The Annual Global Talent Survey of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) reveals that 73% respondents say a strong diversity and inclusion culture is a key factor in deciding to work at an organisation, as the talent decline continues with over half expecting their career next move to be external to their current employer.
This 2024 survey, which is a wake-up call for employers, provides a unique and vital view of how people feel about their life at work.
About 10,000 professional accountants from 157 countries including; South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe responded to questions about their concerns around work in the future as well as aspirations for their careers.
This survey which was released to the media by ACCA also assessed key workplace issues such as hybrid working, diversity, mobility, mental health, and the cost of living crisis.
After the findings, a number of key themes emerged from this year’s survey, they include, “73% believe that a strong diversity and inclusion culture would be a key factor in deciding to work at an organisation. Employers have more to do with diversity though as 41% of employees believe their organisation focuses more on certain aspects of diversity than others.
“Professional accountants have endless career opportunities with over half expecting their next move to be external to their organisation, making retention an ongoing puzzle for employers.
“Global economic strains continue to place huge pressure on talent attraction and retention. 58% will ask their employer for a pay rise in 2024 – but 50% believe they will have to leave their organisation to get one.
“Employers are excited by the opportunity AI offers with 78% believing it will enable finance professionals to add more value. But just over a third of employees are still concerned about its relentless pace of change.
“Mental health remains a major challenge with 57% saying their mental health suffers because of work pressures, and almost half still feeling their employer doesn’t consider mental health to be a priority.
“Hybrid working is slowly gaining traction, but big mismatches remain between what employees want and what employers demand. 76% of employees say it’s their preferred arrangement but many employers continue to insist on full-time office working arrangements. The survey reveals that 56% of employees in Nigeria are fully office-based while 41% are hybrid working (a mix of office and home-based working)”.
According to the Global Head of Skills, Sectors, Technology at ACCA, Jamie Lyon, “the shortage of talent and cost of meeting pay rise demands, together with the many job opportunities available to professional accountants, means that attracting and retaining talent presents a huge ongoing challenge for employers”
Lyon further stated that “it’s unsurprising that the number of respondents planning to move away from their organisations remains high, at 54% again this year. However, with 73% of respondents saying that a strong diversity and inclusivity culture is a key factor in choosing an employer, there’s a real opportunity for employers who are strong in this area to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.”