Finance
A THIRD OF ACCOUNTANTS ARE ACTIVELY JOB HUNTING
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on March 21, 2017
4 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on March 21, 2017
4 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Research from Robert Walters has revealed that a third (33%) of accounting professionals are actively seeking a new job and a further 29% plan to leave their current role within the next year.
Richard Boyd, Associate Director at Robert Walters comments,
“Demand for accounting professionals has remained strong moving into 2017, with the media, FMCG and hospitality sectors being particularly buoyant and SMEs playing a growing role in driving demand.”
“Accounting professionals are aware that their skills remain highly sought after, with part qualified and newly qualified CIMA accountants in particularly high demand.”
“This climate has led to high levels of confidence among accounting professionals, with many keen to take advantage of the circumstances to explore new opportunities.”
CAREER PROGRESSION IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS WHEN MOVING JOBS
More than half of accounting professionals said that career progression was their top priority when looking for a new role.
Salary and bonus levels were also an important factor, but this was the top priority for just 21% of accounting professionals.
Richard Boyd continues,
“Employers cannot neglect remuneration completely, and salary levels need to be competitive in order to secure top talent.”
“However, when looking to attract and retain the best professionals, businesses should note that career progression is the top priority for the majority of accountants.”
“By offering structured opportunities for career progression employers can give themselves a significant advantage over competitors when securing top professionals during talent shortages.”
“Providing clear criteria regarding what accountants will need to deliver in order to realise their ambitions and achieve the career progression they want can play a critical role in not only attracting top talent but also in retaining high calibre professionals over the long term.”
Research from Robert Walters has revealed that a third (33%) of accounting professionals are actively seeking a new job and a further 29% plan to leave their current role within the next year.
Richard Boyd, Associate Director at Robert Walters comments,
“Demand for accounting professionals has remained strong moving into 2017, with the media, FMCG and hospitality sectors being particularly buoyant and SMEs playing a growing role in driving demand.”
“Accounting professionals are aware that their skills remain highly sought after, with part qualified and newly qualified CIMA accountants in particularly high demand.”
“This climate has led to high levels of confidence among accounting professionals, with many keen to take advantage of the circumstances to explore new opportunities.”
CAREER PROGRESSION IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS WHEN MOVING JOBS
More than half of accounting professionals said that career progression was their top priority when looking for a new role.
Salary and bonus levels were also an important factor, but this was the top priority for just 21% of accounting professionals.
Richard Boyd continues,
“Employers cannot neglect remuneration completely, and salary levels need to be competitive in order to secure top talent.”
“However, when looking to attract and retain the best professionals, businesses should note that career progression is the top priority for the majority of accountants.”
“By offering structured opportunities for career progression employers can give themselves a significant advantage over competitors when securing top professionals during talent shortages.”
“Providing clear criteria regarding what accountants will need to deliver in order to realise their ambitions and achieve the career progression they want can play a critical role in not only attracting top talent but also in retaining high calibre professionals over the long term.”
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