nfiresearch.com) is a U.S.-based research firm that identifies and analyzes trends and attitudes in business, organizational management and information technology.