Hays Accountancy & Finance - January 2009

The Profession

Hotspots

High staff demand continues within practice firms. New vacancies are available in almost all areas covering advisory, tax and audit. With focus on, and growth of, China continuing, there is a strong need for candidates with experience in PRC legislation.

The coming quarter

Demand remains consistently high and we expect this to continue into the next quarter, in particular for the China market.

Executive recruitment

Most vacancies are created at the mid level, with executive candidates in many cases looking for long-term tenure at present rather than a new role.

Salaries

Firms are offering higher salaries to existing staff in order to retain them, but also to secure new staff. On average, candidates are receiving a consistent 10 to 15 percent increase when they change roles to a new company.

Candidate trends

As ever, a severe shortage of candidates is evident. Most firms are finding it difficult to source the required skills. The movement of candidates to the commercial sector also continues to play its part, as people seek to move out of professional practice.