Eurogroup Consulting publishes the Baromètre des Grandes Entreprises Françaises 2020. It assesses the dynamism and challenges of the French economy through the eyes of its leaders. Despite the tense social climate and uncertain economic context, the level of optimism displayed by major French companies remains very high. They are even returning to pre-crisis 2008 levels in terms of staffing forecasts.
70% of executives are optimistic for 2020
Overall 2020 opinion balances, «optimism indicators», are stable compared to 2019 with the exception of sharply higher capital expenditure forecasts (52 vs. 39 in 2019, at its highest level since 2015). All are at relatively high levels above 2015, except for profitability.
So.., 7 out of 10 executives surveyed say they are optimistic or very optimistic about 2020. In addition, 97% expect their business to remain stable or even increase. Lastly, 34% expect to increase their workforce (similar to last year).
Lower profitability
This year, the profitability indicator was the only one to fall in France.
Visit The increase in investment forecasts is almost equal in France and abroad (comparative balances of opinion). As for the workforce indicator, it is back in positive territory in France (stable for international markets), gaining 12 points after a sharp decline in 2019. The latter forecasts are thus back to levels similar to those seen in 2006, after the major waves of relocations.
Competition and price wars, the main risk for managers
In 2020, there will be far fewer risks to worry about. In fact, this year 1 single risk is perceived by more than 50% of respondents compared with 4 last year.
«Competition and price wars» is the only risk on the rise (+22 points). This puts him in first place: «to be linked with the drop in the profitability optimism indicator».» according to Gilles Bonnenfant.
Classic« risks drop down the podium. This is why the level of growth, in first place last year (76% of executives surveyed in 2019 and +16 points compared to 2018), has dropped to 3rd place (-29%, the biggest drop).
The need to share vision and meaning
Among the priority challenges, «Sharing vision and meaning» takes top spot (89% of managers surveyed, +6 points versus 2019). Already last year, the quest for meaning climbed back up the rankings (3rd place, + 16 points), expressing well a current interest in the company's purpose and mission.
Also, the digitalization of professions, the 1st challenge cited in 2019, drops to 6th place. " Far from no longer being a major issue for large companies, the digitization of their businesses is, for managers, a means to an end rather than an end in itself." says Gilles Bonnenfant. He adds: «It's a sign of an initial level of maturity on the subject».».
The environmental impact of companies
While 2019 was marked by the climate emergency, brought to the forefront of the political, citizen and scientific scenes, Eurogroup Consulting wanted to ask senior executives about environmental issues.
Nearly 70% of managers responding to the survey consider their company's environmental impact to be a major issue. However, only 45 % feel that this concern is also strongly shared by their employees.
With regard to action and concrete measures to take their environmental impact into account, there is a discrepancy, whatever the lever used, in relation to managers' overall perception of the issue.
