2. 3
01
Contents
02
03 04
05 06
07 08
09 10
International experience -
key to career success
Developing a global
professional talent market
Barriers to relocating
Professionals
stay abroad longer
Reversing the brain
drain - the return of the
Asian expat
Recruiters play a key role
Why relocate?
Where do people want to go?
Global magnets for
professionals - the rise
of the tech hubs
Women relocate earlier -
at what cost?
3. 2
Global professionals on the move 2013
Executive summary
ES
Global professionals
on the move
There are now over 200 million people across
the globe living and working abroad, more
than double the figure 25 years ago. People’s
careers are no longer constrained by the
opportunities provided in their home country
and individuals are increasingly able to move
around the world to take advantage of the
global hubs of excellence that have emerged.
The fourth annual ‘global professionals on the
move’ report is set against this background
of increasing global migration. Its aim is to
look specifically at the experience, attitudes
and priorities of highly qualified, high earning
professionals with regard to working abroad
and to review the trends year on year.
Since the report’s inception we have seen
professionals increasingly recognise the
importance of international experience.
This year 92% of respondents were either
currently working abroad or considering it.
In addition, 66% thought that their company
also viewed international experience as
important or very important. Both these
figures show that people understand the
value of having international experience.
So, what is the value that international
experience gives to an individual? This year’s
results show that the prime motivators for
moving abroad remain improved career
opportunities, new experiences and greater
earning potential and it appears that the
experience lives up to expectation, both
personally and professionally. 83% of those
working abroad believed it had accelerated
their personal development and 77%
thought it had benefitted their career.
In fact, once individuals have made the
significant decision to work abroad, they
are in no hurry to return home. 86% of those
who had moved away said that they wished
to stay abroad and 52% said that home
was wherever they were currently living or
anywhere in the world. It appears that home
is increasingly wherever the job takes you.
That said, family is still the prevailing
obstacle to relocation and 45% of
respondents cited family related issues
as the main barrier to moving abroad. As
companies look to send an increasing
amount of talent to emerging markets
they may need to consider how best to
incentivise people to get over this hurdle
and what support they can offer to make
it easier once the move has been made.
Over the last few years the report has
shown a rise in the age of those moving
abroad. Conversely though, women continue
to relocate earlier than men. A third of
female respondents working abroad
had relocated by the time they were 30,
compared to only 17% of men. 70% of
those working abroad between the ages
of 51 to 60 were men. In a world where
demand is outstripping the supply of talent,
what can be done to make sure that this
talent pool of women is not overlooked?
In the past, trends have shown a
predominance of West to East professional
migration. However the balance of global
economic power is changing and with it
new patterns are beginning to emerge.
In the quest to fill their increasing skills
gaps with home grown talent, a new
trend in global migration shows the new
Asian ‘powerhouse’ economies giving
preference to ‘return-homers’ – nationals
with international experience.
In a professional landscape offering more
global opportunities than ever before and
where the importance of international
experience is increasing, this report provokes
the debate for clients on how to successfully
attract and retain the best global talent.
Similarly, for candidates it explores not just
the challenges to moving abroad, but the
overwhelming long term career advantages
that an international move delivers.
Hydrogen
—May 2013
4. 3
International experience -
key to career success
Globalisation has many attractions not least
for skilled professionals the opportunity
to live and work overseas. Increasing
numbers of professionals from all sectors
are embracing it for the personal and
professional transformation it can bring.
Employers need skilled individuals
around the globe to support and grow
their operations. Alev Kilic, the tutor at
ESCP Europe supervising the research
on which the report is based, explains:
“Despite the recession and economic
crisis, I believe that rather than abating,
the global war on talent is about to heat
up. All the forecasts point towards a huge
increase by large companies in their global
mobility assignments between now and
2020, particularly in emerging markets.”
Professionals also recognise that time
spent working overseas has become a
key ingredient in career success, as many
companies now prefer candidates for senior
roles to have international experience. Two
thirds (66%) of those responding to the
survey across all business sectors said
their employers regarded international
experience either as important, or as very
important. 59% of our clients confirm
this. Alev Kilic adds:“Businesses across
the globe value professionals with the
breadth of vision, flexibility and added
skills which working in geographically and
culturally diverse environments brings.”
Of those who responded to our 2013 survey,
38% were already working abroad, and a
further 54% said they would consider doing
so. This means that 92% of all respondents
understood the value of international
experience and, except for a marked
difference in gender data, more professionals
at all levels and ages wanted to go abroad,
and once there, wanted to stay longer.
Having relocated with his family not once
but twice so far, geologist Domingo Antonio
Amador is an example of a professional who
clearly appreciates the value that global
mobility can bring, both on a personal
and on a professional level.“My wife and
I had decided to leave our home country
of Mexico as we did not consider it a safe
environment in which to bring up a family”,
Antonio explains.“As I am Spanish as well
as Mexican, we initially moved to Spain.”
