Lean & Six Sigma Talent Trends

The Avery Point Group - Annual Study of Lean & Six Sigma Talent Demand Trends

Each year the executive recruiting and search firm, The Avery Point Group, conducts a comprehensive study of the latest talent demand trends for Lean & Six Sigma. As an executive search firm we have a unique vantage point from which to track trends taking place in industry. Trends in industry are often telegraphed into candidate requirements in job postings and can serve as a window into the latest corporate initiatives. For our annual study we take a significant look at Six Sigma and Lean job postings found on the major job boards and review each job title and job content profile to gain a deeper understanding of the latest talent demand trends.  This enables our firm to better target our business efforts and serve our Lean & Six Sigma client base.

Over the years of conducting our study we have seen a significant shift in the "center of gravity" as it relates to the prominence of Lean as the rising and now more dominate player in the corporate world of continuous improvement. This is a significant shift from our first study in 2005, where Six Sigma outpaced Lean by more than 50% as the more desired skill set.  We fully expect this trend to continue in our future studies as more companies turn to Lean as a hedge against growing economic and inflationary challenges.

In the end, however, the real winner is any company that successfully engages in some form of continuous improvement, regardless of whether it is Lean, Six Sigma, or some other well-executed approach. "I can't think of any company that claims to be world class that is not utilizing some form of continuous improvement approach," says Tim Noble, managing principal of The Avery Point Group. "World-class status is a constantly moving target defined by both your customers and your competitors. Without a continuous improvement approach you're not even treading water in today's highly competitive global economy."              

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Six Sigma and Lean Talent Demand: Finally Reaching Parity             

Six Sigma and Lean:  A Marriage in the Making 

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