​WHO’S THE BOSS?

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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Starting a new job can be daunting, and taking up your first position at the helm of a team, department or company can present its own set of challenges. Whether you are the new person coming into an established group of employees or have been promoted within your existing organisation, what can you do to ensure that your step up into management is a success?

Making the move into management can be a tricky one; by this stage in your career, your ability to perform at a technical level has been proven but a leadership role is as much about motivating and inspiring others which means drawing more upon your communication skills, ability to build relationships and understanding emotional intelligence.

The performance of those you are responsible for will have a huge influence upon how you are viewed by your peers, senior managers and others within your team. Understanding how to get the best out of each individual, whilst meeting the objectives of the business and maintaining a motivated and happy workforce can be a tricky balance to achieve.

You may have to adapt your own style to suit those around you; what works for one may not have the same affect on another. And getting the required response and performance out of your team can be particularly challenging if you are stepping up and managing colleagues you previously worked with at the same level.

Here are our top suggestions to ensuring that your first few weeks in your new management role get off to a great start.

Get to know your team:

If you are joining a new company, it’s important that you get up to speed on who’s who as soon as possible. Learn as much as you can about each individual – their name, how long they have been with the company, what role they undertake, what they enjoy, what motivates them. Aim to spend some one-on-one time with each person early on so you can build up a great rapport from the outset. Invite people to share their views on what changes they would be keen to see but don’t introduce something just to win popularity points.

Find out about the company:

Arrange to spend some time with other managers at your level and key personnel in any departments you will be working closely alongside. Take on board any comments they make about the performance of your team or individuals within in, but be sure to form your own opinions before suggesting any changes. Similarly be careful in sharing your opinions about the direction you think the business should be heading; as a manager you will be expected to offer your view but being too opinionated without fully understanding the culture, vision and values of the business could see you making a poor first impression.

Be clear about what is expected:

Ensure that you understand what your boss expects from you in your new role and communicate to your team what you need from them to achieve success. Avoid any temptation to criticise your predecessor but instead explain why you would like to make any changes you plan to introduce and bring everyone on board. Make sure you establish clear lines of communication – especially in the early days – so you can be kept up to speed on how projects are progressing and can engage alternative strategies to address any issues which may arise along the way.

Work on your communication skills:

Everyone is different so be sure to take time to establish clear channels of communication with each person in your team – and remember, not everyone will respond in the same way so you will need to adjust your approach to get the best out of every individual. Also look to develop a good relationship with your own boss or company board and find out how they would like you to report into them. Are there regular management meetings? What will you need to produce by way of reports? What level of detail they wish to know? Establish how much they wish to know about what is happening on a day-to-day level and if they prefer to be kept up to speed by email, a phone call or a face-to-face meeting.

Take an empathic approach:

Being a good manager is also about recognising when your team members need support. If someone is underperforming, it is important to look to understand what issues may be having an effect and what solutions can be put in place to address the situation. Learning how to also recognise how your emotions affect your work will also play a significant part in addressing potential tricky situations and improve your communication and conflict resolution skills.

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 to find out more.