A survey of over 2,000 auditing and accountancy professionals has revealed that 77 per cent of employees would be keen on relocating abroad to further their careers. These figures come from the 2013 annual CareersinAudit.com survey which revealed that over 1500 respondents would consider moving abroad with North America and Western Europe the most desired locations.
Offering a niche service as a job board and career website for internal and external audit, IT audit, risk, compliance, advisory and assurance professionals, the CareersinAudit.com survey discovered that just 22 per cent of those surveyed are happy to remain in the UK.
With forecasts for the UK economy improving, it is this that remains the most obvious reason for people potentially seeking a new career abroad. Expensive livings costs; a questionable jobs market; cold and harsh winters and unpredictable summers all mount up as reasons for British workers being lured by the warmer climes and opportunities of other destinations.
Simon Wright, Operations Director of CareersinAudit.com comments: “To think that just 22 per cent of the UK workforce is happy working in this country is a frightening statistic – the last thing the UK needs is a brain drain of the best accountancy and financial services talent. People are often lured by the strict balance between work and play lifestyles found in other cultures, whereas in the UK we are all too tempted to check our emails at 10.30pm and getting bogged down in more work. The chances of this happening in the likes of Australia and New Zealand for example are slim.
“In other cultures you would also expect to spend more time with your family and receive better pay. Then there’s daylight effect; not going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark, thus enhancing the quality of life. In terms of property you can also get a lot more for your money and combine this with cheaper further education costs. There are a lot of pros to relocating abroad but we can’t forget the power and potential the UK financial services sector has to offer.”
Grant Bishop, International Director at Bishop’s Move, the UK’s largest family owned removals company comments: “I’d say those likely to move abroad are those with no ties such as family or committed careers so it’s no great surprise that the majority would look to move abroad to further their careers. This type of person is more of the risk takers we come across. More often than not the younger families with relatively young grandparents in the UK won’t relocate abroad due to a sense of guilt at depriving them from seeing their grandchildren grow-up, which is understandable. However on the flip-side, the older generations will move abroad to be closer to the kids. They see it as one of their final adventures.
“Australia will always prove popular due to the complete change in lifestyle; USA is popular amongst those looking to enhance their careers or who are being relocated for work purposes; New Zealand, which is often in the top four destinations, is chosen by those looking for a quieter lifestyle; and Canada is chosen by those who know where the money is.”
For further stats and figures from the CareersinAudit.com survey, please visit http://www.careersinaudit.com/is-it-time-to-move-on-2013-results.pdf.