2. 01 Sourcing the right talent: overcoming the skills gap
02 Professionals motivated most by career enhancement
03 Overcoming relocation barriers
04 Lifestyle dominates international destinations
05 London tops city destinations
06 Professionals stay longer overseas
07 The short-term contract challenge
08 The future of professional mobility
09 Changing trends in mobility
10 Headhunting on the rise
AX Appendix: survey breakdown
3. 2
Executive summary
In its sixth year, the annual ‘Global profes-
sionals on the move’ report finds that global
mobility continues to rise, with the dynamics
of the market shifting in response to changing
business needs and with the expectations and
experience of highly-skilled professionals.
An estimated 235 million people across the
world live and work overseas, often providing
the powerhouse for the economic growth of a
country, a city or even an industry sector. Re-
flecting this growing global mobility of talent,
our survey found that more than three quar-
ters of respondents were already or had in the
past worked abroad – a year on year increase.
This year’s survey fielded responses from 99
nationalities that had been or were currently
working in 106 countries proving that profes-
sionals are more than willing to go anywhere
in the world for the right career experience.
In fact 31% of respondents currently work-
ing abroad saw no barriers at all to working
anywhere in the world. A closer look at where
overseas professionals are actually work-
ing or have worked also reveals a truly global
market, with cities such as London and Paris
placed side by side with Kuala Lumpur, Abu
Dhabi and Singapore as top destinations.
Despite slow economic recovery in many
parts of the world, studies show that
global hiring has increased by almost
50%, and this is reflected in the views of
the professionals surveyed, who placed
the economic climate at the bottom of
the list of barriers to working abroad.
This edition once again takes a look at the type
of professionals that are attracted to work
overseas – what motivates them to gain in-
ternational experience and what barriers they
feel hinder them. We also investigate what
prevents some professionals from ever taking
overseas opportunities, highlighting why some
businesses may find it difficult to recruit the
right talent from within their ranks.
While the market for highly-qualified and
skilled professionals remains strong, we also
notice an increasing number of companies
turning to shorter-term contracts to fill spe-
cific and often critical skills and knowledge
gaps. In this report we look at why overseas
professionals are staying longer in their roles,
and the dichotomy this poses for companies
with short-term talent mobility requirements.
This year, we also separated out the student
segment of our responses to gain insight
into how tomorrow’s talent views interna-
tional experience. We found that attitudes
to shorter-term contracts and assignments
were positive, with 69% of students say-
ing they would take a short-term contract.
Company boards the world over know
that the right talent in the right location
is critical to business growth. Profession-
als also recognise the value of international
experience to their companies with 84%
of survey respondents identifying that
employers value international experience
and 81% stating that international experi-
ence had improved their career prospects.
Our survey once again highlighted that profes-
sionals continue to look outside their current
company for new opportunities. This edition of
the report finds that 70% of professionals con-
sidering overseas experience are headhunted
or use recruitment agencies to help them
with their international career aspirations.
The insights in this report are designed to
help companies understand what motivates
global professionals. For candidates, this
report and the insights from the case stud-
ies included throughout it, will help them to
identify what to consider when they approach
their first or next international opportunity.
106countries
worked in
235
million
working
overseas
99nationalities
responded
4. 3
0 1
Despite the relatively small growth in de-
veloped economies, demand for the right
talent remains high. A recent Towers Watson
survey found that 48% of companies glob-
ally were hiring more people, with a third
stating that employee turnover rates were
on the rise. Yet 65% of these companies said
they were having problems attracting top
performers and 64% had difficulty attract-
ing high potential employees – the future
generation of talented professionals.*
Global skills gaps were not just isolated to
emerging markets. Manpower’s Talent Short-
age Survey 2015 found that countries strug-
gling to fill jobs included Japan, Hong Kong,
Germany, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland
and Austria. Among the top 10 professions
globally in short supply were engineers and
technicians, IT and finance professionals.**
The good news for companies is our survey
found that 90% of those currently working
or who had worked abroad would consider
relocating again and 97% would recommend
working abroad to others. We also found that
the millennial generation were eager to gain
international experience within the first 3
to 5 years of their careers, and that in some
sectors such as technology, as many as 30%
of respondents with international experi-
ence had moved abroad at a non-manage-
ment level earning less than USD75,000.
Alev Kilic, the tutor at ESCP Europe super-
vising the research on which this report is
based, explains: “We are seeing a change in
mindset. Younger professionals and Masters
students already understand that interna-
tional experience is critical to faster career
progression, but even among the 31-50 year
old age demographic, there is a growing ap-
petite to hop from one overseas location to
another in search of the right opportunity.
Increasingly we find that many profession-
als leave their home countries early in their
careers and do not return until retirement.”
