Switzerland realizes the importance of leveraging diversity as a resource, thus remaining top of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) in 2018 and retaining its spot of previous years. The alpine country is especially sensitive to cognitive diversity; it retains the talent it grows and is welcoming to outside talent. Switzerland is followed by Singapore, the US, Norway and Sweden.
Developed by INSEAD, the Adecco Group and TATA Communications, the GTCI provides a benchmarking tool for governments, cities, businesses and not-for-profit organizations to help design their talent strategies, overcome talent mismatches and be competitive in the global marketplace. It is an annual benchmarking report that measures and ranks 119 countries and 90 cities based on their ability to grow, attract and retain talent.
Excellence in training and education
Switzerland is very successful in attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce and global talent. Only recently, the country has achieved the top position on another index, the IMD World Talent Ranking 2017. Access to a strong and diverse labor pool is one of the main reasons for major players such as Google, Roche, Novartis, Nestlé, Disney or Microsoft to run their global business and research centers out of Switzerland.
In order to maintain a rich pool of highly skilled staff, Switzerland strives for excellence in training and education. The country’s internationally renowned academic education is supplemented by direct, practical apprenticeships – constituting a dual education system. Several hundred professions are geared toward the requirements of the economy, providing a highly qualified and experienced workforce.
Zurich is top of the list
For the second year, GTCI includes a ranking of talent competitiveness in cities, the GCTCI. Zurich ranks first, thus moving up from second spot in the previous year. Zurich scored highly for openness, business-government relations, and international relations. It is followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki.
