Accountants have revealed that purpose, not pay, is the defining factor in how they make career decisions, chose employers and measure their own success.
ACCA’s fourth Global Talent Trends Survey found 54% of UK finance professionals want roles that ‘make a difference’, ones that have real social impact. Some 47% said they want their job to help address the environmental and climate challenges we face.
Many are already on that journey, with one in three telling researchers their current role is helping their employer understand the challenges of climate change and environmental reporting.
ACCA believes the shift reflects the fundamental change in how UK finance professionals now understand their value and potential. No longer content to be the scorekeepers of business performance, today’s accountants want to help their organisations define what performance means – balancing profit with ethics, environmental responsibility and social value.
This evolution is particularly pronounced among younger professionals. Two-thirds (63%) say an employer’s reputation on social and human rights is a key factor influencing where they choose to work.
ACCA stresses that for the next generation of finance talent, purpose is not a ‘nice-to-have’, it is a baseline expectation.
The implications for employers are significant, with 49% of respondents expecting their next career move to take them outside their current workplace. And, with 48% dissatisfied with their current level of pay, organisations that cannot offer meaningful work alongside competitive pay face a compounding retention problem.
Glenn Collins, Head of Technical and Strategic Engagement at ACCA UK, said: “What this survey tells us is that finance professionals in the UK are no longer willing to separate their technical expertise from the broader impact of their work. The opportunity for employers is to harness that and to position their finance function not just as a reporting engine, but as a driver of social value.”
Other report findings include:
- Changing demographics mean there could be up to six generations in the finance workforce – but a third say current cross-generational collaboration is a challenge. Some 62% of baby boomers (aged 62+) want the value of older employees recognised.
- Entrepreneurial ambitions burn brightly for Gen Z (aged 18-27) at 50% – including 32% of females.
- 47% say their mental health suffered due to work pressures causing mental health progress to flatline this year.
- Gen Z lead return-to-office momentum (67%), but hybrid working arrangements remain the preference of most.
