INSIDE VIEW – JOAN PETTINGILL, DIRECTOR & HEAD OF

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!

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International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

Ahead of this year’s International Women’s Day, we caught up with Joan Pettingill, Director & Head of Employment Law & HR at Sheffield-based law firm Wake Smith who shared why she feels it’s important to identify, celebrate and increase visibility of women's achievements to help forge equality.

What do you perceive are the main advantages and disadvantages to being a woman at work?

I’ve really never thought of my own work in terms of being influenced by my gender. There are still, I think, some industry sectors where it may be less common for women to have senior roles and my guess is there may be some small pockets of the legal profession where this might be the case but there have been leaps and bounds in this respect in recent years. At Wake Smith, we are very fortunate to be a vibrant forward-thinking firm including many women in leadership and other influential roles.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

Stand back from judging isolated incidents and wait and see how things pan out in the longer run. Things usually work out for the best and things which initially might appear negative often have very positive knock on effects and opportunities. Look for the opportunities in front of you and be true to yourself.

What is your biggest success or challenge completed?

As a younger person, having the determination and ability to be able to break through other people’s limiting perceptions of what can be achieved.

What would be the one change you would make to help forge a gender equal world?

In a work context, embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion and more broadly, supporting diverse role models in visible senior roles.

Who is your female role model and why?

Growing up, I was fortunate to have several female role models; an aunt who was a company secretary and seasoned traveller, a grandmother who as a single parent became a nurse and also built her own property portfolio and of course my own mother who married and settled in England from abroad, worked and brought up a family and who in her nineties is still role modelling kindness, independence and living a full life.

In a professional sense, the Managing Partner of the firm where I trained was an incredibly supportful woman who looked after her trainees and young lawyers professionally and pastorally. More currently, the Supreme Court Judge, Lady Hale, for her courageous decision making.

These days I’m also conscious that others may regard me as a role model and so for me, it’s really important to promote and encourage others to also succeed in the paths of their choosing which is why I’m an executive coach as well as a lawyer.

Joan Pettingill is a highly experienced employment lawyer. She studied law in Newcastle Upon Tyne and is a highly regarded public speaker and professional trainer having delivered courses in employment law, HR and GDPR (https://www.wake-smith.co.uk)

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today for expert advice on your next career move.

INSIDE VIEW – JOAN PETTINGILL, DIRECTOR & HEAD OF EMPLOYMENT LAW & HR