SALARY SURVEY 2013 - Robert Walters Singapore

TOKYOTOKYOACCOUNTING,FINANCE&AUDITCOMMERCE&INDUSTRYTOKYOACCOUNTING,FINANCE&AUDIT-COMMERCE&INDUSTRYACCOUNTING,FINANCE&AUDIT-COMMERCE&INDUSTRYRobertWaltersGlobalSalarySurvey2013305Ourcommerce&industrydivisionspecialisesinaccountingandfinanceroles,includingfinancialaccounting,financialplanningandanalysis,auditandtaxpositions.Werecruitatalllevels-fromjuniorstaffandjuniormanagementrolestoseniormanagementandC-levelpositions-onapermanentandcontractbasis,includingforinterimandproject-basedroles.MarketOverviewCommercialandindustrialcompaniescontinuedrelocatingtheiraccountingoperationsoverseasin2012astheysoughttoreducecosts.Althoughthisstreamliningactivityresultedinreduceddemandfortransactionalaccountants,financeprofessionalswithmorestrategicskillsetsweresought-afteringreatervolumes.Inparticular,demandforbilingualprofessionalswithexperienceinfinancialplanningandanalysis(FP&A)andbusinessplanningandanalysisincreasedin2012.ManyJapanesefirmswereincreasinglyseekingtheirfinancestafftoactasbusinesspartners,atendencymorecommoninWestern-styledcompanies.Asaresult,businessesfocusedonrecruitingfinanceprofessionalswithstronginterpersonalcommunicationskillsabletoworkcloselywithfrontofficesalesandmarketingteams.Thispreferenceforbusinesspartnerswasmostprevalentinrapidlygrowingindustriessuchasthepharmaceuticalandmedicaldevices.Wealsosawsomedemandfromfirmsutilisinganytypeofonlinemarketing,whichsoughtbusinessanalyststotracktheeffectivenessofcampaigns.Afterasustainedperiodoflimitedactivity,wesawsignificantdemandfortaxspecialists,rimarilydrivenbyanincreaseinthenumberandcomplexityoftaxlaws.Someconsumerbusinessesrecruitedtrilingualfinanceprofessionals,whichwasarecenttrendthatdevelopedinthemarket.ThesecandidatesweretypicallybasedinJapanandrequiredtoworkcloselywithChinesebusinessesandotheroverseasoffices.However,companieswereincreasinglypreparedtoconsiderChinesecandidatesforthesevacanciesduetoalackofsufficiently-skilledJapaneseprofessionalswithMandarinability.Ingeneral,thepoolofcandidatesinthisareaprovedextremelylimitedandweexpectthistoremainachallengeforcompaniesin2013.Manufacturerssoughtcostaccountantsatalllevelswithdirectsectorexperience.However,fewcandidatesnowpossesstheseskillsduetomanymanufacturingsitesbeingshiftedoverseas.ManyprofessionalswerealsounwillingtomovetomanufacturingfacilitiesastheseweregenerallylocatedoutsideofthemaincitiesinJapan,whichfurtherlimitedthenumberofpotentialcandidates.Thevolumeofjob-seekersincreasedslightlyasongoingrestructuringwithinlargeaccountingfirmsledmorefinanceprofessionalstoseeknewroles.ThegradualdeclineintransactionalaccountingopportunitieshasledyoungercandidatestoseekFP&Aexperience.Asaresult,weanticipateanincreaseinjobseekerswiththeseskills.ContractDuetosteadygrowthincommercialsectors,wesawconsistentdemandforcontractorsascompaniessoughtprofessionalstoassistwithprojectwork.Employerssoughtcandidatesinavarietyoftransactionalandstrategicroles,includingFP&A,accountspayable,accountsreceivableandfinancialcontrolpositions.Mostbusinessespreferredtohireprofessionalsonlong-termcontractsastheysoughttocontrolcosts,althoughwealsosawsomecandidateshiredonatemporary-to-permanentbasisforsimilarreasons.Fortheirpart,accountingprofessionalsbecamemoreinterestedincontractingthroughout2012duetofewerpermanentopportunitiesbecomingavailable.Firmsalsosoughtnisshobokiqualifiedaccountantswithbasicaccountspayableandreceivableexperiencetoassistwithtransactionalworkloads.Ratesgenerallyremainedstable,withnotableincreasesonlyevidentforseniorlevelinterimfinancialmanagersanddirectors.Outlookfor2013Withcompaniesscrutinisingheadcountin2013,weanticipatemanywillopttoextendtheirrecruitmentprocessestoensuretheysecurethestrongestcandidateavailable.However,qualifiedbilingualswillcontinuetobehighindemandandemployerswillneedtoactdecisivelytosecuretheseprofessionals.During2013,weexpectfirmstorecruitstrategicfinanceprofessionalsandqualifiedtaxspecialiststohelpbusinessesmaximiseprofits.Duetoincreasedfocusonbusinesspartnering,experiencedfinanceprofessionalswithstrongcommunicationskillswillcontinuetoreceiveseveraljoboffers.