UK WorKersOppOrtunities AbOund

People take pride in being from the UK. Even when they move away for work, a part of them longs to come back.

Most prefer not to leave in the first place. Fewer than 44 percent of Britons say they would be willing to move abroad for work, one of the lowest proportions of any coun-try in the world, according to a survey by BCG and Totaljobs, an employment website that is part of The Network. Only Americans (with 35 percent willing to work abroad) are less enthusiastic about the prospect of taking a job abroad. The survey drew on responses from job seekers in 189 countries. (See Exhibit 1.)

To some extent, Britons may be encour-aged to stay by clear signs that one of the longest recessions in memory is finally over. Unemployment in the UK as of mid-2014 fell to 6.4 percent, the lowest level since late 2008, according to the country’s Office for National Statistics. The recovery is also getting the attention of foreigners, increasing the consideration

they give to the UK as a possible work des-tination.

Among British willing to work abroad, the preference is for English-speaking countries with which they have strong cultural ties, such as the U.S., and Commonwealth coun-tries like Canada and Australia. British workers also have an interest in EU coun-tries with which their nation has flexible work agreements, including Germany, France, and Spain. (See Exhibit 2.) To a greater or lesser degree, these countries all provide Britons with the opportunity to broaden their personal experience, which is the number one motivation for British workers interested in moving abroad. (Ex-hibit 3.)

The most important workplace attribute for people in the UK is good relationships with colleagues. In this, the British are very like workers elsewhere in the EU. For in-stance, workers in Austria, Denmark, Ger-many, and Switzerland also put good rela-tionships with colleagues first. The only

The Boston Consulting Group • The Network | UK Workers 2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

32%

25%

25%

23%

23%

22%

21%

19%

18%

18%

61%

61%

59%

58%

57%

55%

53%

53%

52%

50%

Portugal

Israel

Barbados

Romania

Jamaica

France

Ghana

Finland

Croatia

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Canada

Germany

Australia

France

New Zealand

Italy

Switzerland

Ireland

Spain

Countries in which the largest number of people would move to the UK for work

Countries to which the largest number of Britons would move for work

Source: 2014 BCG/The Network proprietary web survey and analysis.Note: Total sample size was 203,756; the number of respondents in the UK was 6,363.

Exhibit 2 | Who Would Work in Britain and Where the British Would Work

World-wide203,756

NoImpartial/not sureYesStrong yesAlready living abroad

Strong no

38%8%

0%

47%

4%1%

2%Unemployed

Self-employed/freelance

StudentIntern/apprentice

Employed

RetiredNot working

for other reasons

61%39%

Male

Single without children

Single with dependent children

Single with independent

children

Couple without children

Couple with dependent

children

Couple with independent

children

29%

5%9%

18% 18% 20%

Female

13%

87%NoYes

UK is home country

None/other

Secondary qualifications

Further educational qualifications

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s/other postgraduate qualification

Doctorate/other advanced degree

Manualworker

15%

Skilledworker

18%

Officeworker

23%

Lowermanagement

18%

Middle management

17%

Owner/senior management

9%

60 705040302010

Not looking for a new job at the moment

Not actively looking for a job, but open to opportunities

Actively looking for a new job

GenderSample size

Marital status

Position in the job hierarchy

Employment statusAge distribution

Current living situation

Education

Willingness to work abroad

Job-seeking status

8%

23%

37%

17%

14%1%

17%2%

80%

United Kingdom6,363

13%

14%

15%

16%17%

25%

Source: 2014 BCG/The Network proprietary web survey and analysis.Note: Because of rounding, not all percentages add up to 100.

Exhibit 1 | Breakdown of UK Survey Participants by Demographic Factors

The Boston Consulting Group • The Network | UK Workers 3

non-EU G20 country where good relation-ships with colleagues ranks first is Nigeria, according to the survey.

