Irish Finance Professionals see value in Foreign Workplace Experience

61 per cent of Irish workers believe foreign experience is becoming more important

Two-thirds of respondents say they would explore global transfer options within their own company first before considering work abroad

One in five Irish based firms say more than half of the job applications they receive are from overseas candidates

Research released today by specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Half Finance and Accounting reveals that 61 per cent of Irish financial professionals believe foreign experience will become more important in the workplace due to continuing globalisation and increased dealings with international companies. The Winter 2006 International Workplace Survey was conducted with over 2,300 HR and finance managers across 13 countries and provides an insight into international workplace trends.

According to the survey, Irish finance workers are more convinced than any other nationality that foreign experience will be a useful asset in the future. Interestingly, when looking to go abroad, 68 per cent of respondents say they would prefer to explore global transfer options within their current company first, before seeking out other opportunities.

Similarly, almost half (40 per cent) of Irish financial professionals say their HR department is the preferred reference point for information on working abroad.

Ken Harbourne, Branch Manager of Robert Half Finance and Accounting in Dublin, said:

ìThe global nature of the financial services sector means more and more finance and accounting professionals will consider working abroad in order to gain experience and fast track career progression.

ìWhat is particularly interesting to see is that the majority of respondents prefer to explore opportunities to work abroad within their current place of work before considering external options. Consequently, more and more companies are looking to offer global transfer opportunities as a way to develop and retain staff.î

The survey also shows that Irish companies continue to attract interest from overseas workers. Almost one in five (18 per cent) Irish respondents say that over half of the job applications they receive are from overseas candidates ñ ten per cent above the global average.