Nearly half in accountancy and finance open to new career opportunities: report

Most in demand roles include business partner and finance analyst.

Accountancy and finance professionals in the city-state revealed that they were open to new opportunities (41%) for their career plans in the next 12 months, according to a report by Hays.

Other career plans were revealed to be: stay in the same role with their current organisation (36%); change organisation but stay within the same role/industry (35%); and be promoted or find a new role within their current organisation (31%).

“Employees in Singapore cited a lack of career progression and a desire to seek new challenges as their primary motivator when seeking opportunities elsewhere,” John Borneman, regional director at Hays Singapore, said. 

“Notably, salary packages were not the chief reason employees gave this year. Candidates looking to take a leap are putting increased value on work-life balance and flexible work options as return to the office mandates become more prevalent. Furthermore, salary expectations have tempered slightly and become more aligned to employers expectations compared to previous years,” added Borneman.

The report showed that managing data was crucial in this day and age as more emphasis is placed on accurate analysis and employees are expected to be familiar with enterprise resource planning software.
 
Businesses are also said to be moving away from legacy processes as new technology transforming workplaces also brought about the need for change managers that can ensure a smooth transition.

The most in demand roles in accountancy and finance this year were reported to be: business partners; finance analysts; and finance transformation leads.

Meanwhile, the most in demand function in accountancy and finance was corporate finance. 

The report surveyed 8,525 skilled professionals and 3,089 employees across Asia.