Whilst this professional mindset is positive for
companies, within specific sectors there are
some real challenges on the horizon. In the oil
and gas sector, for example, the average age
of respondents was significantly older than in
other sectors, with many likely to retire in the
next 10 years. Despite the cuts we have seen
in this sector over the last 12 months,
Sourcing the right
talent: overcoming
the skills gap
Chapter one
Without an
insight into how
the market is
changing, and
more importantly,
where to source
the right talent,
many businesses
find themselves
out of step with
the market and
scrambling to
fill business criti-
cal roles.
Ian Temple, CEO
Hydrogen
“
”
5. 4
We are seeing a change
in mindset.Younger
professionals and
Masters students already
understand that international
experience is critical to
faster career progression.
Those with experience
abroad who would con-
sider relocating again
“
Experienced professionals
At what stage of your career did you
start thinking about relocating?
”
90%
48%
Alwayswantedtoworkabroad
30+years
21-30years
11-20years
6-10years
3-5years
1-2years
Beforethefirstyear
1%
2%
12%
15%
22%
12% 12%
24%
The percentage of
companies globally that
are hiring more people
the demographic within the industry means
that when the market does recover vacancies
will have to be filled from a diminishing talent
pool. Planning ahead to cultivate high-poten-
tial employees will be critical in this sector.
There is no one-size fits all solution for
companies in terms of global talent manage-
ment. Each sector has its own nuances around
level of experience, geographical hotspots
and expectations of financial remuneration.
Add to this the demographics of the talent
pool available and the willingness of profes-
sionals to move for long or short periods of
time, and the complexities are even greater.
Yet to overcome talent shortages employ-
ers must address these complexities.
—
*Towers Watson Global Talent Management and
Rewards Survey 2014
**Manpower Group Talent Shortage Survey 2015
Figures courtesy of
Towers Watson
6. 0 2
Professionals
motivated most by
career enhancement
Chapter two
19%
17%
16%
14%
11%
Motivations for working abroad
Top five motivations for those who
have or are working abroad
Career prospects
Earning potential
New experiences
Personal
development
Quality of life
5
I grew up in an
international
environment
with exposure
to different
languages and
cultures, and my
current job reflects
this international
backdrop. It’s
not my first
international
move, and I feel my
experience in an
international role
will be invaluable
to my future career
plans.
life science
professional
Spain to Germany
“
”
7. 6
Once again ‘career prospects’ was the main
motivation for respondents who had been or
were working abroad, but this year ‘greater
earning potential’ overtook ‘new experi-
ences’ as the second highest motivator.
These views were endorsed by respondents'
actual experiences, with only 6% saying
relocation had a negative impact on their
salary and 5% saying that it had nega-
tively affected their career prospects.
However, for those still considering work-
ing abroad, only 17% valued the benefits it
would have on their career prospects and
just 16% were motivated by a greater earning
potential. A quarter felt that ‘new experi-
ences’ was the main motivation to relocating
overseas. This group of professionals also
believed that overseas experience would help
them learn a foreign language and increase
their job opportunities in the future.
For companies, understanding these dif-
ferences in motivation can help shape
global mobility plans – with a change in
emphasis on remuneration packages and
career mapping for employees at differ-
ent levels and with different experience.
We look at this in more detail in our chapter
on the rise of the short-term contract.
VERY POSITIVE EFFECT
POSITIVE EFFECT
NEGATIVE EFFECT
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
9% 9% 8%
14%
40%
41%
32% 34% 35%
6%
42% 37%
52%
48% 47%
81%
5%
IMPROVEDDETERIORATED
Career prospects
The effect overseas experience has had on careers
Effect on salary
Breakdown year on year of the effect
overseas experience has had on salary
8. 7
0 3
Visas and work permits were one of the
top barriers to relocating overseas and
also remained a reason why people re-
turned home. Although interestingly 15%
of those currently abroad thought there to
be no barriers to relocating. This is per-
haps due to the number of respondents
from or working within EU countries, who
have the freedom to move across Europe.
Whilst global professionals are becoming
increasingly adaptable, 16% said they had dif-
ficulties adapting to their host country, a 5%
increase on the previous year. This may reflect
the fact professionals are relocating to a
wider geography, and that the talent pool now
incorporates professionals from countries
such as China. Since language remained a bar-
rier to those working abroad, we can conclude
that the same professionals who found it
hard to adapt to their host country probably
also experienced language difficulties.
This year ‘family, friends and relationships’
scored as the biggest reason professionals
returned home, rather than the previously
more common reason that their secondment
had ended. This was perhaps fostered by the
fact that of the survey respondents who had
been or were working abroad, 83% were in a
relationship, 58% had children, and 26% of
return homers did not take their family with
them. Amongst professionals who would
never consider international experience,
a higher proportion, 65%, had children.
