The battleground for elite talent means effective Human Resources strategies will be more crucial to business than ever during the next decade.

That is the verdict of Friends Provident in its Visions of Britain 2020, a report conducted with the Future Foundation.

The report - the first in the Visions of Britain 2020 series - found an emerging polarised workforce coupled with the decline of foreign workers in the workplace will give rise to an "elite worker" - employees in technical, professional and managerial roles. These elite workers will place new demands and expectations on employers.

This elite worker, who is highly skilled and self-motivated, will be increasingly valued and sought after by companies, becoming integral to the success of a business. Some 83% of experts surveyed agreed HR will have to become more strategic to attract and retain this workforce who will be vital to the future performance of businesses.