Accountants unhappy about lack of career development, survey reveals
Many will pursue new opportunities within next year, it is revealed
ALMOST TWO THIRDS of UK accountants are set to actively pursue their next job opportunity within the next six-to-12 months, new research reveals.
Many of those quizzed by CareersinAudit.com said they feel despondent that their bosses will not make any changes to retain staff – with six in ten accountants complaining that career development was not a company priority.
Some 57% said their company had failed to do anything to retain their staff over the last year, while a fifth (20%) could not comment since they had only recently joined their company.
Over half (52%) confessed to have been unsuccessful in gaining a promotion – because their ‘firm does not actively promote staff’ or ‘it takes a long time to get to next level and I need to bide my time’ and ‘my firm does not have the budget to pay for an increase in salary‘.
More than a third (36%) said they were already looking for their next role while 80% would consider moving abroad for their next position with North America coming tops, followed by Australasia and Western Europe.
Just under half (47%) said a “pay rise or promotion” might make them stay in their current job, while 12% are looking for a “better work-life balance”. Yet a fifth (20%) confessed that their mind was already made up and they plan to leave as soon as possible.
When asked what support their company could provide, many accountants are calling for clear career development plans to be put in place, better training, mentoring and funding for professional qualifications.
