How to Retain Top Talent in Your Accountancy and

FRS 102 Revised Seminar Brings South Yorkshire Finance Leaders Together

In collaboration with Shorts Chartered Accountants, we recently hosted a seminar for senior finance professionals from across the region.The event brought together a number of Finance Directors, Financial Controllers and senior leaders from across the region for a morning of insight, discussion and networking over breakfast. It was a pleasure to welcome so many familiar faces, alongside new contacts, reflecting the strength and depth of the Yorkshire finance community. The seminar was presented by Howard Freeman, Audit & Accounts Partner, and Andy Ryder, Corporate Finance Partner at Shorts. We are extremely grateful to both speakers for sharing their time and expertise, and for delivering a clear, practical overview of the forthcoming changes to FRS 102, which came into effect on 1 January 2026 and are expected to impact a significant number of UK businesses. The session explored what is changing and why, particularly in relation to lease accounting and revenue recognition, and considered what the updates mean in practice for finance teams and business leaders. The speakers also addressed the new reporting requirements under FRS 102, the potential impact on EBITDA and valuation methodologies, and the key considerations for organisations as they prepare for implementation. Rather than focusing purely on technical detail, the seminar encouraged broader discussion around readiness, communication with stakeholders and the commercial implications of the changes. This led to a highly engaged Q&A session, with attendees sharing perspectives and experiences from their own organisations. At Sharp Consultancy, we are committed to supporting the finance community beyond recruitment alone. Events such as this form part of our ongoing effort to create opportunities for connection, knowledge-sharing and professional development among senior finance professionals. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Shorts for partnering with us on this event, and in particular to Howard and Andy for delivering such an informative and thought-provoking session. We are also grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. We look forward to hosting further events in the coming months and continuing to work closely with our network of finance leaders across the region.If you would like to discuss how these changes may impact your finance team, or if you are considering strengthening your leadership function, please contact us for a confidential conversation.

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In today’s accountancy and finance market, attracting skilled professionals is only half the challenge...

Retaining them is equally important. When employees feel valued and appreciated, businesses typically benefit from higher engagement, stronger productivity and improved staff retention.

So, what can employers do to demonstrate appreciation and hold on to their most valuable finance professionals?

Start by Hiring the Right People

Two people giving thumbs up and down on a green background, symbolising the importance of hiring the right candidates.

Retention begins with recruitment. Beyond technical ability, successful finance hires should align with your organisation’s culture, values and long-term goals. Whether you are recruiting a Management Accountant, Finance Business Partner or Finance Director, finding the right personality fit alongside the required skill set helps build stronger, more stable teams.

Provide Clear Direction and Vision

Finance professionals want to understand how their work contributes to wider business success. Clearly communicating organisational goals and strategic direction helps employees see the value of their role and how they can make an impact.

When teams understand the bigger picture, engagement and motivation naturally increase.

Support Career Development

Many accountancy and finance professionals are highly career-focused. Taking time to understand individual ambitions — whether that’s progressing into leadership, gaining commercial exposure or developing technical expertise — helps employers create clear pathways for development.

In some cases, this may involve restructuring teams, creating new roles or broadening responsibilities to retain key individuals.

Implement Meaningful Performance Reviews

Image illustrating strategies for enhancing performance during performance reviews.

A structured performance review process is essential. Clear objectives, regular feedback and recognition linked to business outcomes help keep employees motivated and focused. Performance discussions should be ongoing rather than limited to annual reviews, enabling managers to identify and address challenges early.

Communicate Openly and Regularly

Strong communication is one of the most effective retention tools. Regular conversations with team members help managers understand workloads, challenges and aspirations, reducing the risk of issues escalating and creating dissatisfaction within the finance team.

Review Salary and Benefits Competitively

Regularly benchmarking salaries against the wider finance market ensures your packages remain competitive. However, it’s important that promises around pay or promotion are realistic — unmet expectations can quickly damage trust and morale.

Equally, financial incentives alone do not solve retention challenges. High salaries may delay turnover but rarely address underlying issues.

Offer Meaningful Rewards and Flexibility

Reward packages should reflect what employees truly value. While bonuses are often appreciated, many finance professionals also prioritise benefits such as:

Flexible or hybrid working
Additional annual leave
Enhanced pension contributions
Family-friendly policies
Tailoring rewards to your workforce can have a significant impact on retention.
Recognise Contribution and Celebrate Success

Recognition doesn’t always need to be formal. Simple, regular acknowledgement of effort and achievements can go a long way towards building a positive team culture. Consider introducing ongoing recognition schemes that reward performance as it happens, rather than waiting for annual reviews.

A man at a desk, hands behind his head, demonstrating a relaxed attitude towards workplace flexibility.

Celebrating successes — whether it’s a successful audit, implementation of a new system or long-service milestone — helps foster motivation and pride within the team.

Learn from Staff Turnover

Some turnover is natural and can bring fresh ideas into a business. Conducting exit interviews provides valuable

insight into why employees move on and can highlight areas for improvement in leadership, development or culture.

Retaining high-performing finance professionals requires a long-term, people-focused approach. Organisations that invest in their teams, communicate clearly and provide genuine progression opportunities are far more likely to build stable and successful finance functions.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield, our experienced consultants support businesses across Yorkshire and beyond in attracting and retaining top finance talent.

Contact us today to discuss your recruitment needs.

How to Retain Top Talent in Your Accountancy and Finance Team