“When the economic situation in Spain
declined I looked around for other options.
I found two possible positions, one of
which was in Norway, where we moved last
June. It has worked out very well indeed
for us. My initial seven month contract
was made permanent in the fourth month,
and my wife has now also found a job
here. We are enjoying living in Norway and
plan to spend several more years here.”
Antonio is just one example out of many.
The benefits for those who relocate are
overwhelmingly positive: 83% of our survey
respondents who were already abroad said
they believed relocating had accelerated
their personal development, 77% said it
had benefitted their career prospects, and
72% said it had enhanced their salaries.
It is therefore no surprise that 98% of
those who had relocated were ready to
recommend the experience to others, and
that compared to last year’s figure, the
number of those abroad who wanted to stay
longer had almost doubled from 37% to 86%.
01
Working abroad
brings personal and
professional benefits
Survey respondents consider
international experience
important to their employers
66%
59%
Hydrogen clients consider
international experience as
important for professionals
5. 4
Global professionals on the move 2013
72%
83%
77%
Benefitted career Enhanced
their salaries
98%
Would recommend the
experience to others
Accelerated
personal development
Would consider
working abroad
Already
working abroad
38%
54%
Wouldn’t
work abroad
8%
6. 5
A continuing trend of the survey is the
changing pattern of global professional
migration. Gone are the times when the
standard form of international professional
experience was a secondment in an
overseas office for a year or two in early-
to-mid career and then to return home.
Companies and institutions increasingly
require top talent in many locations across
the globe, and skilled individuals can move
more freely than ever before. The right
mixture of talent, qualifications, experience
and hard and soft skills now opens up
opportunities previous generations hardly
even dreamed of. Some industries of course
always showed a different pattern of global
assignments, for example the oil and gas
industry which needed professional staff
to go wherever exploration and production
were underway, but we are now seeing a
deep-seated and ongoing transformation.
Not only are increasing numbers of
professionals relocating to work abroad,
but the survey results show that people’s
approach to moving around the world has
changed. 52% of those surveyed defined
home as “wherever they were currently
living” or “anywhere in the world” and 86%
of respondents were prepared to stay longer
than they had intended. In other words,
the professional jobs market is becoming
truly global, and the majority of those
working in it no longer define themselves
by reference to their place of origin.
Chris Chan, a senior financial services
professional with over thirty years of
experience in Europe, who recently
relocated back to his home country,
Malaysia, is a good example of this:“I have
an apartment in London, one in Germany,
and one in Kuala Lumpur. I don’t really
know where ‘home’ is. I think I have become
a global citizen. I can live anywhere.”
Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Talent Mobility
Report 20201
, which found that global
assignee levels had increased by 25%
over the last decade, predicts a further
50% growth in overseas assignments
by 2020. It notes that corporate mobility
strategies will need to become more
sophisticated and complex as organisations
have to meet these growing deployment
demands. It also found that the millennial
generation, which will make up the majority
of all international assignments by 2020,
increasingly view organisations — and
the world — without boundaries, and
international assignments as an important
part of their own personal development.
Our research confirms this, showing that
professionals everywhere are embracing
the change. Growing numbers are happy to
follow the work wherever it leads them, and
for many of them, careers will be portfolios
of increasingly senior assignments in
different locations. Three quarters of those
we surveyed who were willing to relocate
said they intended to stay abroad for a
minimum of three years. The majority of
those already living and working abroad
(63%) had done so for more than six years,
and 51% said they said they were considering
applying for permanent residency in the
country they were currently living in.
Professionals today have the skills and the
appetite to travel the world in search of
the experience they need to enhance their
career prospects. Companies wishing to see
the globe as their recruiting ground need to
consider how best to harness this growing
enthusiasm and attract all the skills they will
need to fill their openings across the globe.
—
1
Pricewaterhouse Cooper, Talent Mobility Report 2020 –
the next generation of international assignments, 2010
Developing a global
professional talent market
02
Professionals are
increasingly prepared
to travel the world for
career opportunities
“I have an apartment
in London,one in
Germany,and one in
Kuala Lumpur.I don’t
really know where
‘home’is.I think I
have become a global
citizen.I can live
anywhere.”
Chris Chan, Europe to Malaysia
7. 6
Global professionals on the move 2013
75%
How long professionals
intend to stay abroad
52% Of those surveyed
said home was
“Anywhere in the world”
Respondents abroad are
considering applying for
permanent residency½ of
allSix years
63% of people already
working abroad have
stayed for more
than six years
Willing to relocate said they
intended to stay abroad for
a minimum of three years
8. 7
Why relocate?
