As World Leaders Focus On COP26, Worldcom Confidence Index Shows Business Leaders Are Focusing on Their People, the Economy and the Planet

• Diversity, Equity And Inclusion And Retaining Talent Have Highest Leader Engagement In October
• The Economy, ESG And Sustainability Issues And AI, Complete The Top Five Topics
• Hybrid And Flexible Working Sees Biggest Decline In Confidence Since September

Worldcom released the results of the October Worldcom Confidence Index (WCI), the first AI-driven ‘living’ global market research. These show what over 100,000 global business leaders are thinking about and how their confidence levels have changed since September. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topped Worldcom’s Engagement Monitor, making it the most talked about topic in October. Retaining talent had the second highest level of leader engagement. Talent retention also saw the second largest decline in leader confidence since September – down 1.33%.

“Hybrid working and retaining talent had the two largest falls in confidence since September. This highlights the need for organisations to have an integrated communications strategy for protecting the business against the ‘Great Resignation’ that is underway because of the pandemic.”

Time to address the challenges of hybrid working

The challenges of hybrid and flexible working increased its share of what CEO’s were talking about online – moving to #8 on the Engagement Monitor. And CEO’s confidence in solving those challenges saw the biggest fall in confidence since September – down 1.72% (see “Change in Confidence Levels” graphic). When you add in a fall in confidence for attracting talent, upskilling and reskilling, and retaining talent, it’s clear that employees are currently the biggest concern for business leaders.

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Time to focus on how to navigate an uneven economic recovery

An article in The Economist highlights that the global economic recovery will be uneven. So, it’s no surprise that the economy commanded the third highest level of leader engagement in October. Confidence in navigating the economy fell slightly, as did confidence in the related topics of global trade agreements, economic migration and government and legislative change.

Using Artificial Intelligence as one possible route to recovery may explain why AI was the fourth most talked about topic. It’s a subject that saw an increase in confidence since September – up 0.77%.

Time to understand how to communicate contributions to saving the planet

With COP26 looming, ESG, sustainability and reducing plastics was the fifth most talked about topic in October. The commitments made at the conference show that business leaders are expected to play their part by leading the change in behaviour needed to try and halt the rise in global temperatures.

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Time to have a clear strategy for influencers, the media, and social media

Influencers were the audience most talked about by CEOs in October. The impact and role of the media and of social media both featured in the Top 10 topics for the month. And in both cases the confidence of leaders saw a decline since September – with confidence in handling traditional media experiencing the fourth largest fall over the month.

Todor Janev, chair of The Worldcom Public Relations Group (Worldcom), said: “Hybrid working and retaining talent had the two largest falls in confidence since September. This highlights the need for organisations to have an integrated communications strategy for protecting the business against the ‘Great Resignation’ that is underway because of the pandemic.”

Todd Lynch, managing director of Worldcom, said: “The Worldcom Confidence Index provides invaluable insight to companies about business trends, concerns and opportunities that are top of mind for CEOs and CMOs. It can be used as an indicator of what is most important to leaders around the world and thus help leaders and their companies to make sure they are focusing on the most important issues.”

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