Egypt — 2025
Comparative HR Insights
Comparative Analysis: Korn Ferry vs. Mercer Egypt 2025 Reports
Side-by-side view of two major 2025 studies:
Korn Ferry’s Egypt Human Capital Forum and
Mercer’s 2025 Total Remuneration Survey (TRS) Results.
The analysis covers economic context, AI and technology, salary movements, benefits, turnover, and talent strategy.
1. Event Overview
Context and positioning of both reports
| Aspect |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Event Name |
Egypt Human Capital Forum 2025 |
2025 Total Remuneration Survey (TRS) Results |
| Date |
November 18, 2025 |
2025 |
| Focus |
AI, digital transformation, future of work, talent ecosystems |
Compensation, benefits, market trends, economic outlook |
| Data Scope |
Global surveys, AI maturity models, organizational consulting |
Egypt-specific remuneration data, regional economic insights |
2. Economic Context
Macro environment and inflation vs. salary
| Topic |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Economic Outlook |
Not deeply covered. |
Detailed analysis by Hany Genena (Al Ahly Pharos):
• 2025: Recovery phase post-EGP floatation
• 2026: Rise of consumer spending
• Inflation to drop to 9% by end-2026
• USD/EGP to stabilize at 43–47
|
| Inflation vs. Salary Increases |
Shows nominal vs. real increases (2020–2026) with 2025 real increases beating inflation. |
Compares MENA countries: Egypt’s salary increases (~20%) still below inflation (~28%) in 2025. |
3. AI and Technology Impact
AI maturity, adoption, and impact on HR
| Area |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| AI Maturity in HR |
AI in Total Rewards Maturity Model (6 levels: 0 = None → 5 = Transformational). |
Focus on AI in benefits administration and talent assessment. |
| AI Adoption by Sector |
Top sectors: Life Sciences (92%), Telecom (90%), Financial Services (86%). |
Not specified. |
| Benefits of AI in Total Rewards |
• Efficiency & Automation (55% future priority)
• Data-driven decisions (55%)
• Personalization (46%)
|
• AI-powered talent intelligence platform (TAAP)
• AI agent “Aida” for HR queries
• Streamlined benefits management
|
| AI Impact on HR Roles |
AI Impact Scores (examples):
• Compensation Admin: 1.48
• Benefits Manager: 0.89
• VP Compensation: 0.65
|
• AI changing nature of work (80% of jobs affected)
• Strong emphasis on reskilling and job redesign
|
4. Salary Increase Trends
Actual 2025 vs. 2026 forecasts and sector differences
| Metric |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| 2025 Actual Increase |
Average ~21% (senior roles up to 30%). |
Median ~20%, Mean ~23%. |
| 2026 Forecast |
General market: 16–18% (with sector variations). |
General market: 18% (High-Tech: 19%, Life Sciences: 18%). |
| Sector Differences |
Oil & Gas (25%), Banks (23%), FMCG (17%). |
High-Tech (19%), Life Sciences (18%), Consumer Goods (17.5%). |
| Role-Based Increases |
Senior Management: ~30% in 2025. |
Professional roles: 24–28% increase in median base salary (2022–2025). |
5. Allowances & Benefits
Cash and non-cash components
| Allowance Type |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Transport Allowance |
Increased by 37% in 2025. |
Median up 34.6% (Management), 6.2% (Professional). |
| Car Allowance |
26% increase in 2025. |
Cash allowance in lieu of car up 49.8% (Executive). |
| Company Car Limit |
Not specified. |
Average limit up 159% for Executives (2025 vs. 2023). |
| Non-Cash Benefits |
Top benefits:
• Schooling (33%)
• Medical Insurance (22%)
• Flexible work (11%)
|
Medical insurance cost increased >30% for 45% of companies. |
6. Turnover & Retention
Stability of workforce and hot job families
| Topic |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Overall Turnover 2025 |
Total turnover stabilizing at ~12%. |
Overall turnover: 11%, Voluntary: 8.3%. |
| High-Turnover Job Families |
Engineering (35%), IT/Digital (33%), Sales (22%). |
Engineering, IT, Sales, Finance (hardest to hire/retain). |
| Retention Strategies |
64% have retention strategies (bonuses, salary structures, allowances). |
Focus on personalized benefits, EVP, and flexible work. |
| Sector Turnover |
Highest in FMCG (14%), Banks (10%). |
Highest in FMCG (14%), General Market (12%). |
7. Talent & Skills Focus
Future skills, gaps, and assessment tools
| Area |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Skills Gap |
AI widening skills gap; strong focus on future skills and reskilling. |
76% say AI makes long-term talent planning difficult. |
| Future Skills Needed |
Core: Creative thinking, emotional intelligence
AI: Prompt engineering, data analysis
Meta: Learning agility, digital literacy
|
Core, AI, Future, and Meta skills frameworks emphasized. |
| Talent Assessment |
Success Profiles for alignment, career maps, succession planning. |
Mercer’s cloud-based assessment platform: cognitive, personality, functional skills. |
| HR Tech Tools |
Korn Ferry Talent Suite (AI-powered). |
TAAP with Aida (AI agent), Prosper benefits platform. |
8. Benefits & Rewards Innovation
Personalization and technology in total rewards
| Innovation |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Personalization |
AI-driven personalization in rewards. |
Move toward flexible benefits and personalized packages (48% of employees want this). |
| Benefits Technology |
Not explicitly covered. |
Prosper platform: digital benefits management, AI dashboards, spending accounts. |
| Future Benefits Trends |
Integration of non-cash benefits into EVP. |
Phased approach: Transparency → Core + Optional → Fully Flexible benefits by 2030. |
9. Survey Methodology
Coverage, sectors, and sample sizes
| Detail |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| Sample Size |
5,717 organizations (138 countries). |
517 companies in Egypt (16% growth). |
| Sectors Covered |
19 key sectors, 85 job families. |
Life Sciences, Energy, High Tech, Consumer Goods, etc. |
| Regional Coverage |
EMEA (45%), APAC (30%), Americas (25%). |
MENA focus with an Egypt-specific deep dive. |
10. Key Takeaways
Strategic messages from both reports
| Theme |
Korn Ferry |
Mercer |
| AI & Work |
AI is transforming HR roles; efficiency and automation are top AI benefits. |
AI is reshaping jobs; upskilling and trust-building are critical. |
| Compensation |
Salary increases finally beating inflation; strong sector variations. |
Egypt’s increases are high but still below inflation; 2026 forecasts are cautious. |
| Talent Strategy |
Focus on AI maturity, future skills, and integrated talent ecosystems. |
Emphasis on data-driven decisions, personalized benefits, and EVP. |
| Regional Insight |
Global perspective with regional applications. |
Deep Egypt-specific economic and remuneration insights. |
Korn Ferry — Global, AI-First
- Strong focus on AI maturity and Total Rewards transformation.
- Uses global benchmarks and AI impact scores across HR functions.
- Highlights sector and job-family differences in rewards and turnover.
Mercer — Local, Data-Rich
- Deep dive into Egypt remuneration, inflation, and market movements.
- Strong emphasis on benefits technology, personalization, and AI in HR operations.
- Connects macroeconomic outlook with rewards, benefits, and talent strategies.
Summary of differences:
Korn Ferry is more global, AI-focused, and strategic around HR transformation and the future of work,
while Mercer is more Egypt-specific, rich in local compensation and benefits data, and focused on
benefits personalization and operational AI in HR.
Prepared as a structured comparison of the 2025 Korn Ferry and Mercer Egypt reports.
Designed for Perinvo — HR & Total Rewards Insights.
