BSA 2024 Internal Audit Salary Guide v3 SPREADS - Flipbook - Page 4
04
Permanent recruitment trends
After almost unprecedented levels of hiring activity
in 2021 and 2022, the internal audit, assurance and
controls recruitment market has come off the boil
over the last 12 months.
While there continues to be relatively robust demand
for skilled internal auditors across most sectors,
the frenetic recruitment that occurred in the early
post-pandemic years has since made way for more
measured and prudent hiring.
“There certainly are still audit jobs out there, but not in
the same volumes as 2021 and 2022. The economic
headwinds last year caused recruitment budgets
to tighten and candidates became more reluctant
to switch roles as the potential scenario of a recession loomed,” says Russell Bunker, Director of Barclay
Simpson’s Audit Division.
Demand across the commerce and industry sectors
remains strong, as does hiring within internal controls
teams. It has been considerably quieter for the
banking sector though, with a notable dip in internal
audit, assurance and controls jobs at 昀椀nancial
services 昀椀rms throughout 2023.
Despite a lull in hiring activity compared with
previous years, employers continue to face dif昀椀culties in 昀椀nding the right talent. An overwhelming 97%
of organisations say they are struggling to source
skilled candidates, of which 47% claim the current
market is ‘very challenging’.
Salary expectations remain the biggest hurdle, with
two-thirds (66%) of employers citing it as a factor
preventing them from hiring. This 昀椀gure has dropped
from 77% in our previous salary guide, which is
perhaps to be expected now that the dizzying salary
growth of 2021 and 2022 has subsided.
