A lot has been written about the pros and the cons of Brexit on the UK economy. My personal views here are particularly irrelevant (as a Kiwi that didn’t have a vote in the referendum), but where I am qualified to comment is on the effect that it’s been having on the global workforce of Salesforce Professionals that we work with every day.

My name is Nathan Masters & I’m a specialist Salesforce Recruiter. I moved from New Zealand to Bristol two years ago. Technology People, the business that I run, has offices in Australia & the UK,  & we help facilitate Salesforce professionals looking to migrate. Primarily, we move people from Australia & New Zealand to the UK and vice versa, however we also help people from both locations move to the USA as well.

Is the UK still an attractive destination for migrants ?

Absolutely. The desire from smart, proactive talent to head to the UK certainly hasn’t diminished at all.

Aside from the ability to do plenty of travelling while in the UK (where we come from its a long way to get to another country), it is the opportunity to work on global transformations that people from smaller countries simply don’t get the chance to participate in. The knowledge people can gain is huge and will benefit them and their future employers going forward.

We have noted that there seems to be a large amount of flexibility for employees, whether that means working from home one or two days a week through to starting at 9.30am versus having to battle the busy tube systems to get to the office by 8.30am (trust me an extra hour makes all the difference for those in London).

So has anything changed post Brexit ?

There is certainly a degree of concern about the future. We are fielding a lot of questions from people with “European Heritage” passport holders (Greece and Italy made up the No2 & No3 highest migration spots after the UK historically) about their long-term prospects in the UK, but this isn’t putting people off.

The other thing that has changed is the steep drop in the value in Stirling. The effect of this is to make the UK less attractive financially which has been (historically) one of the main drawcards attracting Aussies and Kiwi’s to the UK. This however has been somewhat offset by the lower costs of living in the UK. With many of Australia’s cities being listed in the Top 10 most expensive cities to live in the world (Sydney, second only to Hong Kong), even London looks like an economic place to live !

What are Salesforce professionals from Australia and New Zealand seeking from UK companies ?

Our feedback has shown that Kiwi’s and Aussies get the following from joining a UK / European based business:

• Access to what I think is an unbelievable ecosystem. There are so many Salesforce community events such as ‘London’s Calling’ through to the huge amount of Salesforce meet ups and user groups that get together.
• The ability to rub shoulders with Salesforce Architects and Salesforce Consultants that have knowledge and expertise that simply isn’t seen down-under.
• Ownership – by this I mean they are getting broader responsibilities and freedom that they have not received while working in either New Zealand and Australia. They are being ‘let loose’ or being trusted very early on with tasks / projects they would otherwise be shadowed on.
• Training and Development – given how competitive it is and the amount of opportunities they will get offered by competing firms, it is expected that their employers will allow them time to study for their Salesforce certifications and to pay for them to sit these Salesforce exams.

How do salaries compare between the major cities in the UK, Australia and New Zealand ?

If you were to speak to some of the Kiwis that have made the move to London, they will still have a smile on their face as their starting salaries are certainly higher than what they were back home.

The contract market in London is a mature market where Salesforce professionals can earn anything from £400 – £900 a day. For example, a proven Salesforce Developer can earn £500 per day which is close to around $875 NZD per day.

A proven Salesforce Developer joining a company in a permanent role can earn anything from $55,000 – £75,000 as a starting salary.

Just recently we have seen two well-known Salesforce Consultancies pay in excess of £160,000 as a starting salary to get two proven Salesforce Technical Architects (rumour has it) and that isn’t including bonuses / car allowances etc.

I know the Sydney Salesforce market is humming along and people can earn very, very well but there is a certain romance with London and being able to pocket a few extra UK pounds for the trip home!

Are more Salesforce Professionals looking to leave the UK post-Brexit ?

A life down under has long been a popular move for people coming from the UK. With 8+ months of sunny weather, amazing beaches and the chance for a backyard pool that doesn’t freeze solid in the winter, it’s a well-trodden path.

There was a surge of interest post the shock Brexit results but it has calmed. In saying that we are getting people contact us weekly on wanting to move to either Australia or New Zealand. The message we share with them is that these are great spots but be absolutely sure you are 110% comfortable leaving friends and family as it’s not like you can pop home for the weekend!

What you do get from living / working in those mentioned spots is a great culture change where you and your family can be at a beach eating Fish & Chips after work within 10-minutes versus being stuck on a tube for 45mins trying to get home!

Interestingly enough there has been a greater interest from those in North America wanting to escape the US post the Trump election…