Seventy-two percent of global employers are still struggling with attracting and retaining critical-skill employees while 60 percent are having trouble attracting and retaining high-potential employees that they believe are necessary to increase their global competitiveness, according to a new survey conducted by global professional services company Towers Watson and WorldatWork, an international association of human resources professionals.

"The demand for the best talent is as strong as ever, especially given a challenging economy and heightened global competition," says Laura Sejen, global leader of rewards at Towers Watson. "But many employers are not taking advantage of opportunities to attract, retain and engage high-value employees by offering a work environment and the total rewards programs that are most important to them. In fact, there appears to be a mismatch between what employers are offering and what employees are looking for. Employees, including top talent, are more focused on competitive base pay and job security. Employers, on the other hand, are emphasizing other items, such as challenging work, and their mission, vision and values."

Another 48 percent of respondents report that their employees are often under excessive pressure in the workplace while 53 percent of respondents say their employees worked more hours than usual over the past three years. Forty-three percent of respondents say they believe employees will maintain that pace for another three years.