03
What motivates
people to work abroad?
Deciding to live and work abroad is a major
step in anyone’s life, and each decision is
personal and influenced by many factors.
However the survey shows that there are
some strong common drivers and the
top ones have been consistent over the
years. This year the top three motivators
for relocating are improved career
opportunities (18%), new experiences (16%)
and greater earning potential (16%).
However, when broken down by age
categories, the survey revealed variations in
the top motivations for relocating. While a
higher percentage of younger professionals
seek new experiences and are more
concerned with their personal development
than with earning money, the main reason
to relocate for 31 to 40 year-olds is income
(19%). This is not surprising, as they tend to
have accumulated highly marketable skills
and experience, and at this age may also have
a family to support. Among 41 to 50 year-olds
relocating, 22% said their prime motivator
was seeking new experiences, followed by
15% who wanted to improve their quality
of life, perhaps indicative of the traditional
‘mid-life crisis’. Many of those relocating
between the ages of 51 and 60 wanted to give
something back by offering their considerable
expertise as volunteers, maybe coinciding
with when children have flown the nest.
Although 57% of respondents stated that the
economic climate had no influence on their
decision to relocate, it is interesting that 41%
of those aged 21 to 30 reported that it had.
Alev Kilic, supervising tutor for the team at
ESCP Europe, who conducted the survey,
commented:“The age distribution of those
answering the question concerning economic
climate, as well as the desire to relocate to
countries perceived to be economically safer,
suggests that increased mobility in the young
is at least partially attributable to the greater
difficulties they face identifying suitable
opportunities closer to home. The fact that
younger respondents also cite lack of job
opportunities as their greatest potential
barrier underlines this point. Similarly I
think the willingness we observed this year
in professionals to stay abroad longer may
in some cases be a response to economic
uncertainty in their home countries.”
Andreia Rodrigues is a good example
of economic climate making younger
professionals more willing to relocate.
Andreia’s move from Portugal to Switzerland
was prompted by her wish to improve her
career opportunities, and her awareness of
the economic conditions in her home country:
“I was employed as a corporate auditor in
Lisbon and was growing concerned about
lack of progression. Portugal currently
also faces a lot of economic and social
problems. So I accepted an offer to work
for a large global company in Lausanne.
I now have far more opportunities to
progress. My company values talented
people, and you have opportunities to try
out different types of work. Depending
on your training and abilities, you could
go right round the world with them.”
16%
Career opportunities
18%
New experiences
Greater earning potential
16%
Top three motivators for relocating
My company values
talented people,
and you have
opportunities to try
out different types
of work.Depending
on your training and
abilities,you could
go right round the
world with them.”
Andrea Rodriguez,
Portugal to Switzerland
9. 8
Global professionals on the move 2013
Barriers to job
Insufficient relocation package
Difficulties with visas and work permits
22% 19% 19% 14%
The economic climate
Insufficient job opportunities
Top barriers to finding
an overseas job
What prevents professionals from relocating
is just as interesting as what makes
them move. Significantly the proportion
of respondents who thought there were
no real barriers at all to relocating rose
from 4% last year to 12% this year. In
other words, the perceived barriers to
relocating are actually reducing.
That said, family reasons remain the chief
obstacle to relocating, by a significant
margin. 45% of respondents cite family
considerations as their main potential barrier.
The importance of this factor rose by 12%
this year compared to last year’s results.
Interestingly, of those already abroad, both
British and French respondents put the
highest value on family and relationships.
There were no great differences between
genders regarding family as the chief
barrier. Of those already abroad, 46% of
men and 42% of women cited it as having
been their biggest potential obstacle.
However, the priority of other factors
varied between genders. For men, family
was followed by insufficient relocation
packages, relationships, and worries about
lack of cultural fit. For women, family was
followed by relationships, visa issues
and insufficient relocation packages.
When specifically looking at the practical
barriers to finding an overseas job the
emphasis changes. 22% of respondents
said insufficient job opportunities, 19%
difficulties with visa requirements or
work permits, 19% economic climate,
and 14% insufficient relocation packages
were the most important potential
barriers to relocating. Here the breakdown
according to age was revealing.
The young were put off by the lack of specific
job opportunities in their sector, 21-30-year-
olds citing this as their biggest obstacle.
Those in mid-career, aged 31 to 40, were
most worried about the technicalities of
entry – the difficulties gaining visas and
work permits. Among older professionals,
41-50 year-olds showed most concern for
the economic climate, as did 51-60 year-olds,
who were equally worried about the lack of
specific job opportunities. Employers need to
be aware of these perceived barriers across
the different categories of professionals.
This means they can concentrate on both
reassuring candidates about the overriding
benefits of a move to a new country and
removing any obstacles they can.
