GLOBAL TREND REPORT IN PRACTICE 015 2015 OUTLOOK
PRACTICES FACING CHALLENGE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TALENT AS MANY LURED TO INDUSTRY In line with our commitment to keep professionals working in practices up to date with employment and recruitment trends, in the last quarter of 2014 Morgan McKinley conducted an international survey of its consultants in five markets. In most markets the lure of an in-house role in industry, where salaries tend to be higher and the working hours shorter, is powerful. There is currently a shortage of newly qualified talent as most consultancies cut back on their recruitment of graduates and trainees during the recession. QUICK LINKS HONG KONG... 2 IRELAND... 3 JAPAN... 5 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES... 6 UNITED KINGDOM...8 The market is surprisingly slow in Hong Kong, with most demand driven by small and boutique consultancies The Irish market is very buoyant with plenty of opportunities at all but the most senior levels The larger practices are having trouble recruiting top talent in Japan, largely because of long working hours The market in the UAE is the most turbulent and highly competitive at the senior end, with tough travel demands often a disincentive and the lure of industry strong The market is busy in the UK, where many new roles are being created and talented individuals are snapped up quickly, as the country gears up for the new financial reporting framework 1
Competition among candidates is intense for positions at the Big 4. HONG KONG DEMAND STRONGEST AMONG SMALLER CONSULTANCIES We saw no overall growth in the in-practice recruitment market in Hong Kong, with many practices looking to reduce costs through pay freezes, consolidation of functions and outsourcing or offshoring. The larger practices are having to cope with static or declining budgets as there is a continuing mood of economic uncertainty. The main growth areas currently are internal audit, audit, risk and corporate finance, according to Jacky Cheung, Manager at Morgan McKinley Hong Kong, and we are seeing most demand for in-practice hires at the smaller consultancies both those with a broad focus and the boutique consultancies with a specialist focus. Recruitment at these companies is mainly at the senior manager or assistant director level. The competition among candidates is intense for positions at the Big 4. Places are much sought-after by accounting professionals early in their career and to step up it is important to get a professional qualification (such as CPA or ACCA) as soon as possible. A qualification in compliance, such as the International Compliance Association diploma, is a valuable asset at a more advanced level, but most consultancies will look for people who can demonstrate qualification by experience, adds Cheung. The constant changes in regulations will drive further demand but local supply is easily adequate to meet this demand. Several years ago when the market was more active practices hired many new employees for their assurance teams but things are now much quieter, says Cheung. SALARIES & BENEFITS Supply currently exceeds demand and salary growth has therefore slowed down. In-practice employees looking to make a move into commercial organisations might have to accept a slight reduction in salary. 2
Now is the time to gain a broad range of experience in larger firms as this will open many opportunities. IRELAND NEWLY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS GETTING EXPOSURE TO INTERESTING CLIENTS Ireland s consultancies are in expansive mood pretty much across the board. A lot of firms reduced their intake of trainees during the recession (between 2009 and 2011) and trainees who joined at this time are now coming out at newly qualified level, but the supply is much lower than would normally be the case. Smaller firms are starting to hire, in many cases for the first time since 2008. This, coupled with a recent upturn in economic confidence, is creating an imbalance between demand and supply, though less so at senior levels. We have seen increased activity in all disciplines, in particular risk and internal audit, audit, management consultancy and IT. Corporate recovery is the only area where growth has been slow and we expect management consultancy to be a major focus driving recruitment in 2015, says Niall Hughes, Practice and Accountancy specialist at Morgan McKinley s Dublin office. One of the big advantages for newly qualified professionals, alongside increasing salaries and opportunities to move into industry, is that those who remain with their current firms often gain more exposure to more interesting clients and projects than in previous years. Many Big 4 and Top Ten firms are increasing their management consultancy offerings to clients, for example with financial transformation, risk, IT and strategy and operations consultancy very much in demand. Many companies are looking to overseas applicants to help fill vacancies, with a preference for candidates from English-speaking countries. We are seeing many applicants from South Africa, often as a result of positive discrimination there, says Hughes. ACA and ACCA, along with the tax qualification (AITI) are most valuable assets for candidates seeking a position at newly qualified level. For the larger firms, further qualifications in tax, such as US Enrolled Status, or a qualification such as a diploma in IFRS are appreciated though not necessarily a deciding factor in hiring decisions. The contract market is stable, most practices preferring to hire on a permanent basis if possible. My long-term career advice is to gain a broad range of experience in larger firms as this will open many opportunities, whether you stay with a Big 4 practice, move to industry or join a smaller firm in a more senior position, says Hughes. By contrast, moving from a smaller firm to a larger one can be difficult, especially if you have limited audit experience. 3
SALARIES & BENEFITS We are likely to see salaries increasing by between 5 and 10% over the next year. Performance-related benefits were cut in the Big 4 at below-manager levels and completely in many small and mid-tier firms during the recession. We are likely to see this change in 2015. 4
Consultancies are finding it hard to attract enough people. JAPAN LONG WORKING HOURS A FREQUENT DISINCENTIVE We are seeing more new recruitment at all levels in the Big 4 consultancies and the outlook is generally optimistic going into 2015. Nevertheless, the larger practices are very choosy, which can make hiring decisions lengthy. Many talented professionals are reluctant to join the Big 4 because of the extremely long working hours that are expected, says Sonia Hou, recruitment consultant at Morgan McKinley Japan. It is therefore difficult for the Big 4 to attract junior candidates in particular, she adds. The main growth areas in recruitment are audit, tax, risk, internal audit and corporate recovery. The most important qualifications are general finance and accounting (ACA, ACCA, US and local CPA, CIMA or similar). An additional problem is that local candidates are not very proactive about getting CFA or CPA certification. It is difficult for companies to address the lack of local talented professionals willing to get suitable qualifications and accept the long working hours because fluency in Japanese is a requirement, so they cannot recruit from abroad, says Hou. In-practice consultancies are expanding their businesses but for the time being they are finding it hard to attract enough people, concludes Hou. SALARIES & BENEFITS Salaries are stable compared to 2013. Bonuses are typically being paid twice a year, in July and January. 5
Ambitious professionals might do well to consider opportunities in locations such as Doha, Riyadh, and Manama. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES RAPIDLY CHANGING MARKET CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES Across the Gulf Cooperation Council region there is currently a focus on improved corporate governance and business performance. This is the main driver behind the growth in consulting services, says Trefor Murphy, Managing Director of Morgan McKinley s Dubai office. The outlook improved in 2014 with practices recruiting new headcount. It is a highly competitive market, with the Big 4 most active, due to their size and presence in the region, although we are seeing more activity from boutique consulting firms specialising in the hot topics of corporate strategy and business process engineering. Hiring through agencies is focused at senior manager, assistant director and partner levels. The region s practices require technical skills that they often can only find in more established markets. At more junior levels, companies in the region prefer to hire directly and promote up to the manager level. To secure a good position candidates generally need a professional accounting qualification together with an MBA from a reputable business school. Arabic, though not always essential in the business environment, is nevertheless seen as a huge advantage. Hiring processes tend to be inconsistent and lengthy in the United Arab Emirates, often because of the travel commitments of partners and directors. Salaries are also a major issue, with some practices having conservative salary scales, which makes it difficult for them to compete with industry to attract top talent. PwC s acquisition of Booz & Co and subsequent rebranding to Strategy& effectively made the PwC network a one-stop shop for consulting services. This is a real game-changer, says Murphy. The knockon effect is likely to bring a higher rate of attrition for all firms in the sector, as smaller firms struggle to compete and may be forced to join their larger competitors. Most of the larger firms have aggressive growth plans and this will cause some upheaval, but will also create a number of attractive opportunities, so the outlook is generally positive. They are likely to face stiff competition for talent, not only from other practices but also from banks, government agencies and capital-intensive industries such as energy, infrastructure, real estate and construction, which typically pay higher salaries. This will put pressure on practices to do whatever is necessary to attract and retain senior level talent. UAE companies will find it especially difficult as the consulting market veers towards Saudi Arabia. The heavy travel demands of an in-practice role put a lot of strain on consultants family life so many will look for a switch to an inhouse position, says Murphy. The market is becoming increasingly competitive in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where senior employees are expected to hit the ground running and, in many cases, to bring clients with them. I would therefore advise many candidates to consider opportunities in alternative locations such as Doha, Riyadh and Manama. High-profile engagements in these cities can be career game-changers for those seeking greater visibility, he adds. 6
SALARIES & BENEFITS Firms are currently facing tremendous pressure from their clients on fees, which means salary increases will only happen on a case-by-case basis. 7
Many senior level consultants are being lured into industry. UNITED KINGDOM NEED FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON BOTH SIDES While there are definite signs of improvement in the United Kingdom and quality candidates are snapped up quickly, as the number of roles continues to grow, recruitment is focused on replacing headcount and hiring processes are robust due to the competitveness of the market. Tax, audit and corporate finance are the main growth areas and some firms are facing difficulties finding suitable local talent as the larger practices reduced their intake of trainees during the recession. They are increasingly turning to Ireland and the Indian subcontinent as sources of professionals who have recently qualified in general finance and accounting (ACA, ACCA, US and local CPA, CIMA or similar). The contract market is buoyant. Many senior level consultants are being lured into industry and it will be a challenge for consultancies to make roles in practice more attractive, says Josh Rufus, Manager at Morgan McKinley London, specialising in public practice. Candidates should be flexible in the current climate and so should consultancy firms. For example, I recently introduced a candidate looking for a role in corporate finance who interviewed at an audit practice. Both were accommodating and he accepted the role on the proviso that after a qualifying period of time, he could work on secondments specialising in corporate finance. Very often it comes down to how the two parties perform at interview. The new financial reporting framework came into force on 1 January 2015 and candidates are advised to become fully familiar with the four standards that form the basis for the new regime. SALARIES & BENEFITS Salaries are likely to rise but only in line with inflation. This can be problematic as industry currently pays around 20% more for newly qualified professionals. The long hours in practice can also be a disincentive and we have recently seen both mid-tier and Top Ten firms offering overtime pay. 8
GLOBAL TREND REPORT IN PRACTICE A MORGAN McKINLEY GROUP COMPANY