Singapore top destination for Japanese professionals: Robert Walters survey

International recruitment consultancy Robert Walters says that Asian destinations lead the way for Japanese nationals looking to pursue a career opportunity overseas. In a recent Employee Insight Survey with over 1,800 respondents, Singapore (16%) and Australia (14%) were the most desirable destinations, while China with its strong reported growth, only garnered 5% of interest.

Robert Walters found that 78% of workers feel overseas experience would be beneficial on a CV while only 4% disagree. The main motivators for a move abroad were predictably career progression (23%) and to gain international work experience (16%). For Japanese professionals, the ability to live in a foreign culture and lifestyle was a higher priority (16%) than its Asian neighbors on average (~12%).

Despite the March earthquake, views on working overseas remained unchanged (49%) compared to their views prior to March. For 30% of respondents, however, sentiment towards working abroad improved while the remaining 21% felt they were less likely to make a switch.

David Swan, managing director of Robert Walters Japan & Korea commented: “The globalization of business in Asia and Japan has meant that workers are now more mobile than ever. International transfers are no longer deemed lateral moves and global experience is increasingly becoming an essential attribute for success.”

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