Barriers to relocating
04
What makes people
hesitate to work abroad?
10. 9
The top 15 destinations in this year’s survey
remain largely the same as previous years,
showing that today’s professionals still
favour relocating to traditional expatriate
destinations. The United States remains the
destination of choice for the highest number
of global professionals, in fact increasing its
lead by 7% to 23%, followed by the UK and
Australia. Even despite the tougher economic
climate it seems that the United States never
loses its appeal as a land of opportunity.
Our survey shows the UK and Australia
neck and neck, although Australia dropped
back to third place this year. Looking at
specific sectors, this year the UK ranked
second choice for professionals in law, life
sciences and technology, and fourth for
those in finance. Australia, consistently
popular as it combines highly developed
professional sectors with a high quality
of life, ranked second for oil and gas,
third for finance and life sciences,
and fourth for law and technology.
By 2020 emerging markets will account for
more than half of the world’s GDP, yet key
growth market countries like China feature
much lower down on the survey respondents’
wish list, with China only in 11th place and
Brazil in 12th. South Africa is the only African
country listed, in 17th place. It seems that in
spite of the growing opportunities that these
countries present, they are not yet seen
as desirable by professionals considering
relocation. This poses a challenge for the
companies that need employees to relocate
to these destinations over the coming years.
According to Ernst & Young’s Global Mobility
Effectiveness Survey 20121
, the number of
individual assignments to emerging market
countries had increased on average by 16%
from 2011, and were predicted to rise by 27%
in the next three years. With this in mind, if
there is an emerging disconnect between
where employers need skills and where
professionals wish to go, as our results
suggest, employers may have to work hard
to educate and incentivise them to go to new
locations. They will need to offer support
to employees and their families to enable
these transitions to be made smoothly.
—
1
Ernst & Young, Driving Business Success,
Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey 2012
Where do people want to go?
05
The top 15 most
popular destinations
for professionals to
live and work
01
USA02
03
Top three
countries to
migrate to
based on
more than
2,000 people
surveyed in
90 countries
UK
AUSTRALIA
11. 10
Global professionals on the move 2013
Top 15 most popular destinations
13% Australia
+4% increase
03
13% UK
+4% increase
2012
02
2012
24% USA
+11% increase
2012
01
6% Switzerland
+2% increase
06
8% Canada
+3% increase
05
9% Singapore
+3% increase
04
5% UAE
+2% increase
09
5% Hong Kong
+1% increase
2012
08
5% France
+1% increase
2012
07
3% Brazil
+1% increase
12
3% China
+1% increase
2012
11
4% Germany
+1% increase
10
2% New Zealand
-1% decrease
15
2% Spain
-1% decrease
14
2012
2% Italy
No gain
2012
13
2012
2012
2012 2012 2012
2012
2012
Up
No change
Down
01 03 02
04 05 06
08 07 09
10 13 14
15 11 12
Key
Change in ranking
2012-2013
12. 11
Professionals
stay abroad longer
06
Which countries
encourage a long
term stay?
One of the most marked trends in this
year’s survey is professionals wanting to
stay abroad longer than they first intended.
While this can be seen in the context of an
emerging global professional class willing
to work and live abroad for longer than ever
before, it naturally also says something
about the attractions of the countries.
Our survey showed 86% of those already
abroad wanting to stay longer than they
originally intended, which is not surprising
as the majority found it had increased
both their career prospects and earnings
potential, and had accelerated their personal
development. The locations boasting the
highest proportion of professionals wishing
to extend their stay were the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Hong-Kong and Spain,
followed closely by the United States,
Australia, Germany and Switzerland.
Each of these has its own particular
advantages. The UAE offers professionals
a desirable lifestyle in an international,
multicultural country, which boasts a
warm climate, stunning architecture, great
shopping and leisure facilities, international
schools and world-class sporting events.
On the financial side, expats do not pay
taxes, and businesses may be up to
100% foreign owned. Our survey found
the UAE particularly popular with those
working in finance and in oil and gas.
Dan Church, Director of Power at Hydrogen
commented:“The UAE’s location has allowed
it to become a successful hub for a variety of
industries which means there are increased
opportunities to attract people to the region.
Once there, people discover that there is
a great lifestyle available, whatever stage
of life they are at. Combined with the fact
that it is within easy flying distance to a
host of other attractive global locations, it
is no surprise that people find they want to
stay for longer. We are also seeing the Saudi
region experiencing high volumes of projects
which enable candidates to get more regional
experience while still living in the UAE.”
The second most popular place where
professionals want to stay longer is Hong
Kong. This vibrant city and gateway to China
has retained its fascination over many years.
