The ideal length of time a candidate should spend in a role before they start searching, and inevitably moving jobs, has always been a topic of debate. It is, of course, subject to circumstance but it is generally accepted that you shouldn’t move “too soon” for fear of appearing somewhat noncommittal. This is applicable to those in Internal Audit, but if something better comes along or you feel that your current role isn’t right then you should seize the opportunity. We reached out to our network within Internal Audit, both Heads of department and our candidates, to discuss how the market feels about the stigma surrounding a short stint in a role.
Communicate Audit spoke to hiring managers across a range of sectors, who recruit internal auditors at varied levels of seniority, to question whether they would hire someone who had been in their previous role less than a year. The feedback was, as expected, mixed; all felt that for contract positions this wouldn’t be an issue, if not encouraged. Some hiring managers felt that this applied to permanent positions too – if the candidate was qualified and a good fit for their team and the wider company then it wasn’t a problem.
The majority (64%) indicated however that they would be hesitant to fill a permanent role with a candidate with a career history of being in roles fleetingly, as spending very little time in each role calls into question why the individual hasn’t remained a part of those businesses. The hiring managers we spoke with of this opinion, suggested it would be necessary for the candidate to provide sound reasoning for leaving their previous position(s) for them not to be considered a recruitment risk.
We asked our candidates (who had been in their respective current roles for on average a year and a half and were both active and passive job seekers) what would motivate them to make a move if approached. They cited reasons such as career progression, chance to gain industry experience, higher total remuneration, and the prospect of working for a reputable (in some cases FTSE listed) business. These motives were then put forward to our hiring managers and 82%  responded that they felt these were justifiable reasons for moving, would adequately explain short tenure in a role and they would therefore not be put off the candidate.
 
The majority of our clients felt diverse experience was a positive attribute for a candidate to have within Internal Audit. The exposure to roles of varying scope and responsibilities aids growth and the progression of your career, with some seeing it as a necessity to compete in the market. As long as every move is fully considered and enhances your profile, then it will benefit you professionally.
If you feel that you are ready to make your next move within internal audit then please get in touch with our team now at Nicholas.Edmonds@communicate-rs.com or call us on 020 3617 9730.