QATAR will overtake sluggish European funds to become the largest real estate investor in the world this year, according to a report by property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle out yesterday.The country has emerged as a global powerhouse in property, and will become the top source of overseas capital in 2010, says the report.“Cash-rich and with a strong appetite for splashy overseas assets, Qatari vehicles have lately outshined their counterparts from the region and are projected to carry on with their rapid expansion across the real estate world” the report said.Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the Qatari state, bought Harrods last month for £1.5bn and owns a large stake in Canary Wharf property firm Songbird. The report predicts high profile purchases across Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.

The International Monetary Fund expects the Qatari economy to expand by 18.5 per cent this year, on the back of increased gas and oil exports. It has enjoyed average economic growth of 17.4 per cent over the last five years.Qatar’s prominence in the property market is aided by a slowdown in real estate activity from German funds, which were among the largest global investors in 2009.“Qatar is the epitome of energy-rich Gulf nations, with a large appetite for real estate,” the report said.

Accountancy Graduates on the Increase

Figures recently released by the Big Four reveal an unprecedented level of interest from graduates and school leavers this year.

Over the last five years, despite the global economic crisis, the number of applications for graduate roles at PwC, for instance, has more than tripled from around 7,000 to over 22,000. Although the number of graduate places offered by the firm has increased by around 17% during this time period, there are still only 1100 available, so competition is intense.

Gaenor Bagley, Head of People at PwC, has stated that the industry needs a solid pipeline of talent to attain the growth rates expected for the sector - she is confident that PwC's investment through the downturn has paid off and will positively impact the firm's growth plan.

PwC's chairman, Ian Powell, has spoken to the Telegraph on the subject and described the tricky situation of having to interview nearly 7,000 candidates. The sheer number will mean that a lot of people have to be eliminated on paper. So Powell is fearful of losing some diversity of background and experience from those joining the firm.

Deloitte has responded to the overall increase in demand by offering one of the largest numbers of places for graduates it now totals 1200, which is almost 10% up on 2011.

KPMG has also benefited from the surge in graduate interest - the firm has received 21,000 applications for its graduate scheme, which offers 650 spaces. This figure is up significantly from 18,500 last year. At the same time, prospective candidates for its school-leaver programme increased from 1200 last year to 1900   for only 150 positions.

Ernst & Young is in a similar situation with its school-leaver training scheme   the firm is almost doubling the number of places available on the scheme from 80 to 150 due to increased demand, with applications up 25% on last year. Additionally, graduate job applications at the firm are up an incredible 140%, making the chances of securing a place slimmer than ever before.

Stephen Isherwood, the head of graduate recruitment, said the firm had received four applications for every place on the graduate trainee scheme - so students should get organised and start applying if they want to get their dream job secured after university. He added that the firm's applications were opened three months earlier than two years ago and places were already starting to fill up.

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Following the last few years of economic uncertainty, all eyes have been on the financial markets to do well and so far this summer the markets are indeed looking good. And despite the initial backlash caused by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's decision to begin scaling back asset purchases from September this year, the short-term prospects are looking better and any panic seems to be subsiding.

It seems that this summer's numbers have shown that share prices have been at a significant high compared to the last few years and it seems as though they might well stay at these levels. This appears to be good news for a number of different sectors and, of course, the future job market.

The bond market in particular appears to be doing well once again, having grown slowly over the last year. With an even stronger bond market predicted both in Europe and the US for 2014, this is good news for everyone. With people's interest in bonds growing each month, the prices of the bonds themselves are expected to slowly lower, which in turn will make them more attractive for investors at all levels.

The positive financial news is being seen throughout many countries around the world, with the US seeing a vast improvement in its economy over the last year. It is still early days, of course, but the upturn is slowly gathering pace, driven mainly by a stronger housing market and a slowly recovering labour market. In Europe the signs are good too and as 2013 continues the eurozone economy is stabilising. Predictions for the future are that we could see even more positive growth from as early as the second half of 2013.

Boosted by the growing confidence in the economies of its trading partners, it seems the UK's economy is also starting to strengthen. Though the recovery is likely to be a slow one, recent surveys of British business owners and managers show that there is rising confidence about the future, which is good news for the previously precarious job market. With this renewed confidence in a stronger economy, more investment is already going into attracting the right staff for companies and creating new jobs and opportunities across the country. Although this recovery may indeed be a slow one, the news that it is happening is very welcome and can only mean good things to come for recruitment in the UK.

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One fascinating aspect of the tech industry is the direction of start-up founders who have already generated vast fortunes at a young age. What do they do next? Simply, they keep working.

Research suggests that these tech superstars are driven to achieve more, and they are often driven by far more than simple money. This phenomenon is shown in the film The Social Network, in which Facebook backer and Napster founder, Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake), announces that a million dollars isn't anything special ? what's really cool is a billion.

Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, is a prime example. Already a billionaire, he came to Silicon Valley to change the world with his coding skills and grand visions of an online social platform. Similar stories are told of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders of Google, and it will no doubt happen to Twitter's founders.

The tech billionaires' decision to keep working after their stock-market windfalls is actually not too different from financiers and investment bankers  who also tend to simply keep working in a bid to continue their success. And yet their successes are flaunted in conspicuous ways, from sports cars and custom-made suits to lavish holidays and expensive markers of wealth. For Silicon Valley's millionaires, the flaunting of wealth is far more uncommon. As often as not, they are using their money to create new technologies or to invest in the next entrepreneur's start-up idea.

One of Google's multi-millionaires, Scott Hassan, explains this trend perfectly when he says that a person can only buy 'so many shiny things'. He says that Silicon Valley's start-up founders are often engineers and never lose their desire to keep building something new, even if they have already earned enough to retire in luxury.

Many of the newly wealthy went back to work to start up new companies. Hassan himself set up a robotics incubator for engineers who specialise in the field of telepresence robotics. He explained that he was passionate about building a new company that could affect the world. Start-up founders are driven by that need to keep building new things, often from nothing at all. This is often a different kind of person than a successful investment banker.

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Analysts have expressed concern and confusion about the new Help to Buy scheme

The Northern Irish and Scottish governments don't charge interest on these equity shares. In England a 1.75pc charge is applied after five years, growing with inflation annually afterwards.

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Pawnbrokers Albemarle & Bond Appoint Business Transformation Expert

Ailing pawnbrokers Albemarle & Bond have appointed Colin Whip business transformation expert, to turn around their fortunes and get the business back on track. Whip is a Fellow of the Institute for Turnaround and joins as Chief Restructuring Officer following various positions with household names that include Procter & Gamble and Scholl.

At the same time, the business has appointed a new CEO, Chris Gillespie. Both will get to work immediately to reassure lenders and shareholders alike that they can turn around the struggling business. In a further change, Greville Nicholls reverts to his previous role in the business of non-executive chairman.

Dropping gold prices and rising competition have left the business adrift and needing to extend debts, having failed to secure additional finance to avoid breaches of covenants if a solution is not found by the end of this month. The share price plummeted to 36p from a 52-week high of 266p, although it is showing small signs of recovery in the light of Whip and Gillespie's appointments ? it has risen back to 45p.

From its lowly origins as a single shop 30 years ago in Bristol, Albemarle & Bond has grown and now has more than 140 stores nationwide. Now a major UK pawnbroker and buyer of gold and second-hand jewellery, they were at risk if gold prices fluctuated much, and indeed the shine has come off the business. This is despite the current economic climate and the business having diversified into offering cheque-cashing and short-term loans. The high-risk strategy of opening 25 new stores last year coincided with the gold price peaking, and with the current focus on pay-day loans and potential new legislation there are difficulties ahead.

Whip has an Impressive Record in Business Transformation

The two appointments mark the start of a new chapter for the firm. Whip has an impressive track record in delivering financial change in consumer-facing businesses. His experience covers both the public and private sectors, in both commercial and financial roles.

Gillespie's background is built on solid financial-services experience with companies such as Barclays, Bradford & Bingley and Provident Financial.

Whip will be looking to get going straightaway. As a Fellow of the Institute of Turnaround, no doubt he will be looking to personify the institute's goal of professionalising the business transformation. Appointing someone with his evident expertise should prove to be a shrewd move for Albemarle & Bond, particularly if he can create a turnaround that proves to be socially useful, as members of the IFT should.

Written by David Archer of Circle Square - Investment Banking Recruitment 

Related posts: Banking Industry Transformation Looks Likely    Finance Sector puts Reputation First

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Chief of IMF Voices Concerns over US Default Causing Recession

World Bank News

Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank, has also issued warnings about the potential consequences of the situation and the threat of recession. He has expressed his concern that the US is only a few days away from a potentially very damaging situation.

The bank's president was eager for the policy makers in the US to reach some kind of agreement over the debt ceiling before the deadline warning, that a failure to do so could be a 'disastrous event' and cause global recession.

He expressed his concern over a potential drop in growth and confidence and a rise in interest rates, and he had particular worries about the developing world. 

International finance ministers don't believe that the US will default, but there is a general uneasiness about the potential impact of the crisis and the looming threat of recession.

After the White House rejected a deal for a short-term increase to the borrowing limit, it is now a race to reach an agreement. The partial shutdown of the US government has been in place since they failed to pass a budget and has meant thousands of federal employees have been sent home.