Simon Walker, Managing Director (APAC) of
Hydrogen commented:“Hong Kong remains a
top location for finance professionals, and it
is a great place to live. It’s not only just about
one island. It offers extraordinary variety,
and whether you are a single professional in
your mid-twenties, or an older professional
with a large family, you will find the right
environment. The experience you get depends
on the area and the reason you are in Hong
Kong, but whatever that is, you will enjoy
an exceptionally high standard of life.”
Spain may be going through economic
difficulties, but with a good lifestyle,
weather, food and culture, it is easy to
see why professionals wish to stay longer
than intended. It is perhaps surprising
that the United States which tops all our
survey’s lists in terms of popularity with
professionals across the board came only
fourth, with Australia following in fifth place.
Australia is another perennially popular
location for professionals to stay longer,
attracting in particular those working in oil
and gas, life sciences, finance and the law.
James Whiley, a lawyer who recently moved
from London to Sydney to work as a senior
consultant in private client law:“I made
myself check out other offshore places, but
frankly there was no contest - they wouldn’t
have offered me the same lifestyle. I loved
Australia when I came here on a working
holiday in 2005. If I hadn’t had my legal
practice course and a contract with a leading
law firm in the City of London already lined
up at that stage, I would probably have tried
to relocate there and then. The people, the
many things to do at weekends, the weather
- it’s a kaleidoscope of so many things I like
here. My partner wanted to move to Australia
too, and has now found a good job here in her
profession as a graphic designer and we are
considering applying for permanent residency
and in the long run maybe citizenship too.”
13. 12
Global professionals on the move 2013
86%
Stay abroad longer
than anticipated
UAE
Hong Kong
Spain
Places where
professionals stay longer
01
02
03
Top ten long stay locations
14. 13
The popularity of certain locations with
global professionals is not chance. It is
largely down to being centres of excellence,
global hubs for particular industries.
The United States occupies a unique
place as the top global magnet for survey
respondents from all sectors. Despite
the financial crisis and the recession,
the American Dream continues to exert
a fascination on people across the globe,
making them see the United States as
the quintessential land of opportunity.
This is underpinned by more tangible
reasons. The United States is still the
world’s largest economy and has a wealth
of centres of excellence for all industries.
It has also showed signs of pulling out of
recession and getting back to moderate
growth earlier than Europe. Therefore it has
continued to attract many professionals
despite the potential difficulties of
obtaining work permits or residency there.
Recently however, certain sectors, such
as technology, have seen a challenge to
the United States’ dominance. The UK has
emerged as a leading European technology
hub, second globally only to the United
States. This is reflected by technology
professionals giving it second place as a
desired destination in this year’s survey,
and is a view shared by Michal Tekel, who
is originally from Slovakia and studied in
Prague and Amsterdam, where he also
worked before relocating to London to work
as a development operations engineer.“The
UK is a very dynamic market for IT”, he says,
“especially London, which I would say is
currently the best location in Europe for IT.”
Dan Fox, Managing Director of Hydrogen’s
Technology Practice, fills in the background:
“The technology sector is growing rapidly
across the world, and in the UK in particular.
In 2012 the global technology market was
estimated to be worth 50 billion dollars.
But it’s not just that – people’s perception
of technology has changed. It’s no longer
geeky to be in technology, and if you are
at the forefront of new developments, it’s
an incredibly exciting space to be in.
“The US is still the dominant force, but
the UK is on the march. The US has Silicon
Valley and San Francisco, the UK has Silicon
Roundabout near Old Street, London,
where you’ve got all these exciting tech
firms opening. And then you’ve got Asia
as the world’s third biggest technology
recruitment region. We’re seeing a lot of
Europeans coming to work for exciting
fast-paced companies in the UK, and we’re
also seeing a lot of the UK workforce going
out to Asia. It’s all about wanting to work
for the up-and-coming companies.”
Website designer Tjobbe Andrews, who
has been working in the UK for the last
twelve years, comments:“England has the
best design agencies in the world, whether
you’re looking at London, which has loads,
Brighton, or even smaller towns, each
location has at least one really good agency.”
In Asia, Singapore has emerged as the
leading technology hub as well as a key
finance one. Simon Walker, Managing Director
Asia, Hydrogen comments:“Singapore is
very high up the value chain in terms of
what it does in technology. Singapore has an
exceptionally well-educated workforce, is a
very innovative country and is producing the
new tech entrepreneurs and engineers who
are creating much of the high tech industry
of the future, for example in life sciences,
medical equipment and biotech. However,
its neighbours also have an extremely good
tech background, such as Malaysia with
the Cyberjaya tech park development just
outside Kuala Lumpur, or the Philippines’
growing outsourcing industry.”
