The demand for highly skilled finance and accounting professionals remains high in the current recruitment market.
According to the 2009 / 2010 Salary Guides for Finance and Accountancy Professionals released by recruitment consultant Robert Half International, top professionals in finance and accounting are in high demand especially those in audit, risk, compliance and settlement. Hence, the average salaries for finance and accounting professionals have remained mostly resilient compared with 2008 / 2009.
Andrew Morris, Director of Robert Half International, commented, "While demand for highly skilled finance and accounting professionals remains strong, many employees are hesitant to leave their jobs in this current market, preferring to take a risk-averse approach to their job searches. This has created a distinct supply gap, despite the nature of these difficult times."
During economic downturn, job seekers are cautious and Morris said that they pay attention to company stability and prospects rather than salaries. "Securing the best of the best is not easier than it was a year ago. The available pool of potential skilled employees has increased but Hong Kong's top performers are in just as much short supply as ever. They are paying particular attention to how organizations are performing under tough economic conditions before attending any interviews and certainly before accepting any offers." It is reported that among the 132 surveyed companies from Hong Kong, 89% are concerned about retaining talent.