Although the barriers to relocating and stay-
ing abroad remain the same as in previous
years, we believe that the increase in visas
and work permits, combined with an increase
in family, friends and relationships as two
strong disincentives is partially due to the
location of job opportunities. Today there are
more opportunities in the emerging econo-
mies of Southeast Asia, South America and
Africa, but these locations are geographically
distant from Europe, often have complex work
permit requirements, and require profes-
sionals to adapt to differences in language
and culture. The security of life and work in
some of these emerging market economies
may also have influenced the results.
Companies need to provide support so
professionals can overcome problems
obtaining visas and relocating family, and
adapt to their host country as easily as
possible. Both the complexities around
visas and the relocation package on of-
fer can be addressed at interview so that
professionals have visibility regarding
Overcoming
relocation barriers
Chapter three
Split relocation
packages are
something we
often see, where
the half with the
job goes first, and
the family move
at a later date.
These packages
can include salary
guarantees, net
income break-
downs and help
with international
schools.
Alex Lawrence
Hydrogen
“
”
9. 8
Reasons for returning home
Professionals wanting to work abroad in the future
Professionals that are currently working abroad
10% Language barrier
12% Language barrier
14% Job opportunities
15% No perceived barrier
16% Visa / work permit
13% Visa / work permit
15% Relocation package
17% Visa / work permit
18% Job opportunities
22% Better job
opportunities at home
26% Secondment ended
34% Family
reasons
what is on offer and transparency around the
process. Relocation support might include
business trips pre-move for familiarisation
purposes, language courses, tax advice, a
relocation agent to support with accommoda-
tion and schools, and regular travel to and
from home as part of the incentive package if
family are not moving. The faster an individual
or family integrate themselves into local life
the greater the likelihood that the reloca-
tion will be successful and the harder it will
be to leave both the job and host country.
“A recruiter can add value through conduct-
ing expat networking events which provide
individuals who have either relocated, or are
staying away from home, with a platform to
meet other expats/travelling professionals in a
similar situation. Candidates who relocate of-
ten do so without knowing anyone in the host
location, which means life can become very
isolated from Monday to Thursday. By offering
candidates the opportunity to meet similarly
placed individuals in a networking environ-
ment, we can provide them with a social
platform that would otherwise take months
to establish,” says Mark Crow, Hydrogen.
Highest ranked barriers
to relocating and remaining abroad
10. 9
Although respondents came from 99 countries
across the world, Europe was the dominant
work destination. The UK, Germany, France,
Norway and the Netherlands were all in the
top 10 countries people were working in,
but the list also included countries further
afield such as the USA and Australia.
Once again, our survey found that most
people would be willing to go anywhere in the
world so long as the opportunity was right,
and this year the top 10 country destina-
tions accounted for only 44% of the loca-
tions of respondents working abroad.
In Europe, the UK, Germany and France were
the top countries that people were locating to,
perhaps partially explained by the stronger re-
cessions experienced in other European coun-
tries such as Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
“I would only consider moving outside of
Europe on a contract of two years or more
and if there were exceptional tax incen-
tives,” says Kia Balali-Mood, a clinical IT
professional who recently moved from the
UK to Germany, adding: “Very few op-
portunities can top the experience and
incentive packages available in Europe.”
When asked about the countries they
would like to work in, respondents again
chose the USA, Australia and UK as their
top three destinations. Although these
destinations have topped the list for the last
six years, they continue to lose votes as the
spread of preferred destinations widens.
What makes these or any of the top 10
destinations attractive? Top of the list was
lifestyle (20%), followed by job prospects,
and a country’s culture (both at 17%). In
this year’s survey we gained more detail
about the attraction of working in specific
countries that top the list every year.
Respondents were attracted to the UK
because of potential job prospects and the
British culture. For the USA, job prospects,
the economic prospects of the country, and
lifestyle were the three biggest motivators,
while in Australia, lifestyle was the over-
whelming factor, with 79% citing it as the
reason they would like to work there. For the
United Arab Emirates, 71% of respondents
cited financial benefits as the main motivator
for taking an international opportunity there.
We conclude from the research that Eng-
lish speaking countries still dominate the
relocation wish list of global profession-
als, but motivations to move to a country
can be very different. Ease of gaining work
permits and visas may also explain why
Australia and the USA are high on the wish
list but not a destination that many profes-
sionals end up in. With the exception of the
oil and gas sector, very few respondents
had experience of working in Australia.
Lifestyle dominates
international destinations
Chapter four
I was working in
the Middle East
and did not intend
to move, but when
an opportunity
came up in Perth,
I took it.
I’ve worked
overseas for most
of my 25 year
career and both
my wife and I
wanted something
less hectic. I’m
also at the point in
my career where
tax and domestic
expenses are less
of an issue and
my children are at
university.”