Perhaps because of the rough stretch the UK has gone through since 2008, the Brit-ish do tend to worry about job security, ranking it the fifth most important work-place attribute. (See Exhibit 4.) That re-flects more concern over the possibility of job loss than in any other European coun-try except Spain, which has an unemploy-ment rate far higher than Britain’s.

In terms of its appeal to inbound workers, the UK ranks second in the world, with 37 percent of job seekers globally saying they would consider moving there. That is be-hind only the U.S., considered as a possible

work destination by 42 percent of global job seekers. The UK is especially appealing to people from other EU countries, such as Portugal, Romania, France, and Croatia, and also to people in Commonwealth countries, including Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. People in Common-wealth countries enjoy a simplified work-permit process and a shared language with the UK.

There are a few overarching reasons for the UK’s popularity as a work destination. One is its heritage of accepting people from a variety of cultures and back-grounds. A second is its political stability. And a third is the legacy of the 2012 Olym-pics, a hugely successful mega-event that burnished London’s already great reputa-

British workers All workers

37%

44%

49%

49%

51%

51%

55%

56%

56%

64%

18%

56%

55%

45%

59%

65%

54%

53%

58%

65%

Broaden personal experience

1

2

3

An overall attractive job offer

4

5

6

Ability to live in a different culture

7

For the challenge

8

9

10

Better climate

Acquire work experience

Meet people/build new networks

Better career opportunities

Improved salary prospects

Better standard of living

Source: 2014 BCG/The Network proprietary web survey and analysis.Note: The number of respondents in the UK was 6,363; multiple answers were allowed.

Exhibit 3 | Reasons Why the British Would Work Abroad

The Boston Consulting Group • The Network | UK Workers 4

tion as a center for business, culture, and global leadership.

Indeed, London beat every other city in the survey as a work destination, with almost one in every six foreign job seekers saying they would consider relocating there. That is considerably more than the proportion who mentioned New York or Paris, and more than the number of mentions for Sydney, Madrid, and Berlin combined.

London’s reputation is one of the things the British are proudest of, and even when peo-ple born in Britain find themselves living and working abroad, they often continue to identify with London. Philip Webb, who left his native England when he was a child and is now an IT manager in Toronto, is an example. “I’ve got a family here in Canada, I’ve made a life and career here, and I in-tend to stay here,” says Webb, 43. “Still, it’s hard for me not to call England, to call Lon-don, home. If somebody says, ‘What’s your hometown?’ I always say London.”

Work environmentCompensation package

Rank in the UK

Rank worldwide

Company reputation and imageJob content and opportunities

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

5

4

3

10

1

2

7

9

14

8

Good relationships with colleagues

Good work-life balance

Good relationships with superiors

Appreciation for your work

Job security

Company’s financial stability

Interesting job content

Company values

Learning and career development

Attractive fixed salary

Source: 2014 BCG/The Network proprietary web survey and analysis.Note: Total sample size was 203,756; the number of respondents in the UK was 6,363

Exhibit 4 | Workplace Factors That Matter Most to the British

For Further Information If you would like to discuss the results of this research or obtain further insights about the UK results, please contact Rainer Strack (strack.rainer@bcg.com), Carsten von der Linden (vonderlinden.carsten@bcg.com), or Nick South (south.nick@bcg.com) of BCG; Mike Booker (mike.booker@the-network.com) of The Network; or Mark Little (mark.little@totaljobsgroup.com) of Totaljobs.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep in sight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable compet itive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 81 offices in 45 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.

The Network is a global alliance of more than 50 leading recruitment websites, committed to finding the best talent in over 130 countries. Founded in 2002, The Network has become the global leader in online recruitment, serving more than 2,000 global corporations. We offer these corporations a single point of contact in their home countries, and allow them to work in a single currency and with a single contract—while giving them access to a global workforce. The recruitment websites in The Network attract almost 200 million unique visitors each month. For more information, please visit www.the-network.com

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