93% of senior decision makers at large organizations have made a short-term or quick decision with cost cutting in mind, with over a third (38%) later regretting it

Almost two thirds (60%) confess these decisions were later viewed negatively by the organization

A quarter (24%) lost valuable talent that they later realized they needed

London: 8th March 2023 – Big businesses are making snap decisions that lead to outcomes they later regret, according to new research. 93% of business leaders say they’ve made decisions with cost cutting in mind, of which 38% regretted those decisions. The main reasons for this are the loss of talent they later realized they needed (24%), loss of employee engagement (24%), and the negative impact on operational efficiency and productivity (21%).

What’s more, more than half (55%) of those interviewed had a negative outlook on the future of their organization, with a quarter (25%) of C-level respondents saying they’re “pessimistic” about the short term.

The research by specialist technology research company, Vanson Bourne, and leading organizational design and workforce planning software platform, Orgvue, interviewed 500 senior business decision makers from global organizations with over 3,000 employees. It focused on how these decision makers are planning for and responding to the threat of recession and to what extent they feel equipped to thrive in the long term.

The findings suggest that businesses find it hard to prioritize the right data at the right time to help them prepare for incoming storms. They listed efficiency (41%), productivity (38%), and growth (38%) as their top priorities in the next 12 months. Still, more than two thirds (70%) don’t feel equipped to deal with the current economic climate (70%).

Despite organizations having weathered persistent disruption over the past few years, the research reveals a strong sense of pessimism, with the majority (55%) having a negative outlook for the future of their organization.

Socio-economic and political factors are contributing to this negativity. The cost of living crisis and its impact on the organization’s ability to grow was the number one source of this concern for 53% of respondents.. This was followed by economic uncertainty (47%) and the market being more competitive (42%). 

Oliver Shaw, Orgvue’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Businesses have to react and adapt more quickly than ever before. With recession and continued economic uncertainty on the horizon, the need for businesses to plan and equip themselves with the right tools and data insights to make fast decisions has never been more important. This is partly because many organizations no longer have a choice about whether or not to make cost cutting decisions, and moving too quickly without the right information and planning risks damaging the business.

“It’s important that leaders pause to reflect on and respond to changing conditions throughout the year. Twelve-month planning cycles are a thing of the past and businesses should use all the tools at their disposal to avoid rash decisions.”

ENDS

Methodology

Vanson Bourne interviewed 500 senior business decision makers in the UK in November and December 2022. All respondents were from organizations with 3,000 or more employees globally and from a range of public and private sectors.

About Vanson Bourne

Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Their reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and their ability to seek the opinions of senior decision makers across technical and business functions, in all business sectors and all major markets. For more information, visit www.vansonbourne.com

About Orgvue

Orgvue, the leading organizational design and workforce planning software platform, captures the power of data visualization and modeling to build more adaptable, better performing organizations. HR, finance, and business leaders rely on Orgvue for actionable insight and analysis that helps them make faster workforce decisions in a constantly changing world.

Orgvue is used by the world’s largest and best-known enterprises and management consulting firms to confidently build the businesses they want tomorrow, today.  The company works with many Fortune 500 companies and is headquartered in London, with offices in Philadelphia, The Hague, Toronto and Sydney.