Mark Bourne
oil and gas
professional
“
”
0 4
11. 10
Companies looking to attract professionals
to specific locations should consider the top
motivations that people may have for mov-
ing to a certain country. “If an individual is
targeting a specific country, it would lead me
to believe that they already have a driver to
target that location. Therefore a good recruiter
should be looking to understand what has led
them to this decision, and what the motivators
are, some of which could include; a connec-
tion to the host country, a better quality of
life and lifestyle, the opportunity to travel,
a chance to learn a new language and the
possibility of better schooling. Alternatively
the move could be solely based on career
expectations, such as greater chances of
promotion with the host employer, greater
opportunities to diversify skill set and experi-
ence, or to gain a broader global knowledge
of commerce,” says Mark Crow, Hydrogen.
Companies also need to understand what is
attracting professionals to them and the
position on offer. A good recruiter adds
value to the process by understanding both
the candidate’s personal and professional
drivers and ensuring that the candidate dem-
onstrates the necessary commitment for the
client to feel confident in their decision.
Attractions for working abroad
Top three overall attractions when
wanting to work abroad
Country attractions
Reasons professionals want to relocate
to the top three most popular countries
Job prospects
Lifestyle
Culture
0 1 U S A --
0 2 A U S T R A L I A 03
0 3 U K 02
0 4 S I N G A P O R E 07
0 5 C A N A D A --
--
- - S W I T Z E R L A N D 04
- - U A E 09
0 8 I T A L Y NEW
0 9 S P A I N 10
1 0 G E R MA N Y 06
Lifestyle
Job prospects
Country’s
economic
prospects
Lifestyle
Culture
Climate
Lifestyle
Culture
Job
prospects
Position Country Change
from
2014
USA Australia UK
Top 10 countries professionals
want to relocate to
12. 11
London is the top city destination for profes-
sionals currently working abroad and those
who had worked abroad. An economic power-
house for several sectors, London is ranked
second only to New York City on global city in-
dices and forecast to grow by as much as 15%
over the next five years. Its popularity, both
past and present, is likely to reflect the fact
that European respondents can move without
visas or work permits to London for interna-
tional opportunities, but the capital is also a
hub for professionals from all over the world,
including 48,000 from India, almost 15,000
from Australia and more than 13,000 from the
USA. * Professionals are attracted not only
by the breadth of opportunities but because
they are remunerated in a currency that
remains strong in major exchange markets.
Other popular European cities include Paris,
Amsterdam and Brussels; the latter probably
fuelled by the heavy presence of the European
Parliament and EU institutions. Destinations
outside of Europe are heavily dominated
by cities important within sectors – hence
Houston, Oslo, Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi as
oil and gas sector hubs, Singapore and Berlin
as big finance destinations and Basel, home
to a number of pharmaceutical companies.
Collectively the top 10 city destinations
where professionals are currently working
account for only 38% of city destinations,
suggesting that professionals are working
in sector hubs and cities all over the world.
Sarah Qian Guo works in the legal sector and
recently moved to Australia after several
years’ working in Hong Kong: “From a career
development point of view the markets here
are more developed than in Asia but it’s much
more a niche sector. The experience I will gain
in Australia will certainly boost my career
prospects for the future, but on a personal
level I was also keen to explore a different
country and continent. Working in capital
markets means working in capital cities, but
I’d be prepared to stay here as the lifestyle
and work/life balance is pretty good and I’m
not too far from home and family in Asia.”
—
* HMRC – work related visas issued in 2012.
London tops
city destinations
Chapter five
”
London beats
NewYork,
Sydney and
Dubai as most
desired city
destination
“
It’s not surprising
London tops the
list of cities – it
has a strong
economy, a
vibrant multi-
national culture
and good
transport links
to the rest of
the world. For
sectors such as
legal, London sits
alongside New
York, as a global
legal powerhouse.
Given the excep-
tional quality and
volume of work
right now there
are excellent
career opportuni-
ties for lawyers
Thomas Hartwell
Hydrogen
“
”
0 5
13. London New York Sydney
Dubai
Melbourne
Perth Berlin
Abu Dhabi
Singapore San Francisco
0 1
0 4
0 7 0 8
0 9 1 0
0 5 0 6
0 2 0 3
LondonSingapore
Paris
10%
4%
3%
3%
6%
5%
3%
3%
2% 2%
12%
13%
31%
Top 10 most desirable cities for
professionals to relocate to
Top cities where experienced
professionals actually relocate
12
0 5
14. 13
15%
42%
22% 21%
<1yr
1-4yrs
5-9yrs
>10yrs
11%
25%
30%
34%
<1yr
1-4yrs
5-9yrs
>10yrs
0 6
In this year’s report we found that profession-
als were staying abroad for longer. The number
of respondents who had relocated for 6-10+
years was up 7% on last year and those with
experience of less than two years dropped 12%.
