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

Japan, 27th May 2024 – Hays, the global leader in workforce solutions and specialist recruitment investigated the latest trends driving accountancy and finance professionals today.
 
The 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide which surveyed 8,525 skilled professionals and 3,089 employers throughout Asia revealed that 35% of accountancy and finance professionals were seeking a change of organisation while remaining within the same role or industry. 31% of respondents sought a promotion or a change of role within their current company, while 43% were open to new opportunities.
 
“A desire for career advancement is the prime motivator for accountancy and finance employees to seek new opportunities today,” said Grant Torrens, Managing Director at Hays Japan. “With the availability of qualified candidates currently at a premium in Japan, hiring managers will need to focus on refining their acquisition and retention strategies to secure valuable talent ahead of the competition.”
 

Key Insights on Accountancy and Finance in 2024:

  • 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.
  • Increasing globalisation has increased the demand for high-level English speakers among the workforce.

 

2024’s Most In-Demand Accountancy and Finance Roles in Japan:

1. Senior FP&A Analyst

The role has increased in prominence due to demand for scenario planning and forecasting capability focusing on the need for quality financial analysis. Responsibilities include preparing forecasts, and providing insights to support strategic decision-making within an organization.
 

2. Financial Planning & Analysis Manager

Leading FP&A teams and working with global teams requires the ability to proactively work cross-functionally and cross-regionally to best deliver strategy from the finance perspective. With an ageing population and massive competition for bilingual talent across functions, the value of someone who can bring the region/global understanding of the Japan market is rising.
 

3. Senior Accountant

Experienced accountants are needed to accurately record the business actions and results leading to the foundation of financial planning. Responsibilities include overseeing and managing various accounting functions, including financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance.
 

4. Staff Accountant

A key foundational role for product-based companies tracking inventory and cost to provide accurate information to the business and maintain cashflow compliance.
 
More details regarding accountancy and finance trends and associated in-demand jobs in Japan can be found in The Inside Story of Accountancy & Finance 2024. Download the Hays’ report here.
 
About Hays Japan
Hays Specialist Recruitment Japan KK ("Hays Japan"), established in Tokyo in 2001, is one of the largest foreign recruitment companies in Japan with three offices across the country (Tokyo Head Office, Osaka and Yokohama).
At Hays Japan, our experts provide professional services across the private sector, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), Managed Service Programmes (MSP) and IT solutions in the following 13 specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Engineering, Marketing & Digital, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal, Life Sciences, Office Professionals, Property, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain and Technology. This ensures a highly focused, fully tailored specialist recruitment service, enabling us to power the future of work by serving thousands of companies and candidates in Japan. Hays Japan is recognised as a Great Place to Work® by the esteemed Great Place to Work® Institute Japan, the global authority on workplace culture. We continue to strengthen our position in Asia with the world-leading ISO 9001:2015 certification in all our operational markets including Japan, China, Hong Kong SAR, 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