Now that the European Union consists of 25 member states and there are fewer obstacles in the path of workers wishing to move across borders to work, people who have been contemplating finding a new job can now explore horizons farther afield than their own country. Almost 700 Brits took part in a Europe-wide survey conducted by Monster with the purpose of discovering what motivates people to work abroad.
The Monster Meter asked, Why would you consider working abroad? 694 Brits placed a vote, revealing:
36% (252) For a better quality of life
29% (199) To experience a new culture or learn a language
22% (152) A good career opportunity
9% (62) For more money
4% (29) I wouldn’t consider it
11,418 Europeans placed a vote, revealing:
28% (3,214) To experience a new culture
27% (3,052) For a better quality of life
22% (2,556) A good career opportunity
12% (1,405) For more money
11% (1,191) I wouldn’t consider it
Whilst the overall European survey results show that experiencing a new culture or learning a new language is the number one reason for moving abroad, Brits have the second highest percentage of workers - 36% - who said their primary motivation would be to achieve a better quality of life. However, the Swedes top the list with over half (51%) of respondents choosing this option.
With the expansion of the European Union, borders between countries are becoming less noticeable and Europeans are becoming more flexible and mobile. This presents a great business case for companies, as the pool of candidates to fill positions is now larger. Given the right conditions, workers will take up new challenges and move to work abroad. Having the option to choose where to work and what talent to hire is of extreme benefit to both job seekers and employers. said Kai Deininger, head of communications, Monster Europe.
Contrary to the popular belief that Spanish workers take a more relaxed approach to working life and their careers, over a third of Spanish workers (36%) said they would move abroad for a good career opportunity. For Spaniards, money is bottom of the list of motivating factors, unlike the Italians and Finns (18%) who came out top in saying that money would be the most important consideration in the decision to work abroad.
Only 11% of respondents (and only 4% of Brits) said that they would not consider working abroad, and this is particularly the case for Irish workers. One third of Irish workers said that they would not leave their country under any circumstances. There must be something in the Irish air, as Ireland is one of the top destinations for many workers from the new European Union states.
The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com visitors from 24th May to 7th June 2004. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc., is a series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. Anyone interested in voting in Monster’s current online poll may do so by logging onto
Over a third of Brits would work abroad for a better quality of life
Only 4% of Brits would not consider working abroad, and only 9% would do so for more money