In addition, almost two thirds of those currently
working abroad had extended their stay.
Mark Bourne, a UK national who has worked
overseas for the past 25 years corrobo-
rates this view: “Now that my children are
grown up, length of assignment is less
important, but when they were at school,
two years was our minimum requirement.”
“Companies are doing more to help profes-
sionals and their families relocate – providing
additional local support with moving, finding
schools and learning language skills. Once
you’ve made a move of possibly hundreds or
thousands of kilometres and integrated family
into the local community it makes it harder
to leave,” says Adam Solomons, Hydrogen.
“In specific sectors, we also see a change in
mobility. In the oil and gas sector for exam-
ple, longer-term commitments are the norm
because of the length of time it takes to set
up an operation and transfer knowledge. In
life sciences, we can also see a trend where
professionals are staying indefinitely in the
host country with as many as 33% of re-
spondents saying they intended to stay in
the country they were working. However, in
the fields of finance and technology, pro-
fessionals tend to move more quickly from
one international opportunity to another,
gaining relevant experience of markets or
specific skills and taking these either back
to their home country or to a new destina-
tion,” explains Simon Walker, COO Hydrogen.
Professionals stay
longer overseas
Chapter six
How long do they stay?
Those currently abroad
How long do they stay?
Those who have worked abroad in the past
15. 14
93%
14
Understandably, the longer a professional stays
within a country the more he or she can build
and expand his local and international networks.
Some 93% of respondents who had been or
were working overseas said international
experience allowed them to expand their
networks. Of these, 77% of global profes-
sionals said international networks had a
positive impact on their careers and 80%
believed their networks to be beneficial to
their job and the company they worked for.
In finance, experience of and connections
within overseas markets – particularly the five
big stock exchanges of the USA, UK, Germany,
Japan and Hong Kong, was seen as critical to
career and company success. In the oil and gas
sector, the ability to source local suppliers and
workers in the Middle East for example, was
often pivotal to securing a commercial contract.
For companies expanding in emerging markets,
‘our man on the ground’ can be essential to
navigating state heavy infrastructures and
bureaucracy and putting a personal face to the
company. Over time the individual relationships
developed by a professional can even influence
the success of a contract or an operation.
For professionals, being able to represent
soft skills such as local market knowledge
and contacts can be the deciding factor
in securing the best career opportunities,
particularly when competing with
candidates with similar experience.
Respondents with
international work
experience that said
it allowed them to
expand their networks
International networks
16. 15
0 7
This year we explored the attitude towards
contract roles. Whilst 67% of respond-
ents would consider taking a contract
overseas, results found that 71% of re-
spondents were employed on a permanent
basis and 29% on a contract basis, sug-
gesting that the security of a permanent
role is still preferred by professionals.
The main sticking point against short-term
contracts for many professionals was a
lack of employment security and stabil-
ity – an important consideration for pro-
fessionals with family dependent on their
income and likely to relocate with them.
In addition, professionals commonly cited
issues around the security and stability
of host countries – for example in geogra-
phies such as Africa and the Middle East.
One way to make short-term contracts more
attractive is to structure relocation pack-
ages to include support and assistance in
these two areas. However this solution can
prove expensive for a short-term assignment.
Alternative solutions include companies hir-
ing a mix of specialist talent combined with
local hires, expanding in areas where there
is local talent and attracting younger high
potential professionals with fewer family ties.
As the next chapter shows young profession-
als understand the importance of interna-
tional experience and are willing to relocate
early in their careers. However whilst this
future workforce may be prepared to take a
short-term contract they often do not have the
experience needed. “There is a tendency to fo-
cus on the now, to find a fast fix to a skills gap.
This results in companies overpaying for the
skills they need and creates a vicious circle
where they then do not have the money to in-
vest in younger talent. Companies need to view
the longer term and start thinking about the
future,” says Stephanie Murtagh, Hydrogen.
Recent research has found that younger pro-
fessionals are more willing to accept a local
salary plus package – where their main salary
is paid locally but they have private medi-
cal cover, a housing supplement and pension
contributions are made in their home country.
Younger professionals are also motivated
much more by personal development and new
experiences. Some companies have taken a
creative approach to this, offering profes-
sionals the opportunity to spend one working
day a week building a school or teaching in
a local village in Africa or India. The profes-
sional gains work and life experience and the
company develop stronger community links.
In reality most companies will need to
understand the mix of professionals they
need and tailor their recruitment accord-
ingly. Some roles will always require a
certain level of experience and skill or pos-
sibly specific market or location experience
and connections. In this instance a more
The short-term
contract challenge
Chapter seven
For professionals
apprehensive
about relocation
expenses and the
visas associated
with shorter-term
contracts, the
crucial issue lies
in the nature of
the experience.
