HIRING A TEMP

Sharp Consultancy's Salary Survey 2025/26: Resetting the Landscape: Strategic Shifts in Finance Recruitment

It would be remiss not to start by addressing the elephant in the room — 2024 was a challenging year.While there were many reasons for this and numerous industries were affected, recruitment likely bore the brunt of it, particularly in the 6 months post-election(s).Whilst key roles and critical hires remained unaffected, certain head counts and processes were scrutinised and investment paused with internal restructures and automation utilised to reduce costs, in some instances, at the expense of employees. We subsequently saw an increase in candidate activity, with the talent pool strengthening. As those pressures eased in Quarter 4, recruitment processes saw improvement and green shoots have emerged. Optimism is on the rise in key hiring processes, albeit with a caveat. The cloud of additional cost increases in April, which is still dissipating. The senior finance and C-Suite market remains relatively unaffected, both regarding opportunities and candidates, it is the levels below that we have seen more change. In the evolving landscape of working dynamics, the volume of hybrid working is gradually waning despite sustained interest from candidates, presenting fewer job opportunities. While the blend of office and remote work remains desirable, it is no longer the predominant factor, indicating a notable shift in priorities for clients and candidates’ acceptance alike. Conversations with candidates underscore a growing desire around the importance of having a supportive mentor or manager and many professionals are increasingly open to a full-time return to the office if it guarantees enhanced guidance and avenues for professional advancement. "The salaries throughout transactional finance have stabilised across the region."Throughout the professional practice market, some similar trends have been observed but there have been noticeable differences in the past year. Salaries across the range of candidates in professional practice, from AAT to fully Qualified (ACA/ACCA) individuals are still rising and those firm’s able to offer competitive salaries alongside stronger training contracts are beating out the competition in a candidate market with a growing focus on study support packages and career advancement opportunities for Part-Qualified candidates, indicating an increase in demand from employers and the volume of available job seekers. The salaries throughout transactional finance have stabilised across the region, in what feels like the longest period of stability seen since Q4 2020 and we expect transactional finance salaries to remain stable throughout 2025/26, with anticipated salary increments to be moderate compared to the significant increases observed throughout the last 2 years. AI & Systems (process automation) continues to impact accountancy and finance, in particular, across larger functions but this has increased the need for wider interim support to assist with the transition and implementation especially with large, automated processes. Whilst 2025-26 will not be the same marketplace for recruitment as seen in previous years, there is certainly a growing level of optimism and whilst a more settled market may be seen as a negative in some areas, for those that have weathered the peaks and troughs over a longer period of time, it will feel very normal and a strong setting for both employees and employers to take advantage and thrive, with an increasing emphasis on growth and development.Download the full Salary Survey here!

Read article

Temporary employees make a huge difference to a business and during these current challenging times. Whether it’s to cover a period of absence, an extra pair of hands to support an increase in trade or support for a particular project, the flexibility, urgent availability and niche skill set offered by temporary accountancy and finance professionals is proving to be invaluable to many organisations across the Yorkshire region.

There are many reasons why, in the current climate, that a business may need to engage the support of a temporary employee – credit control, cash flow management, forecasting and re-forecasting for banks and other funders, year end, payroll, senior management support, urgent projects and covering staff absences to name just a few.

Time is often of the essence when it comes to recruitment, but as we navigate these testing and unprecedented times, taking swift action now will pay significant dividends. If you find yourself in a situation where you require a temporary member of staff or if you are facing a challenge and need expert consultation on a solution that is right for your business, our highly experienced team of finance recruitment specialists will provide the advice and guidance that you need.

Temporary employees will be ready and available for work almost immediately, meaning that you are able to have a new highly skilled and experienced member of the team in place typically within 24 hours of identifying a particular need.
They often possess specialised skills which match a particular requirement that currently exists within an organisation so as well as delivering within their role, they are sharing their experience which benefits and expands the knowledge of others.
New employees give a boost to existing members of staff; they come with fresh ideas and can offer an alternative perspective which can be hugely motivational to the rest of the workforce.
Temporary employees will have been rigorously interviewed and evaluated in advance. Our detailed understanding of a client’s requirements and a candidate’s skill set will ensure suitable members of staff are in place without the need for businesses to dedicate significant time and resource to assessing and interviewing potential candidates.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond CONTACT UStoday to discuss your recruitment needs with a member of our team.