Finance Hiring Trends

Finance Hiring Trends

What we're seeing in the market and what it means for your next hire.

The finance recruitment market has changed.

Businesses are still hiring, and strong finance professionals remain in demand, but we're seeing a much more considered approach to recruitment than during the candidate-short markets of recent years.

Employers are asking harder questions about what they actually need from a hire, where that person will add value and whether permanent headcount is always the right answer.

Here are some of the key trends we're seeing in the market.

1. Businesses are hiring more selectively

There may be more candidates available than there were at the height of the talent shortage, but that doesn't necessarily mean finding the right person has become easier.

If anything, businesses are becoming more demanding.

We're seeing employers place greater emphasis on candidates who can demonstrate a combination of technical finance capability, commercial awareness and the ability to influence outside the finance function.

A technically strong accountant is still valuable. But increasingly, businesses want someone who can explain what the numbers mean and help management decide what to do next.

For employers, that means being clear about which skills are genuinely essential rather than building an unrealistic wish list.

2. Commercial finance skills are increasingly important

One of the clearest trends we're seeing is the continued move away from finance being viewed purely as a reporting function.

Businesses want finance professionals who can support decision-making.

That means demand for skills around FP&A, business partnering, forecasting, cash flow, data analysis and commercial insight remains strong.

At senior levels in particular, the question is increasingly not simply "Can this person produce the numbers?"

It's:

"Can they use those numbers to improve the business?"

3. Systems, data and AI capability are becoming part of the finance skillset

Technology is changing what businesses expect from their finance teams.

ERP implementations, Power BI, automation, data integration and increasingly AI are no longer issues sitting solely with IT.

Finance professionals don't necessarily need to be technology specialists, but they increasingly need to understand how technology can improve reporting, controls, analysis and decision-making.

The strongest candidates are often those who can combine traditional accounting expertise with systems and data capability.

And as routine finance processes become increasingly automated, the value of judgement, interpretation and commercial thinking is only likely to increase.

4. Flexibility is becoming a hiring strategy, not just an employee benefit

The conversation around flexibility has traditionally focused on where people work.

We're increasingly seeing another form of flexibility become important: how businesses access talent.

Permanent recruitment remains the right answer for many roles, but businesses are increasingly considering Interim and Fractional appointments where they need expertise without necessarily requiring permanent, full-time headcount.

A growing SME may not need a £150,000 CFO five days a week.

It might need an experienced CFO one or two days a week.

A business going through a systems implementation may not need another permanent employee.

It might need an experienced interim professional for six months.

The businesses getting this right are starting with the problem they need to solve and then deciding which hiring model best fits it.

5. Good candidates still have choices

A more cautious recruitment market shouldn't be mistaken for a market where employers hold all the power.

The best finance professionals still have options.

Long recruitment processes, unclear job specifications, repeated interview stages and delays in making decisions can all result in businesses losing strong candidates.

Salary matters, but it isn't the only consideration.

Candidates increasingly want to understand the scope of the role, progression opportunity, quality of leadership, flexibility and what they will actually be able to influence.

A compelling opportunity still needs to be sold.

What does this mean for your next finance hire?

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the current market is not to start with the job title.

Start with the outcome.

What does the business need to be different in 12 months' time because this person joined?

Once that's clear, you can work backwards.

Do you need a technically strong Financial Controller or a commercially focused Finance Director?

Do you need someone permanently, or could an Interim or Fractional appointment deliver the outcome more effectively?

Which skills are genuinely essential, and which can be learned?

And are you offering enough to attract the calibre of person you actually want?

The finance hiring market may be changing, but the fundamentals haven't.

The best hires happen when businesses are clear about the problem they're trying to solve and find the right person, and the right hiring model, to solve it.

At Matter Talent, we work across Permanent, Interim and Fractional finance recruitment, giving us a broad view of how businesses are building their finance teams and where demand is changing.

If you're considering your next finance hire, we're always happy to share what we're seeing in the market and help you think through the best approach.