A short-term
contract in a
niche market or
in a sought-after
geography can
be more than
compensated for
by a significant
boost to career
prospects, experi-
ence and earning
potential.
Jon Wilson
Hydrogen
“
”
17. 16
In reality most
companies will
need to understand
the mix of
professionals they
need and tailor
their recruitment
accordingly
“
”
30%
Experienced
professionals
Younger
professionals
69%
41%
67%
29%
Length of
assignment
Stability
and security
Relocating
family
Already have
a contract overseas
Would consider
a contract overseas
2 years +
43%
29%
28%
Top three reasons given why people
choose not to take a contract role
Length of contract
professionals would move for
Taking a contract
role overseas
traditional approach to finding a candidate from
within a small pool of professionals is required.
Experienced professionals are typically focused
on quality of life for themselves and their fami-
lies, and can therefore be targeted by promot-
ing work life balance, the quality of life in the
host country, financial rewards, income tax relief
or living allowance where appropriate, and op-
portunities for partners, family or promotion
that are not available in their current location.
18. 1717
The future of
professional mobility
Chapter eight
Companies need
to be transparent
around the differ-
ent entry points,
skill sets and quali-
fications needed
and commit to
having graduate
positions available,
with money dedi-
cated to training
these younger
professionals or
local talent. If not
addressed then
the pool of profes-
sionals will only get
smaller, meaning
talent will become
harder to find.
Karen Nodwell
Hydrogen
“
”
0 8
For the first time, this edition of the report
separated responses from students to
understand better their views on interna-
tional experience and if there were dif-
ferences in motivations or barriers when
compared with the majority of respond-
ents working abroad aged 31-60 years.
We found that 63% of students were aged
between 22 and 25 years and 85% were post
graduates, mostly studying at a Masters
level. The majority of respondents were
from Europe but responses came from
as far afield as Colombia, Liberia, Leba-
non, Morocco, Russia and Venezuela.
Four fifths of students had studied abroad
for six months or more and an over-
whelming 97% felt it was crucial that
they gained international experience.
When asked about what motivated them to
work abroad, students did not vary signifi-
cantly from other professionals consider-
ing working abroad. Career prospects, new
experiences and personal development all
scored highly. Similarly visa restrictions and
a lack of opportunities, possibly at entry
level, were considered amongst the biggest
barriers. Family, friends and relationships
topped the list of barriers to relocation, but
it was surprisingly high – with almost 60%
citing it as a barrier. However, students were
less concerned by cultural or language is-
sues than other groups. So for companies,
the motivations and concerns today are very
much mirrored by tomorrow’s professionals.
Businesses already tackling these barriers
can be assured that they are right to do so.
“Generally speaking it is not that easy for
people from China to get an international
opportunity, partly due to language and
cultural background. I pursued my graduate
study in Canada and was hired directly by a
major oil company after graduation,” explains
Jack, who has made the move from China to
Australia, adding: “You need to demonstrate
your experience and capabilities to potential
employers in order to get an international
opportunity and this can be difficult.”
Relocating to countries such as the UK,
USA, France and Germany was mostly
driven by lifestyle and culture, coupled with
career prospects. Where students dif-
fered from the main body of respondents
was Australia. Only 4% of students gave
it as a preferred destination compared to
21% for the UK and 18% for the USA.
Interestingly, emerging market countries
did not feature highly on the desired list of
destinations. Yet independent studies suggest
that as many as half of today’s graduates will
be working in emerging markets by 2020.
19. 1818
The willingness of students to work overseas
is encouraging but in terms of professional
qualifications, we found that three quarters
of students were studying business with
only 9% studying engineering, 9% econom-
ics and 2% sciences. Given that engineering
has topped the list of global talent short-
ages in Manpower’s Annual Talent Short-
age Survey for some time, this result might
be worrying. Indeed Manpower’s survey
highlights that global companies find that the
younger generation often lack the hard skills
required for highly sort after positions.*
Smart companies can capitalise on the
younger generation’s readiness to relo-
cate, developing the right hard and soft
skills through short-term work placements,
internships and contracts. For sectors and
individual businesses that ignore this gulf,
the future talent pool may hold a very mobile
workforce, but one that lacks the special-
ist skills demanded, particularly important
in sectors such as life sciences and oil and
gas where the average age of professionals
is considerably older than in other sectors.
—
*Manpower Group Talent Shortage Survey 2014
UK 01
USA 02
France 03
Germany 04
Swit’land 05
Australia 06
Spain 07
Singapore 08
Italy 09
China 10
Student
mobility
profile
97%
Top motivations for
students to work abroad
International experience
is important for career
development
58%Personal
development
Career prospects
New
experiences
Top destinations
for students
Biggest barrier
for students:
FAMILY/FRIENDS
20. 19
0 9
Reviewing shifts in influences and perceptions
over the past five to six years allows us to iden-
tify wider trends influencing global mobility.
