Bulqees Majid
Group Compliance Coordinator
Queens Court, 24 Queen Street, Manchester, M2 5HX
- Specialism: Compliance
- Sector: Public Sector
- Office: Manchester
The latest
Insight in Finance & Accountancy
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Benefits of benchmarking salaries – how do you compare?
Sellick Partnership has recently published their Salary Guide & Market Insight Report 2018/19 providing valuable insights into salaries, remuneration packages and recruitment trends for the Finance & Accountancy sector across the North West, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire. In this blog I will take a look at the benefits of candidates and clients benchmarking salaries, why it’s important and how you can use a Salary Guide to your advantage. How can it help clients? After going through the recruitment process and finding a high-calibre candidate who fits in well with your company culture and has all the necessary skills for the role, the last thing you want to happen is to have the candidate decline your offer. There are many reasons for why this might happen, but one of the main reasons could be down to the remuneration or benefits package that is on offer. Nowadays, roles will often be rejected if they do not offer the right level of flexible working or additional benefits such as 25 day holiday allocation and sabbaticals. Candidates within the Finance & Accountancy sector are searching for roles that will allow them to have a healthy work/life balance, and with multiple generations now firmly in the workplace it is important that employers are up-to-date with the motivations of the current talent pool in order to remain competitive. By offering the right package in-line with competitors and the current market, employers will be able to attract the very best candidates. The Sellick Partnership Salary Guide & Market Insight Report provides information on what salary and benefits packages are being offered in the North West, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire. By using this information you will then be able to tailor your offering to both current and future employees. The information provided in the guide will help you to evaluate your remuneration packages and find out if it is competitive enough compared with other salaries being offered in the market. How can it help candidates? When looking for a new role or speaking with your employer about a promotion, one of the first things anyone will always want to find out is what benefits are being offered, what the salary is, and how much can they expect to earn. Whether you are applying for a new role, or negotiating a new rate with your existing employer, it is important to do your research and find out how you compare with others in the same role. By finding out what similar companies are offering to their employees, you will be in a much better position to ask for the right salary for your role. Industry information is valuable, and will help you when negotiating with a potential or existing employer. Find out how you or your business compares today, and download Sellick Partnership’s Salary Guide & Market Insight Report 2018/19. If you are a finance professional looking to make your next career move, please click here to view our latest vacancies.
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HFMA NW Conference 2018
Last week Abigail Day, Associate Director, Alice Cresswell-Hogg, Public Sector Consultant and I attended the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) North West Branch Conference hosted at the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool. Sellick Partnership has continued to be a loyal supporter of HFMA conferences for over a decade, and this was around the 10th North West conference that I have attended since working for Sellick Partnership for 12+ years. I missed the last two HFMA North West Conferences due to taking time off to be on maternity leave so it was great to be back. These events are key for us to attend as they provide us with an excellent opportunity to meet with our new and existing clients to gain insightful market knowledge and to continue building relationships. The day started with a welcome from John Graham, HFMA North West Branch Chair and delegates spent the day listening to senior finance professionals including Gary Hull CTA, Associate Director and Brian Cooper CTA, Senior Manager from E&Y who spoke about Minimum Wage Legislation and the conference was concluded by Linda Moir, the former Head of Event Services for the London 2012 Olympics. Delegates attended our stand and participated in the Contact Card Drop for a chance to win a Veuve Clicquot Champagne picnic hamper and Hotel Chocolat hamper. Once again, all delegates were given the opportunity to take part in our well-known Sellick Partnership Buzzwire for the chance to win a bottle of wine. In the evening, remaining guests were seated for an awards ceremony and gala dinner followed by a drinks reception in the club and bar of the hotel. Sellick Partnership is an established NHS provider and over the last decade we have built strong working relationships with our clients and candidates. I have personally worked at Sellick Partnership in the finance and accountancy sector for 12 and a half years. In this time, I have been heavily involved with the NHS and have helped with their recruitment needs and plans. Further to this, I can say that a lot of our long-standing relationships have been built upon networking at these conferences, they really are invaluable. A thoroughly enjoyable conference was had by all and we are looking forward to working with you in the future. If you require any support with your recruitment needs or would like to find out more about other conferences that we exhibit at, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Top tips to have a successful career in finance
Accountancy is a thriving and competitive sector and can be extremely lucrative for successful candidates if they remain focused and determined to succeed. That being said success can often be difficult to achieve. Here is a quick list of some steps you can take to position yourself for success within financial services. Have confidence in your own ability from the start Confidence provides a foundation for acceleration in nearly every aspect of finance, and is the single most important soft skill candidates should work on. Candidates must be confident in their ability to move a company forward and harness a willingness to put their company and team at the forefront of everything they do. A great way of doing this is to put yourself forward for new projects, promotions and mentorships etc. It is also important to celebrate every success no matter how small to keep yourself motivated and engaged to succeed. By aligning yourself with senior finance professionals and learning at every step in your career you can prepare yourself and build your confidence, technical ability and soft skills all at the same time. Never lose momentum The journey to becoming qualified can be a long and often laborious one, and it is important to not lose momentum. Many candidates feel they need a break, or choose to slow down after months and often years of hard work, but it is important to persevere. Candidates need to ‘strike while the iron is hot’, and secure a role quickly after qualifying and continue their journey within the sector. Candidates already in a role should use this time to further develop their skillsets in preparation for their next move in order to remain competitive in the current candidate-led market. Be prepared to make mistakes – and learn from them A role in finance is challenging, and most candidates will make a mistake at some point in their career. It is extremely important to learn from these mistakes, and ask questions on how to avoid them in the future. Candidates who make mistakes, rectify them and learn from them will develop faster, and have a better knowledge of the sector long-term. Not only will this increase your skillset, but it will also give prospective employers an indication of how well you manage difficult situations, a skill that is essential for modern day finance candidates. Develop more than just technical ability Having a wider understanding of the business, and having the soft skills needed to shape the commercial and strategic decision-making process of the organisation is an essential skillset – especially in finance. Finance leaders are expected to be able to make key decisions, drive business performance and analyse market or industry trends. Therefore candidates should invest in these skills in order to be successful. It is never too early in your career to be commercially minded, and developing this skill early will make you a much more attractive candidate from the offset. Chase opportunities not cash Experience is vital in this sector. Candidates with relevant sector experience and specialist knowledge are much more attractive to clients that those without. I would therefore advise all finance candidates to get as much as experience as possible, especially if they are aiming to secure a managerial position during their career. This should take priority rather than looking for roles with an above average salary. A good place to start would be to look for an internship or junior position at a bank or an accounting firm, or in the finance department of a large company. This type of experience will count in your favour when you want to advance your career in the sector long-term, and will go some way in helping you achieve those higher salaries when you are more experienced. A final piece of advice is to expect the unexpected. Being fully prepared will ensure candidates are ready to embark on their new career path. Depending on the role finance candidates may be required to meet targets, liaise with clients and work long, busy days. One thing is certain, a career in finance for any candidate will require an enormous amount of attention to detail, a logical way of thinking and a passion for numbers, so ensuring you are ready for an exciting, busy and challenging journey is essential. A career in finance has so much to offer a young ambitious professional and while this list is not exhaustive, it does offer a well-defined and tangible route for success, with special consideration for the fast-changing landscape of the finance sector. If you are interested in a career in finance and think you have what it takes you can get in touch with me by calling 0161 834 1642 or by emailing me on martin.parr@sellickpartnership.co.uk. Alternatively you can view more tips on developing your soft skills by checking out our candidate resources section.