Global magnets for
professionals - the rise
of the tech hubs
07
The top global magnet
countries by sector
amongst professionals
15. 14
Global professionals on the move 2013
$50bn
Estimated value of
technology market in 2012
Top three
technology magnets
Finance Oil and Gas
USA
Singapore
Australia
USA
Australia
Brazil
Life Sciences Legal
USA
UK
Australia
USA
UK
Hong Kong
Global magnets
across different sectors
USA
UK
Singapore
Technology
1st
2nd
3rd
“The UK is a very dynamic
market for IT especially
London,which I would
say is currently the best
location in Europe for IT.”
Michal Tekel,
Slovakia to UK
16. 15
Reversing the brain drain -
the return of the Asian expat
While many professionals still desire to
relocate to traditional Western business
hubs such as the United States, the UK
and Australia, the shifting global economic
balance means increasing numbers of
professionals will be needed to work
in fast-growing emerging markets.
These economies, including many of those
found in Asia, already account for more than
half the world’s steel and oil consumption,
car sales, and foreign exchange reserves
– even mobile phone subscriptions.1
These areas will see continued rapid
growth but at present they do not have
the skillset within the existing local
populations to support it. Forward-looking
multinational businesses and national
governments are paying close attention to
their global mobility strategies and trying
to plan ahead to meet this demand.
While there is, and will continue to be,
a wealth of opportunities for global
professionals from the West to relocate
into emerging economies, many of these
fast growing Asian economies are begining
to address these skill gaps by looking to
fill them with home-grown talent with
international experience. Simon Walker,
Managing Director Asia, Hydrogen explains:
“Asians who have worked away from
home, and whose home countries are
now becoming economic powerhouses,
are exceptionally valuable as they
combine international experience with an
understanding of their local culture, which
is critical when doing business in Asia.”
He adds that the precise mix of incentives
used to win back this talent varies
across countries:“Different countries
do different things. Malaysia has its
Returning Expert Programme, Indonesia
has a similar programme, but there is now
definitely a conscious drive in all Asian
countries to get talent to return home.”
One returning expat is Chris Chan, who is
a senior financial services professional
with over thirty years of experience in key
markets across Europe including London,
Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam. A Malaysian by
origin, he recently relocated from the UK to
Malaysia to take up a role as risk business
lead for a major bank.“While I moved back
to Malaysia for family reasons, you will find
that many companies now have unofficial
policies to prioritise the recruitment and
retention of returning national talent.”
Simon Walker does not see this as limiting
future expats from the West.“I think there
will be an increase in employers across the
region wanting the return-homers. I also
think that they will start profiling the type
of expat they want. Those with a distinct
advantage will be expats who have lived
or are currently living in Asia and have an
understanding of the local culture, and
maybe also the language. So when you look
at the local market, they will treat an expat
who has been there a number of years and
has the relevant experience exactly the
same as a return-homer. It’s the skills and
the local knowledge that will count.”
—
1
Deloitte, Strategic Moves 2012, The Global Mobility Island
08
How Asian countries
are tackling their
skills shortage
17. 16
Global professionals on the move 2013
Why Asia is seeking
return-homers
Skilled
professionals
Lived / living
in Asia
Understand
local cultures
and customs
International
business
experience
Speak the
language
Emerging markets
Half of the world’s
GDP from emerging
markets by 2020
50%
Tax break programme for
Malaysian return-homers
Income tax rate for
Malaysians returning
from overseas
Tax rate
15%
“Asians who have worked
away from home,and
whose home countries are
now becoming economic
powerhouses,are exceptionally
valuable as they combine
international experience with
an understanding of their
local culture,which is critical
when doing business in Asia.”
Simon Walker,
Managing Director Asia,
Hydrogen
18. 17
Women relocate earlier -
at what cost?
This year’s figures continue the trend in last
year’s survey which showed that women
think about relocating, and in fact do
relocate, earlier in their careers than men.
56% of female respondents said they
considered a move within the first five years
of their careers, compared with 48% of male
respondents. A third of female respondents
had relocated between the ages of 21 and
30, but only 17% of men. The men surveyed
tended to relocate later, a considerable
proportion at a far higher age than most
women, with 17% of the men, and only 5%
of the women, relocating aged 51-60. Add to
this the finding that of the 8% of respondents
who said they would not consider relocating,
90% of them were women, and the picture
clearly emerges: with exceptions, women
will either go abroad early, or not at all.
There are explanations for this; one being
that if women are considering having a
family, they often want to gain their overseas
experience early, before they do so. This may
reflect concerns at the potentially increased
difficulty of combining family commitments
with working abroad at more senior levels.
The consequence is that many more
men than women currently benefit from
international experience. Two thirds of those
professionals surveyed who were already
living and working abroad were men, and this
gap widened further up the age scale, with
70% of those aged between 51-60 being men.
