Global executives seek jobs in Turkey

Because of few prospects in finding a job during the global economic crisis, many international white-collar executives are orienting toward Turkey, a financial expert said.

With job opportunities, layoffs and alternative markets in Turkey, human resources companies are facing a tremendous demand for jobs from top executives, especially from Canada, Britain and the United States.

Noting that during the crisis, the “top executive” market in the world has contracted and executives are currently seeking jobs in different markets, Çağrı Alkaya, partner and founder of Stanton Chase International, said the firm is receiving 20 resumes per week on average, particularly from the U.S. and Britain.

“The most preferred position is managing director,” Alkaya said.

With the overseas transfers of top executives, the direction of the business world has changed and many executives have moved to Turkey, he said.

"Abroad, the demand for top executives has decreased. For a long time, transferring Turkish top executives to foreign countries remained our main agenda item. But increasing international top-executive transfers indicate that bilateral transfers will increase in the coming years,” he said.

“Every executive wants to work in a country that is developing,” Alkaya said. “While we receive many resumes a month, we can find jobs for only five or six of these. Turkey, being in the same category with India, Russia and Indonesia, has increased its value in this market.”

During the crisis, many companies preferred changing their executives, he said, adding that job-seeking executives do not consider salary the most important issue, preferring to look for vision in companies.

“Good executives prefer to work in companies that they believe will succeed,” he said.

The most popular sector for top-executive employment is telecommunications, said Yeşim Toduk Akiş, business partner at Amrop Hever Turkey. “After telecommunications, retail, consumption goods and technology are important,” she said.

“In Turkey, apart from salaries, companies offer packages, which provide executives with a house or school expenses for children,” Akiş said.

"As opportunities in other countries have lessened, Turkey has become an important country with high living standards and a rich cultural heritage,” she said. “We are receiving resumes from countries such as India and the United States.”