The shutdown could be costing the government dearly, with an estimate from the US Treasury Secretary suggesting that it could be shaving 0.25% off economic growth with every week it continues.

Written by David Archer of Circle Square - Financial Jobs London / Accountancy Jobs London

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If the move towards shared services had a higher profile then the unions would protest, the media would criticise and the academics would find flaws. The sea of change around the way large organisations are now structuring themselves and outsourcing key services such as HR, IT, procurement and finance is happening very discreetly. Part of the reason why the change has been fairly gradual is because it's taken big organisations a long time to wake up to the advantages.

Shared Services a Cost Saving Solution

The Benefits of Shared Services Have Been Understated

A Common Perception is that Shared Services are Bad 

Despite this research has found little wrong with the shared services because it combines market principles with in-house control. Service providers can act in a dynamic and entrepreneurial way but are still accountable to the host organisation in the knowledge that if they get it wrong, they could lose the contract.

Shared-service agreements have generally been set up over time and their effect has also been gradual. However, they are changing the way companies operate, improving processes and enabling more communication between different areas of the business to ensure the organisation is far more joined up. It also enables companies to concentrate on their core business.

The Government is Encouraging Outsourcing to the Private Sector

Such is the effect of shared services that the government is now urging public bodies to go down this route by outsourcing to the private sector. It is encouraging hospitals, police forces and schools to set up shared-service arrangements. Whether they too can manage to outsource their recruitment or finance departments quite so quietly is another question.

Written by Victoria Campbell of Circle Square - Finance Jobs London / Accountancy Jobs London

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With glimmers of hope for the UK economy starting to appear, CFOs need to begin planning for the future. Many companies aren't making huge moves to expand or invest, but what areas should they be concentrating on?

Maintaining Cash Flow

It's important to keep cash within the business. Funding is still hard to come by, particularly from traditional lenders, so keeping money in the business is essential. Ensure you don't reach credit limits and that your business will still be able to operate if interest rates increase.

Ensure Good Returns

Many businesses have been putting money aside since the downturn so that they rely less on credit. As they've not been investing, large amounts remain in company bank accounts. It's crucial that you consider how these funds should be invested whether that's making acquisitions or continuing to save. If you're holding on to the money you need to find a good interest rate. For large investments, the money should be spread across different banks in case one goes under.

Large Debts

Lots of companies took on too much debt during the good years and are now struggling with this burden. They're often referred to as 'zombie companies', as they've got little chance of paying off the debts. The loans may have been sold to new lenders who will look to restructure the company's finances and agree new payment plans.

The Eurozone

Prepare for the Future

Global Markets

More companies are looking beyond Europe for their next growth market. For this you need to think about the different approaches you may need to adopt, based on financial restrictions or local customs. Approaching new markets through a local partner or franchise model could be options.

The Real Cost of Sick Days

UK Staff Take Almost Double the Sick Days of US Workers

The survey results showed that staff in the UK take off 9.1 days on average every year for sick days. This is almost double the time that US workers take off, at 4.9 days a year for sickness absence. It is also four times as much sick leave as staff in the Asia Pacific region, who take 2.2 days. It is also higher than in the rest of Western Europe, where the average is 7.3 days.

In fact, sick day absence equates to around 90pc of UK business's bill for absence overall, which includes figures for industrial absence, compassionate leave and other reasons.

The Overall Cost for Sick Days Has Risen Too

The trend may be improving very slightly, with unscheduled absences in the UK dropping to 9.8 in 2013, compared to 10.1 days two years ago. However, the figures attributed to sickness have risen to 9.1 days this year, from 8.7 in 2011. At the same time, the overall cost of those sick days has risen too, accounting for  28.8 billion of the country's overall  31.1 billion bill for workplace absence.

Finance Drain for UK's Business

The PwC lead for HR consulting, Jon Andrews, said that absence still led to a big resource and finance drain for the UK's businesses, particularly at a time when companies should be striving for growth. Businesses need to find ways to improve staff morale, motivation and health to improve the figures potentially by increasing workplace flexibility to cut back on the sickness cycle.

He pointed to forward-thinking businesses that were investing in their health and wellbeing provision for staff to tackle the issue at its roots, before its effects began to hit the bottom line. This is particularly important for SMEs and start-ups, where absence costs can be particularly challenging.

Workforce Demographics Playing a Part

Another challenge is the change in workforce demographics, with the overall staff profile ageing as more people are forced to work for much longer before they are able to retire. This means that businesses that fail to take steps to address the issue now are likely to see escalating sickness levels.

In terms of different industries, the sector with the lowest sickness record was the technology sector with an average of 3.4 days a year, which three times lower than the 11.1 recorded for public-sector workers.

Written by Rachael Clarke of Circle Square - Financial Recruitment

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