Andreia Rodrigues, who recently moved from
Lisbon to Lausanne, expresses the dilemma
that women face very clearly:“My move to
Lausanne means I shall have to postpone
some other dreams for the moment, and now
is not the right time for me to have children.
Men do not have these problems. They can
combine their personal lives more easily
with their professional lives, but it’s more
complicated for women. In some ways it
would probably have been perfect to make
this move five years ago, maybe after college.
But I am still on track. I am 32 now, and I
am facing a new challenge, I need to prove
myself, and I am looking forward to it.”
On the basis that three quarters of those
interviewed expected international
experience to improve their career
prospects, this finding gives employers a
lot to think about. The fact that there are
women relocating at earlier ages show
that women are no less adventurous or
less inclined to work abroad than men,
rather they have identified longer term
hurdles and are acting before these hurdles
get in the way. However if considerable
numbers of women are electing to forego
this experience at more senior levels, are
these women not missing out on valuable
experience which would help fit them for
executive and board level positions later?
This is an area in which employers and
recruiters might collaborate to find ways of
breaking down female professionals’ barriers
to relocating and devising specific incentives
that would make more senior women
consider relocating at times crucial to their
careers. These are likely to be more about
flexible working arrangements, childcare and
schooling than about salary and bonuses.
As Tim Smeaton, Chief Executive Officer,
Hydrogen points out:“We know that demand
for skills across many sectors is outstripping
supply and so it is important that companies
do not create false barriers for women; rather
we need to find ways of working around these
perceived barriers. By doing this we will
ensure that a new pool of senior professional
talent is opened up to work across the globe.”
09
Women relocating early
in their careers leads to a
talent shortage later on
“We know that
demand for skills
across many sectors
is outstripping supply
and so it is important
that companies do not
create false barriers
for women;rather
we need to find ways
of working around
these perceived
barriers.By doing this
we will ensure that
a new pool of senior
professional talent
is opened up to work
across the globe.”
Tim Smeaton,
Chief Executive Officer,
Hydrogen
19. 18
Global professionals on the move 2013
Relocation ages
38%
24%
17%
33%of women, compared
to 17% of men relocate
between the ages
of 21-30
31-40yr 41-50yr 51-60yr
Women
Men
37%
22%
5%
20. 19
Recruiters play a key role
Employers across the globe consistently
cite the lack of high quality specialist
talent as the biggest hindrance to growth.
35% of all employers globally are currently
unable to source the talent required by
their organisations1
, and a big challenge for
multinational companies is finding the talent
in local markets to expand their businesses2
.
This year’s report highlighted the continuing
importance of specialist recruitment
agencies and headhunters in matching
global professionals to employers in need of
talent. They cater for professionals in niche
markets and are able to take the pain out
of locating and hiring them for employers.
A specialist global recruiter knows where
there are shortages in specific skills, and
where these skills are available and they are
able to utilise their access to global talent
pools. Knowing precisely what employers
are looking for in candidates, and knowing
candidates’ motivators and availability, is
also crucial to finding that perfect match.
Additionally, recruiters specialise in
identifying exceptional, hard to find
candidates whom employers cannot find
themselves. This kind of candidate will
not reply to any advertisement, as most
of them will not actively be seeking to
move. LinkedIn® research shows that
59% of all professionals are “passive
candidates” – not actively looking but happy
to be approached for new opportunities
- compared to only 21% being “active”.
Ian Temple, Chairman, Hydrogen explains
that specialist recruiters provide even more
than this:“Of course the client benefits from
the recruiter’s access to the widest possible
talent pool in the area of expertise they
require, but the specialist recruiter’s job is
far more complex than just finding them a
candidate with the right skills mix. Having
studied the client’s business and cultural
requirements, the recruiter is on the lookout
for professionals with the right skills who
will also adapt well to the culture of this
company, this particular market and the
wider cultural environment in the country.”
For candidates, our survey shows using
professional recruiters is the fastest
route to finding suitable positions. The
percentage of respondents who had found
their position either through a headhunter
or a professional recruitment agency was
37% this year, the highest percentage yet,
approximately 21% having used recruitment
10
Candidates have greater
chance of finding the right
overseas job using global
specialist recruiters
Press
advertising
Socialnetw
ork
Currentem
ployer
Online
advert
Directly
approaching
potentialem
ployer
14%13%10%3%1%
How did you
find your current job?
21. 20
Global professionals on the move 2013
consultants and 16% headhunters. Three
quarters of those respondents who had
relocated using a recruitment consultant
had found their job within six months of
starting to look. The majority (55%) of
them found theirs in just two months.
Specialist recruiters give candidates
access to opportunities they could not find
in any other way. In many cases they may
actually be able to find them their dream
jobs. Many also find it convenient to have
the recruiter negotiate their package at
the outset, without any damage to their
relationship with their new employer.
