ASK THE EXPERT - HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN JOB OFFERS

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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I’ve been lucky enough to have been offered two jobs – what should I be looking at to make my decision about which one to accept?

First of all, congratulations! What a great result. For many this would be an enviable position to be in, but it is understandable that this can be a difficult decision to make – and it’s not one that you should feel rushed into making.

Let’s start off with what you shouldn’t do in this situation – don’t try to play each company off against each other. Whilst they have both selected you as their preferred candidate, if they sense that you are not genuine about wanting to come on board they could rethink their offer; and if both companies get that sense you could find yourself in a very tricky situation!

That is not to say that there shouldn’t be room for negotiation, however the sensible approach is to only negotiate with one company and in order to work out which is your preferred offer, there are a number of things that you need to take into consideration.

Don’t immediately assume that the offer that comes with the highest salary is automatically the ‘best’. There are many other factors which contribute to a strong job offer and you should weigh each of these up and apply the ‘benefit’ to where you are in your career and what you want to get out of the move.

Ask yourself:

What are the opportunities for progression?

A company might be offering a high salary now, but what opportunities can they offer for further growth and progression? Consider what you wanted to achieve career-wise from this move – does one company come closer to enabling you achieve your goals? Weigh up any differences in the role that you will be doing – are there aspects which interest you more than others? Do either offer further training opportunities? It can be easy to overlook some of these factors when presented with a more attractive salary but do not underestimate the value of job satisfaction and future opportunities.

Can you achieve a better work life balance?

Your reasons for looking for a new role might not be purely motivated by a desire to gain a promotion or undertake additional opportunities. If you are looking to achieve a better work life balance, then it is important to take into account each company’s approach to flexible working.

The last 12 months have made almost every company reconsider its homeworking policy so it’s important that you ask for clarity as to how they foresee these arrangements continuing in the short, medium and long term. You should also try to look ahead to a time when you may be more office based – does one company have a longer commute? Are there costs associated with parking or taking public transport that you need to account for?

Do they have a good reputation as an employer?

Whilst there are lots of areas that can be open to negotiation, the one element that you will not be able to change is the culture and values held by the organisation itself. What reputation do they have in the industry? Try to find out what you can from current or previous employees or see what their customers and clients are saying about what it is like to work with them. Also consider what your gut instinct told you in the interviews – did you get a good feeling from the interviewer? How did they sell the role and what is the company like to work for?

Making your choice

Take time to weigh up the pros and cons of each opportunity – and be honest with each company. A good company will understand that you need a little time to make your decision and shouldn’t try to rush you. However, bear in mind that they will have other candidates that they need to get back to so agree a timeframe and stick to it. Good luck!

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.