The proportion of women respondents has
increased by 9%, and more professionals
are in a relationship – 72% in 2011 compared
to 79% today. Similarly the proportion of
respondents with children has grown from
47% to 56% over the same time period.
Despite the growing number of professionals
with spouses and children, the percentage
of professionals citing family as a bar-
rier to relocation has dropped by 10% since
2011. We believe that more professionals
are relocating with their families and this
is driving the longer duration of relocation.
Even among respondents who would never
relocate, family as a barrier has dropped
dramatically from 62% last year to just
30% in 2015. At the same time, concerns
about security and language problems have
become a bigger disincentive to this group.
Destination has become less and less of
an issue and we find in 2015 that 5% more
respondents to the previous year are will-
ing to go ‘everywhere in the world’. A closer
look by sector also shows that the oil and
gas and finance sectors have a high level
of professional mobility whereas life sci-
ence and technology professionals are
more concentrated in Western Europe.
As international opportunities grow in new
geographies, it is getting harder for profes-
sionals to adapt to the culture of the country
they relocate to, with only 6% citing this as an
issue in 2011 compared to 16% in 2015 – the
biggest percentage point increase accounted
for in the last year. This is likely to reflect the
increased number of destinations that profes-
sionals are relocating to, many in Asia or the
Middle East where culture and language can
be very different from that of home coun-
tries, and where the distance from home is
perceived as greater. In fact geographical
distance as a perceived barrier for not relocat-
ing has gone up 14% this year, an increase
of 12 percentage points. Surprisingly while
culture and language have grown as issues in
the last year, concerns about security have
decreased, suggesting that professionals
are not moving to destinations with safety
issues but are facing other challenges.
Mirroring this year’s results on students as a
group, we find that across all groups signifi-
cantly fewer respondents have professional
qualifications, down from 30% in 2010 to 15%
in 2015. However, the overall level of qualifica-
tion has improved, with 94% now holding a
Bachelor degree and 34% a Master degree.
For candidates wanting to widen their
experience, choosing the opportunity that
will give them the greatest exposure to
highly sought after skills, or knowledge of
growing markets is becoming more impor-
tant than duration or location of a job.
Changing trends
in mobility
Chapter nine
21. 20
62%
30%
6%
16%
2011
2015
2015
2014
Family as a barrier to relocating
abroad has significantly
decreased from 2014
Difficulties adapting to
a country's culture
has increased
”
Highly sought
after skills,
or knowledge
of growing
markets is
becoming more
important than
duration or
location of a job
“
22. 21
1 0
21
Headhunting
on the rise
Chapter ten
While between a quarter of those currently
working abroad and a fifth of those consider-
ing it either got their job or began a discussion
about international experience with their
current employer, far more were head-hunted
or contacted a recruitment company.
This year’s survey shows that 26% of those
currently working overseas were head-hunted,
up 6% on last year. In addition, 27% of those
considering international experience were
head-hunted and 43% of this group had
also contacted a recruitment company.
While more and more companies are address-
ing the issue of professional talent turnover, a
considerable number still do not have global
talent mobility programmes in place. The main
issue for companies is that employees willing
to move may not have experience to match
the skills gaps that businesses are looking to
fill in overseas locations. Equally, talented
professionals are not willing to wait until
their company can find the right opportunity,
preferring to proactively enhance their career
experiences when the time is right for them.
One reason that headhunters and recruit-
ers remain popular is the level of insight and
understanding they can provide to both can-
didates and companies. Insight into specific
sectors and geographies, not only in terms of
connecting to the talent pool available, but
also advice on remuneration and reloca-
tion packages is invaluable to companies.
Recruiters will also understand the specific
desires of each candidate and match these to
the strategy and requirements of a particular
company or specific role. Once placed, recruit-
ers can help candidates with any relocation
questions or challenges and will make sure
that the transition into the role runs smoothly.
“We are listening and talking to our clients
and candidates before and after the recruit-
ment process. One candidate had worked
on a project with a client in Malaysia and
really enjoyed it. We kept in touch with him
because we knew the client would have a
similar project in 18 months’ time. Although
the company received a number of CVs for the
job, they went with our candidate because
they already had a good relationship with him.
Since joining them from South Africa he has
added a huge amount of insight and value to
their management team and his contract has
already been extended from 12 to 24 months.
And because of our understanding of the Asian
market, the same candidate has come to us to
map out future projects and help recruit new
teams,” says David Foster-Key, Hydrogen.
