ASK THE EXPERT – NATIONAL PAYROLL WEEK

How to Prove Your Value in the First 30 Days of an Interim Finance Role

As a specialist finance and accountancy recruitment company, we understand the importance of making a strong impression early in any interim assignment. Colin Molyneux, one of our dedicated Interim Specialists, shares his insight:For professional Finance Interims, making a strong and positive impact within the first 30 days of a new assignment is essential. While this may seem obvious, the ability to hit the ground running can vary depending on the nature of the role. In some assignments, showcasing your skills and delivering early wins comes naturally. In others, it requires a more strategic and deliberate approach.In this article, Colin draws on his many years of experience to offer practical advice on how interim finance professionals can demonstrate their value within the first 30 days of an assignment.Understand the assignment & business fully:Firstly, we have to understand the reasons businesses bring interim finance resources into their teams. In broad terms, interim accountants are brought into a business to solve problems such as filling gaps during transition periods, crises, or major projects to stabilise financial operations, bridge staffing gaps, or lead strategic financial initiatives. Usually, but not always, you will go through a selection process to land your assignment. It is within this process you should start building your picture and plan how you will best execute your first 30 days with this new Client.Ensure as part of your due diligence, you fully know this business. Who are they, what do they do, who are their competitors, and what are their business goals in the short, medium and long term. Within the selection process, ensure you are asking key questions about their issues, why they are hiring, and what they see as the key deliverables of the role. What is the problem the interim needs to solve? What are the project outcomes you need to deliver? What barriers have they encountered to date? Whichever way you decide to go about it, ensure you are entering a role that you have the skills & experience to deliver upon.DO NOT SET YOURSELF UP TO FAILOnce you have been appointed:Before you start the role, find out what tools you will have at your disposal. What finance systems does the business use? Are they heavily reliant on other tech, such as Excel, Google docs etc. Are you proficient with these tools? If not, make time to jump onto online learning – it’s likely the client will have access to some training materials you can use to brush up your skills. Remember, experienced Interims should have a supremely honed ability to get up to speed quickly, needing very little “hand holding” through out this period. During your first few weeks, ensure you discover who the key stakeholders are and their expectations. What do they perceive as the key deliverables? Are they being unrealistic? Scrutinise and manage the expectations accordingly. Identify quick wins, prioritise critical tasks: In the first few weeks, you should be seeking out the quick wins. There will almost always be areas within your remit, where quick improvements can be made. Get on and execute them quickly and concisely. Remember, clients love the “fresh set of eyes” that you will bring to the team. Collaborate early on, and ensure you are making suggestions of improvement where appropriate to do so. This way you are making an impact early. You can’t make everything perfect over night, but you can move the needle on critical tasks.Once you are established, it may be time for a deeper dive:As well as executing the role you are there to deliver, you have an opportunity to look at the broader operational features, and again, using your experience, collaborate and identify key improvements. Seek out the processes that are clunky, seek out the bottle necks, where can efficiencies be made? Where can you improve the day-to-day operation for those around you? Be Flexible Yet Focused:Interim roles often shift in scope as new issues emerge. Being adaptable while staying focused on core priorities is critical. The best interims know how to pivot without losing momentum.Stay Professional, Not Political:As a temporary outsider, it’s wise to avoid internal politics. Build trust through action, not gossip. Let results speak for themselves.Communicate Early and Often:Frequent updates to leadership—formal or informal—build credibility. A quick weekly summary or check-in can prevent misunderstandings and demonstrate value consistently.Bring a Fresh Perspective:One of the interim accountant’s greatest strengths is perspective. They’re not burdened by internal politics or history. Use this vantage point to offer objective, constructive insights others may have missed. In Conclusion:The first 30 days of an interim accountant's assignment are a powerful window to drive immediate value and set the stage for long-term improvement. By blending fast learning with focused execution, building relationships, and communicating clearly, interim professionals can transform from a stopgap into a strategic asset.In today’s business world, the ability to hit the ground running is more than just helpful—it’s essential. For an interim accountant, mastering the art of the first 30 days is the key to leaving a lasting impact, even in a temporary role. Looking for your next interim finance assignment—or the right interim professional to strengthen your team?At Sharp Consultancy, we specialise in connecting talented interim finance professionals with businesses across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. Whether you're ready for your next challenge or need trusted interim support, speak to Colin Molyneux or one of our dedicated Interim Specialists today.📞 Call us on 0113 236 6300 / 0114 261 1700 or 📧 email colinmolyneux@sharpconsultancy.com to start the conversation.

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What are payroll professionals looking for from employers when considering their next move?

Sharp Consultancy offers candidates and clients a team of highly experienced specialist consultants who are immersed in the region’s transactional finance market and can offer expert knowledge and unrivalled understanding of the marketplace.

All this week, we have been highlighting some of the key trends and issues affecting the market which has seen our team of specialist consultants share their in-depth knowledge and expertise to offer the best possible recruitment advice to employers and candidates working in the sector.

To round off National Payroll Week (Mon 6 – Fri 10 Sep), Liam Connolly, Consultant offers advice to those considering their next career move.

Payroll professionals have very successfully adapted to remote working over the last 18 months. Most candidates are now looking to continue in this vein and in many cases are seeking out a hybrid of remote working and office based working practices which allow for greater flexibility whilst retaining regular in-person contact with their colleagues. Additionally, as the CIPP has become more recognised candidates are much more forthcoming about requesting study support to pursue further qualifications, and in line with this, opportunities for progression are also of high importance to candidates.

Currently, the market is very candidate light; for many, the motivation that they had to move say, 18 months ago, simply isn’t there. With many businesses overhauling their approach to flexible and home working due to the pandemic, a vast number of ‘reasons to move’ have somewhat vanished almost overnight. The removal of lengthy commutes, achieving a better work life balance, reducing face-to-face contact with difficult team members, have all contributed significantly to a higher reluctance to look for new roles. And as a more ‘balanced’ approach to office and home-based work becomes more of the norm, businesses will need to work much harder to develop and promote their own individual USPs around culture, progression opportunities, training pathways and increasing responsibilities to attract top talent to their organisation. Candidates must be savvy when it comes to weighing up these nuances and not be swayed simply by the promise of a higher salary or better benefits.

In the first instance, candidates should have a clear reason for wanting to make a move from their current role, whether this is to achieve a better salary, gain a higher level of responsibility or desire to explore similar roles within a different industry sector. It is vital that candidates can align what their potential new employer is looking for with specifics about their current role and are able to speak in detail about key aspects of their skills and experience such as volume of payroll, weekly or monthly frequency, timesheet staff etc; they also must look at each company’s own objectives and understand how they will be able to help them achieve their career ambitions.

Those candidates who can offer knowledge and experience that may be valuable to a new employer - for example awareness of international payroll, understanding of pension deductions and furlough scheme contributions - will find that they are able to stand out from the crowd and secure the pick of available opportunities. And as the requirements of payroll professionals evolve and the role is viewed less as an administrative position and with more emphasis upon value-added management information, it is vital to ensure the right personality and culture fit along with a skill set fit that is right for both parties.

Integrating new employees has been a challenge for many businesses in recent times; ensuring that new employees receive the right amount of attention, training and integration from the outset whilst working remotely has presented opportunities to explore new methods for team meetings, developing strong support networks and utilising one-to-one training via virtual platforms. Candidates are keener than ever to understand the onboarding process and employers that blend flexible working patterns, attractive training and progression opportunities and a positive work environment will find themselves in the strongest position to secure the best talent.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent transactional finance professionals across the full spectrum of roles including accounts payable, credit control, payroll and purchase ledgers. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to find out more.