Recruitment Update

2024 was a challenging year for businesses across all sectors, leading to a slowdown in recruitment. As we move into 2025, while the market has slowed, job seekers remain open to new opportunities if salaries and workplace conditions meet expectations. Employers must move quickly and offer compelling value beyond compensation.

Qualified accountants remained the hardest to hire in 2024, with 40% of businesses citing them as the most difficult to fill, followed by transactional finance (17%) and payroll roles (14%). In-demand roles such as finance managers, systems accountants, and specialists in data analytics and sustainability reporting indicate a shift in workforce priorities.

of teams plan to maintain their teams onshore in 2025

55%

of teams offer ongoing training programmes, along with certifications and online courses

51%

of accounting professionals describe their teams as under-resourced

Industry Leaders Highlight

"Employers looking to attract and retain accounting and finance staff should focus on strategies that enhance productivity and offer incentives tied to those improvements. Over the past 12 months, we have seen this approach work particularly well for us, as it keeps employees engaged in the day-to-day business and allows them to grow professionally, with financial incentives and significant learning and development in return.

The accounting profession has historically been viewed as financial custodians. As we look ahead to 2025, the skills required for both junior and senior accounting professionals are evolving beyond traditional financial stewardship. I strongly encourage accounting staff to invest in critical areas such as business partnering, project management, strategy execution, and machine learning."