Conversely, a lack of relationship can
often switch off candidates seeking
specialised roles. This year our survey
It’s getting more
difficult to find
the right people
so we often rely
on headhunters
and recruitment
agencies. We
need candidates
with good quali-
fications from a
reputable univer-
sity, the right work
experience, and
realistic salary
expectations, as
well as long-term
ambitions and
motivations
aligned to our
company
Kate Poole
HR manager
“
”
23. 2222
found that the proportion of respond-
ents who found their current job through
a social network had decreased 7%, and
from response to an advert by 4%.
“Social media opens up the worldwide
candidate population, enabling companies
to engage in a two-way dialogue with a truly
global population. The size of this audience
introduces its own challenges: information
overload; identifying those who would be will-
ing to move; and understanding their unique
career motivations. Targeted headhunting and
social media campaigns work in parallel to
find the right candidates whereas advertis-
ing offers a one way relationship – companies
expect the right person to respond to the
advert, often with remuneration as the only
motivation” says Ian Temple, CEO, Hydrogen.
“My Hydrogen consultant is by far the
best I have worked with over my career. He
helped me negotiate the right package and
incorporate German lessons for me and my
wife, as well as support with accommoda-
tion and moving,” says Kia Balali-Mood
who moved from the UK to Germany.
In line with last year’s findings, the speed of
placement is getting faster. This year 77%
of those currently abroad found their job in
less than six months and 40% took less than
one month. This highlights again the role
that recruiters play. Good agencies will only
contact candidates who have the necessary
experience and only present clients with
professionals who are qualified for the role
and willing to relocate to the destination.
“Because we talk at length to potential candi-
dates we know where they are willing to go and
what they are capable of doing. Sometimes we
headhunt professionals who are not looking
for a new opportunity. It’s only after a number
of conversations about the role and location,
when we feel our candidate is really excited
about the job, that we put them forward for an
opportunity,” says Becky Morgan, Hydrogen.
37%
25%
14%
12% 9%
3%
Headhunted /
recruitment
consultancy
Employer
directly
Advertisement
Friend /
colleague
Other
Social
networks
40%
37%
11%12%
Lessthanamonth
1-5months
6-12months
Morethanayear
How professionals found
their job abroad
Time taken
to find a job
abroad
24. 23
Professional level
22% Senior Manager
15% Junior Manager
27% Employee
21% Consultant
6% Self-employed
8% Director
1% Board level
AX
The Hydrogen ‘Global professionals on the move’
report is based on the results of a major online survey
that ran in early 2015 and attracted 2,051 responses
from professionals in 99 different countries working
largely across oil and gas, pharmaceutical and life
sciences, finance, technology, consulting, legal,
power and marketing 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.
18% of respondents were from the UK, with the
remainder from across Europe, Asia, America and the
Middle East.
The respondents ranged from young to senior
professional employees, earning an average of USD
76k - 125k. 94% had a bachelor degree (equivalent) or
above.
78% were aged between 31 and 60 years old.
The gender breakdown of the respondents was 72%
male and 28% female.
42% of respondents were already overseas and 25%
had returned from working abroad.
Survey
breakdown
Appendix
25. 24
Gross annual income level (USD)
Age
Education
Less than $25k
$26k - $75k
$76k - $125k
$126k - $175k
$176k - $225k
Greater than $226k
Declined to comment
Under 20yrs
21 - 30yrs
31 - 40yrs
41 - 50 yrs
51 - 60yrs
61+ yrs
High school
Bachelor degree
Masters degree
MBA
PhD
Other professional qualification
5%
1%
6%
29%
34%
7%
9%
15%
15%
35%
26%
17%
6%
24%
21%
16%
11%
10%
13%
99countries 2,051respondents
Number of countries that responded to survey Number of respondents to survey
26. 25
Hydrogen is a global recruiter solving
the talent shortages of some of the
world’s leading organisations. We
make it our business to understand
our clients and their markets, advis-
ing them on their resourcing needs,
whether for a highly specialised role or
to meet large scale requirements aris-
ing from a project within their business.
Hydrogen’s success is built on the
ability of our consultants to find
experienced, high quality profession-
als no matter where they are in the
world. We form lasting relationships
with our candidates, having a positive
impact throughout their career.
www.hydrogengroup.com
ESCP Europe, established in 1819,
is the world’s first business school,
educating generations of leaders,
thinkers and entrepreneurs. With five
campuses in Paris, London, Berlin,
Madrid and Torino, ESCP Europe of-
fers a unique style of cross-border,
multi-cultural business education,
combined with a global perspective
on international management issues.
www.escpeurope.eu
With thanks to the ESCP Europe project
team who conducted the survey;
Alev Hicsonmez Kilic (pro-
ject tutor), Juan Alonso
Francesco Gnesutta, Capucine
Le Guen, Carmelo Sciortino
—
For more information please contact
Annabelle Crosbie-Dawson at Hydrogen
acd@hydrogengroup.com
or +44 (0)20 7002 0000
25
