HOW TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF A PROBATION PERIOD

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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Bringing a new member into the team will almost always involve a probation or trial period, usually of between three and six months. This a valuable time for an employer to make sure that any new member of the team is the right fit for the role and for the individual to determine if the position and the company will offer them the challenge they are seeking.

Your new recruit will be hoping to pass their probation period with flying colours – we have some suggestions on how you as an employer can help to ensure that those first few months go smoothly and get the relationship off to the best possible start.

Set clear objectives

Make sure all new employees have a detailed job description and are clear in what is expected from them. If there are particular objectives that they need to achieve ensure that these are fair and achievable and that the right support is in place from the outset.

Make time

Whilst there may be a real need for that extra pair of hands, make sure you give new employees a realistic period of time to get up to speed and familiarise themselves with the company and their role. Provide them with any relevant background material that could be beneficial and arrange introductory meetings with key individuals, so they get to know who is who early on and start to build those all-important relationships.

Make yourself available

Any new employee will no doubt have questions they need to ask; set some time aside during the first week to catch up with them one-to-one and address any immediate queries they may have. Make sure that you are approachable and they understand that they can come to you for clarification and support. Try to avoid cancelling catch up meetings whenever possible – new employees want to feel valued.

Don’t criticise their predecessor

It’s important for an employer not to speak ill of a former employee - even if you are keen that your new recruit brings a fresh approach and a different perspective to the role.

Get them involved

New members of the team will want to impress and show their suitability for the role early on. Assign them a specific task or project which will allow them to play to their strengths and demonstrate to the team – and you – why they have been brought into the role.

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 and recruitment needs.