4 IN 10 ACCOUNTANCY AND FINANCE PROFESSIONALS IN ASIA OPEN TO NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Hays reveals most in-demand roles companies in Hong Kong SAR are looking to fill today

The 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide which surveyed 8,525 skilled professionals and 3,089 employers throughout Asia revealed that 35.3% of accountancy and finance professionals were seeking a change of organisation while remaining within the same role or industry. 30.8% of respondents sought a promotion or a change of role within their current company, while 42.9% were open to new opportunities.

 

“Accountancy and finance professionals today are driven by a desire to advance in their careers,” said Sue Wei, Managing Director at Hays Greater China. “With fewer available roles in Hong Kong compared to qualified candidates, employees need to ensure their skillsets are updated to suit today’s business needs.”

In-Demand Accountancy and Finance Jobs in 2024: Key Insights

• Managing data today is a crucial skill. As the need for accurate analysis grows more pertinent, more candidates are expected to be familiar with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

• Workplace transformations brought about by the introduction of new technology will require talented change managers to ensure smooth transitions as businesses look to move away from legacy processes.

2024’s Most In-Demand Accountancy and Finance Roles in Hong Kong SAR

1. Finance Transformation Lead / Chief Financial Officer

Organisations in Hong Kong are actively undergoing transformation, requiring experienced finance professionals with a background in transformation, such as system implementation, leading cost-saving exercises, or restructuring to ensure a smooth transition.

2. Asia Pacific Auditor

The prevalence data and analysis has taken in today’s climate has spurred companies to seek proactive finance business partners who can help boost company performance. Talents with solid FP&A experience and stakeholder management skills are encouraged to apply.

3. Tax Manager / Director

Responsible for handling tax compliance for organisations, ensuring that a company adheres to regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal policies to maintain legal and ethical integrity in financial operations.

4. Treasury Manager / Director
Treasury managers ensure efficient financial operations, including cash flow, investments, and risk management. They monitor cash flow and optimise the cash needs for all daily operations and company development.

5. Internal Audit Manager / Director

There is a high demand for individuals with proficiencies in risk management, financial assurance, and ensuring organisational effectiveness. These skilled professionals can navigate complexities, ensuring the quality and clarity of financial reporting as well as effective operations.

6. Credit Controller
The demand for credit controllers stems from their pivotal role in maintaining financial stability, optimising debt management, and ensuring timely payments for businesses; a must for businesses looking to maintain good financial health.

7. Accounts Payable Manager

This role is responsible for optimising processes, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of payments, resolving payment discrepancies, maintaining vendor relationships, and improving the overall efficiency in accounts payable operations.

8. Financial Controller
As a senior leader in finance teams, this role oversees the financial activities and operations of an organisation. This includes managing financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis to ensure the organisation's financial health and compliance with regulations.

9. Commercial Manager

This role is responsible for overseeing the commercial activities and strategies of a company. This includes managing sales, marketing, procurement, and contract negotiations to maximise profitability and drive business growth.

10. Corporate Finance Manager / Director

As organisations increasingly look to expand business operations, this role has grown in importance. Corporate Finance Managers are responsible for managing the financial activities and strategies of a corporation. This includes overseeing financial planning, analysis, and reporting, as well as evaluating investment opportunities and capital allocation decisions.

The Hays 2024 Accountancy and Finance Inside Story explores challenges and opportunities leaders and professionals encounter in today’s dynamic business environment. Download the report here.

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About Hays Hong Kong SAR 

Hays Specialist Recruitment Hong Kong is the one of the leading specialist recruitment companies in Hong Kong SAR in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. 
Hays has been in Hong Kong SAR for over a decade and boasts a track record of success and growth. At Hays in Hong Kong SAR, we operate across the private and public sector, dealing in permanent and contracting positions, and workforce solutions such as recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and Managed Service Programmes (MSP) in the following specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Digital Technology, Engineering, Finance Technology, Human Resources, Information Technology, Insurance, Legal, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Office Professionals, Property, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sustainability and Sales. We continue to strengthen
our position in Asia with the world-leading ISO 9001:2015 certification in all our operational markets including Hong Kong SAR, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. 

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 31 December 2023, the Group
employed over 12,300 staff operating from 249 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2023:

– the Group reported net fees of £1,294.6 million and operating profit of £197.0 million;
– the Group placed around 76,800 candidates into permanent jobs and around 245,000 people into temporary roles;
– 15% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 30% in Germany, 21% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW);
– the temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees;
– Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (10%), are the next largest
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA