​National Work Life Week

Sharp Consultancy’s Salary Survey 2026/27: Finding the Best Talent in a Competitive Yorkshire Finance Market

Over the past 12 months, the Yorkshire finance and accountancy employment market has entered a relatively stable period following several years of volatility and rapid salary inflation.Hiring activity remains consistent across most finance disciplines, however employers are adopting a more cautious and measured approach to permanent recruitment, likely borne from the economic uncertainty businesses are navigating. As a result, there has been a wider increase across interim hires and salary movement has become more controlled with recruitment processes taking longer than in previous years. Despite this stabilisation, skills shortages continue to be a defining feature of the market. This is particularly evident between the qualified and senior level, where replacement hiring in key roles continues to exceed the available candidate pool and the data reflected in this salary survey aligns closely with what we are seeing daily across the Yorkshire finance market. While hiring volumes have levelled out, the underlying challenge remains unchanged: demand for high-quality finance professionals continues to outweigh supply. What the data does not always fully capture, but we have seen consistently across the market, is the increasing complexity behind each hire. Employers are no longer simply recruiting for technical capability; they are seeking finance professionals who can influence, adapt and add value, often in uncertain trading conditions. This has resulted in longer recruitment timelines, narrower shortlists and a growing reliance on trusted market insight to secure the right individuals. Across the candidate market we are seeing a more selective approach to new opportunities. Job seekers are making increasingly considered career decisions, weighing role scope, leadership quality, flexibility and long-term opportunity alongside salary. Many of the strongest candidates are not actively applying for roles, which means traditional, employer led recruitment strategies are no longer sufficient. Employers are no longer simply recruiting for technical capability; they are seeking finance professionals who can influence, adapt and add value, often in uncertain trading conditions.This is where a relationship-driven recruitment partner becomes vital. At Sharp Consultancy, and through our work with our executive division - The CFO Partnership - our long-standing relationships across the South Yorkshire finance community allow us to engage with high-performing talent that is not always visible to the wider market. Our understanding of both client environments and individual career motivations enables us to make introductions that are aligned not just on skills, but on culture, ambition and long-term fit. In a market where salary growth is increasingly controlled and competition for talent remains intense, our ability to advise, challenge and guide both clients and candidates is vital. Recruitment partnerships built on trust, transparency and deep market knowledge are what ultimately ensure the best outcomes - securing the right talent for our clients, and the right opportunities for the candidates we represent.

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National Work Life Week (11 – 15 October) is Working Families’ annual campaign to get both employers and employees talking about wellbeing at work and work-life balance.

There are many reasons why employees may feel that their work life balance has gone or is going slightly out of kilter; from feeling overworked or overwhelmed to putting in additional hours at home after work or one weekends to wanting to carve out more or a better quality of family time.

As well as more formal arrangements around flexible working, there are a number of tips and suggestions that, with a few small adjustments, can help to make your working life and life outside work a more harmonious balance.

Reset your focus

Wooden dice on a table spell "focus," illustrating the concept of resetting one's focus in a work environment.

It can be tempting to try and get another task off your desk before the end of the day, however it is important to effectively manage your workload so you are clear on the most important deadlines each day and for the weeks ahead. If, after carefully considering your priorities, there are too many tasks to juggle or tight deadlines are looming, speak up and see where there may be some flexibility or team members with less pressing workloads available to assist.

Plan downtime into your working day

Think about ways in which you can build in something for you during your working day whether that is using your daily commute to read or listen to an audio book or taking a proper break at lunchtime and getting outside for a brisk walk or attending an exercise class. If you are primarily working from home, its easy to fall into the temptation of a more relaxed start to the day but perhaps use some of the time saved on your commute to get some fresh air whether that’s an early morning walk or leaving the car behind to do the school run so you feel more energised for the day ahead.

Set some clear boundaries

A man displays a wooden block before a domino, representing the concept of establishing work boundaries.

It is important to have a clear distinction between your work life and home life; avoid bringing work home as much as possible. There may be occasions when work is particularly busy and it becomes unavoidable – if so, make sure you schedule some time off at the earliest opportunity to recharge. If needing to work outside of your regular hours is becoming the norm you need to look at whether your workload, time management and expectations are realistic – make sure you speak to your manager so you can work together to find an amicable solution. If you work from home, as much as possible, try and put in place a ‘working day’ so you have a clear time frame for starting work and a recognised end of the day and ideally have a dedicated work area that you can leave behind.

For more information on National Work Life Week visit https://workingfamilies.org.uk/nationalworklifeweek/.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for temporary, interim and permanent roles across the full spectrum of positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and speak to a member of our team about your next career move.