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Recruitment firm Robert Half has revealed that ICAEW chartered accountants working in business are more confident about career prospects compared with a year ago.
According to the Robert Half UK and ICAEW data – taken from the 2011 Career Benchmarking Survey – those anticipating changing employers are more likely to be in the earlier stages of their career (48%) and in middle management (40%).
Other key points from the survey are:
35% of ACAs working in business express a likelihood of moving to a different employer in the next two years
35% of ACAs are more confident in their career development prospects compared to one year ago
27% of ACAs who express some likelihood of changing employer would consider the banking and capital markets sector
39% of ACAs in government and agencies that are considering moving would not stay in the same sector, with the most popular alternative being charity, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations
The fifth annual survey examines salary and remuneration, recruitment and life cycle trends affecting ACAs.
It was conducted by an independent research company in the fourth quarter of 2010 and includes responses from more than 3,000 ACAs in business.
Phil Sheridan, managing director for Robert Half UK, said: “The upturn has many professionals looking to advance their careers, whether it is changing employer or seeking promotion.
“Companies need to re-evaluate and amend their retention programmes or risk losing their business-critical employees to other opportunities.”
Nearly half of ACAs surveyed also feel that their careers have not been impacted by the recession and one in 10 believe the downturn has had a positive impact, suggesting that employers have taken action to ensure that their finance teams received increased responsibilities and professional development during the downturn.
Michael Izza, chief executive of the ICAEW, said: “During one of the most challenging economic periods we’ve seen in the past 30 years, it is gratifying to see that ICAEW Chartered Accountants are playing a central role in driving business forward while motivating others to deliver the highest quality work.
“Today’s marketplace consistently shows that these skilled candidates are such a precious commodity. Their ability to work at the heart of an organisation to help drive its success coupled with the international scope of the ACA qualification makes them the number one choice for business on every level.”
Click below to view the first of a three part video series summarising the findings of the ICAEW/Robert Half survey.
