Interim managers and umbrella company contractors may be planning to leave the UK in droves if the results of a recent survey by Russam GMS are to be believed.
According to the company’s annual International Interim Mark Report, just under 80% of foreign firms expressed a keen interest in employing interims from the UK.
The majority of the 500 interim managers who were questioned in the survey said that overseas companies were struggling to find local workers with the requisite skills and were now widening their search and looking to UK contractors to fill the gaps. Europe displayed the greatest demand for skilled umbrella company contractors, followed by the US. Canada comes in third place with Africa and the Middle East close behind.
Contractors in this country have it pretty good at the moment. Demand for their services at home continues to grow and now we see an increase in opportunities for those willing to work abroad. The lure of warmer climes, higher pay rates and the chance to get immersed in new cultures, might make working abroad seem like a very attractive option for many ambitious contractors.
Jason Atkinson, the MD of Russam Interim, explained that although the prospects in overseas interim markets are generally looking good, a lot of firms do not employ women in senior roles. He hopes this will change before long and women will find it easier to secure work abroad. Asian countries are less inclined to hire interims of either sex at present, but again the hope is that will change before much longer.
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