Over 78 per cent of Australian employees would move overseas to pursue a new career opportunity, according to a recent Employee Insights Survey conducted by leading international recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

When asked which factor would most influence them to move overseas, respondents cited better salaries (42 per cent), the opportunity to work for a larger company (17 per cent) and moving closer to family/friends (15 per cent). Europe was the most popular destination for an overseas move (37 per cent), followed by Asia (30 per cent) and the Americas (13 per cent).

According to Robert Walters’ Managing Director – Australia, James Nicholson, these figures indicate that employers will face increased challenges when it comes to securing and retaining top talent in an already candidate-short market.

“Organisations across all industries will face an acute skills shortage in 2011, which will be exacerbated by the desire of employees to pursue new opportunities overseas. As the war for talent intensifies, employers will need to increase their focus on developing effective retention strategies to avoid losing key employees.”

A survey of New Zealand workers also found that 78 per cent of employees would move overseas to pursue a new career opportunity. However, the reasons for moving differed slightly, with 55 per cent citing better salaries, followed by opportunities to travel (16 per cent) and gaining international experience (13 per cent). Australia was the most popular destination for an overseas move (36 per cent), followed by Europe (27 per cent) and the Americas (10 per cent).