Ian Temple adds:“There is a lot at stake, and
the recruiter must adopt a tailored approach.
Relocating abroad is an emotionally
challenging time for a candidate, and it may
come at a commercially challenging time
for the client. A bad experience impacts
not just on the candidate and the employer.
The skilled recruiter takes the time to
explore both sides’ expectations, ensuring
there is a sound basis for a successful
relationship. We try to act as partner to
both, and we will give honest advice to both
if we think the match is less than ideal.”
This helps explain why the predicted decline
in the usefulness of recruiters in the wake of
the rise of social networks such as LinkedIn®
has not come to pass. At this level, there is
no substitute for the first-hand and detailed
knowledge of both sides’ requirements which
can really only be acquired face-to-face.
Benoit Charles, a project engineer for oil and
gas who relocated from France to Malaysia,
is full of praise for the help he got in finding
a perfect match in the shortest possible
time:“I was going on holiday to South East
Asia for two weeks, and as I was looking for
a change, I was open to being interviewed
in Malaysia and Singapore whilst I was
there. I contacted Hydrogen in Singapore on
a recommendation and I was interviewed
by five companies in a fortnight. I returned
home with three job offers, one of which I
accepted. This was such great service I have
ended up recommending Hydrogen to all my
colleagues and friends looking to move.”
—
1
Manpower 2012 Talent Shortage Survey
2
Economist Intelligence Unit
Recruiter/H
eadhunter
37%
26%
10%
9%
55%0-2 months
3-6 months
7-12 months
more than
one year
Amount of time
taken for recruitment
consultancy to facilitate
relocation
22. 21
Appendix
The Hydrogen ‘global professionals on
the move’ report 2013 is based on the
results of a major online survey that ran
during November 2012 and attracted
2,146 responses from professionals in 90
different countries working largely across
the legal, finance, business transformation,
technology, oil and gas, power, life sciences,
mining and trading and advisory sectors.
The online survey was distributed using
business social networking sites, databases
from Hydrogen, and alumni of ESCP Europe.
The survey was conducted by a
consultancy project team from ESCP
Europe and examined the opportunities
and motivations of highly qualified, high
earning professionals working abroad.
31% of the respondents were from the UK,
with the remaining coming from a fairly even
spread of countries in Europe, Australasia,
North America, the Middle East and Asia.
The respondents were mainly mid to
senior level professionals earning in
excess of USD51,000 per annum, the
average being USD109,300. 94% had a
bachelor degree (or equivalent) or above.
77% were over the age of 30.
The gender breakdown of the respondents
was 68% male and 32% female.
807 respondents were already overseas.
AP
Key data on
respondents from
the 2013 survey
4% Other
1% Board level
1% Intern
8% Self-employed
9% Director
10% Junior manager
15% Employee
Senior manager 16%
Specialist 18%
18% Middle manager
Professional level
23. 22
Global professionals on the move 2013
Less than $25k
$26k - $50k
$51k - $75k
$76k - $100k
$101k - $125k
$126k - $150k
$151k - $175k
$176k - $200k
Greater than $200k
Declined to comment
Under 21yrs
21 - 30yrs
31 - 40yrs
41 - 50 yrs
51 - 60yrs
61 - 70yrs
Above 70yrs
Bachelor degree
Masters degree
PhD
MBA
Professional qualification
Other
5.2%
11.3%
13.3%
7.1%
7.1%
8.6%
11.4%
12.1%
11.7%
12.2%
32%
28%
4%
11%
7%
19%
22.6%
0.7%
37.3%
23.1%
13.1%
3.1%
0.1%
Gross annual income level (USD)
Age
Education
24. 23
Hydrogen is a global specialist recruitment business, placing exceptional,
hard to find candidates in over 70 countries. Our joined up practices combine
international reach with local expertise and specialist knowledge.
Whilst many recruiters are location focused, Hydrogen believes the best way to deliver
service to its clients and candidates is to base our offering around these practices,
which cover both Technical & Scientific (Power, Mining, Oil & Gas and Life Sciences),
and Professional Support Services (Business Transformation, Finance, Legal,
Trading & Advisory and Technology). By being practice focussed and using the latest
technology we provide our clients with global visibility of the best candidates.
We invest in building strong relationships with candidates over the
long-term, not just when they are actively looking to move.
www.hydrogengroup.com
ESCP Europe is the world’s oldest business school. Founded in Paris in
1819, the School provides postgraduate and executive-level business
education at five European campuses (Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid and
Torino), and globally via a broad network of academic partners.
www.escpeurope.eu
Hydrogen Group
and ESCPEurope
For more information please contact Alex Bigland at Hydrogen
alexandrabigland@hydrogengroup.com or +44 (0)20 7090 7739
