When recruiting across Europe, the skills and experience of candidates can differ greatly. For more detailed information, please call Steve McCann on 020 7936 2601 sm@barclaysimpson.com, but here’s a quick overview of how qualifications and work patterns can vary in different European countries:
Germany
(internal audit jobs, interne revision stellenangebote, interne revision jobs, interne bilanz stellenangebote, interne bilanz jobs, revision stellenangebote, revision jobs)
German candidates tend to have plenty of experience of international clients and, in general, have higher levels of English compared to similar level candidates from France, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.
They tend to be organized, committed and very serious about the recruitment process and are willing to relocate more than they used to be – especially candidates with 3-5 years experience, who often prefer to relocate internationally than within Germany itself. However, most German candidates are not keen on more than 50-75% international travel.
German candidates typically have a strong technical skill-set. The German audit qualification is the Wirtschaftsprüfung (WP). This exam is usually sat by those candidates wanting to climb up the public accounting ladder to Partner level and is not a common qualification on CVs. More and more Germans are now studying for the US CPA qualification, often having spent some time in the US. IT Auditors tend to be CISA qualified.
German candidates tend to have a 3-month notice period, which can be 3 months to the end of the quarter. This means that in the worst-case scenario, candidates may not be available for 6 months, though notice periods can be flexible.
France
(internal audit jobs, un poste en Audit interne)
Many of the French candidates we recruit come from the Paris area and have worked with large international clients. However, they are not always willing to relocate and high travel can be an issue. French candidates with 2-4 years experience are the most likely to be geographically mobile.
The accountancy qualification in France is the DECF or DESCF, which only a small percentage of candidates tend to possess. This is partly because French candidates from Business Schools are often more favoured than those from University, as the business schools provide a better, all-round education with more commercial exposure and international working methods. Nearly all French IT Audit candidates have a CISA or equivalent qualification.
The normal notice period for French candidates is 3 months, which is often negotiable.
Netherlands
(internal audit jobs, interne controle baan)
Despite the fact that they are excellent linguists, generally with near perfect English, as well as speaking a number of other languages fluently, such as German and French, Dutch candidates are not as committed to high levels of travel.
They do, however, tend to have very good technical skills, due in part to the Dutch accountancy qualification, which they have to have: Dutch accountants must pass a qualifying exam and as a result, most Dutch candidates are over 30 years old before their training is complete.
The average notice period for candidates based in the Netherlands is 2 to 3 months.
Luxembourg
(internal audit jobs, un poste en Audit interne, interne revision stellenangebote, interne revision jobs, interne bilanz stellenangebote, interne bilanz jobs, revision stellenangebote, revision jobs)
Candidates from Luxembourg benefit from a highly advantageous tax structure, which can be a problem when trying to relocate candidates.
They tend to have a strong technical skill-set, particularly within the financial services sector. There are only a few multi-national commerce and industry companies in Luxembourg, so candidates are often limited in their experience outside of the financial services sector.
Candidates in Luxembourg tend to be qualified by experience and don’t obtain a formal qualification. Notice periods are normally between 2 to 3 months.
Spain & Italy
(internal audit jobs, intervencion interna trabajo, verifica interna lavoro)
Candidates from Spain and Italy have good skills and are generally willing to relocate and consider opportunities requiring high amounts of travel. That said, their English language skills are not always as strong as candidates from other European countries, though this does depend on the type of secondments they may have had and their travelling / educational experience.
Candidates from Mediterranean countries do not usually have a formal accountancy qualification. However, a small percentage do obtain the “Dottore Commercialista”, the Italian accountancy qualification.
Mediterranean candidates often only have notice periods of 2 weeks to 1 month.
Eastern Europe
(internal audit jobs, rewizja praca, zajęcie, zamówienie, posada, sprawa, interes, zawód, audit námezdní nabídka)
Eastern European candidates usually come from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland & Romania and are generally very flexible with regards to travel and relocation. Their backgrounds are often Big 4 with good experience of international clients.
These candidates tend to have a higher level of English than their Mediterranean counterparts and are also more likely to have an accountancy or audit qualification. They tend to speak several languages, often including quite good levels of German.
Most of these candidates tend to have the ACCA qualification and notice periods are usually 1-2 months.
For more information on international qualifications in corporate governance or to discuss recruitment needs, please call Steve McCann on 020 7936 2601, sm@barclaysimpson.com
