Finance and accountancy recruitment: how to attract and retain strong finance professionals

As finance roles evolve, many organisations are reassessing how they attract and retain talent. Competition is particularly strong for employers looking for qualified professionals, experienced contractors and candidates who can add value beyond technical reporting. 

Across both public and private sectors, employers are facing increased competition for candidates, tighter hiring timeframes and changing expectations around flexibility, progression, and workplace culture. 

Alongside this, the role of finance itself is changing. Technical expertise alone is no longer enough. Organisations increasingly need professionals who can partner with the business, influence decision-making, and add strategic value. 

While public and private sector employers face different pressures, many of the fundamentals remain the same. To attract and retain the right people, employers need to tackle all these challenges simultaneously. They need to understand not just what a role requires, but what candidates are looking for and how the market is shifting. 

In this guide, we’ve brought together practical advice and market insight to help you build and retain a strong finance and accountancy team: 

• The current finance and accountancy hiring market
• How to attract top finance talent
• Interviewing and hiring effectively
• Retaining finance and accountancy talent
• Public vs private sector hiring: key considerations
• Alternative hiring solutions
• Our experience in finance and accountancy recruitment
• Building a finance team for the long term

The current finance and accountancy hiring market

Demand for finance professionals remains strong, particularly for candidates who combine technical expertise with commercial awareness and stakeholder engagement. 

However, the areas of pressure can vary by sector. 

In the public sector, employers often need candidates who can work within structured governance frameworks, support budgeting and forecasting, understand value for money, and help organisations respond to service pressures, transformation programmes and funding challenges. There’s also continued demand for interim and contract professionals who can provide support during periods of change, restructure or increased reporting pressure. 

In the private sector, demand is often focused on candidates who can combine strong finance experience with commercial awareness. Employers are looking for professionals who can interpret performance, support decision-making, improve reporting, and work closely with operational teams to drive efficiency, growth and profitability. 

Across both sectors, competition remains particularly strong for: 

• Qualified accountants 
• Finance business partners 
• Management accountants 
• Financial accountants 
• Interim and contract professionals 
• Candidates with systems, reporting and transformation experience 

For employers, this means strong candidates often have multiple options and may not stay active in the market for long. A clear brief, competitive package and efficient process can make a real difference. 

Many candidates are also more selective about the roles they consider, placing greater emphasis on flexibility, progression, leadership style and organisational culture. 

We explore how skill requirements are evolving in more detail in our guide to the top finance and accountancy skills employers are looking for. 

The continued development of technology is also affecting the market, with AI and automation changing how finance teams operate, report and use data. 

“In the public sector, the hardest roles to fill are often those that need strong finance experience alongside sector knowledge. Local government, NHS and housing roles can be challenging because candidates need to understand budgets, governance, reporting requirements and wider service pressures quickly. Permanent roles can also be harder to fill where candidates are attracted to higher contractor day rates.” 

Adam Rouse, Business Director

“Private sector clients are often looking for finance professionals who can add value beyond the core requirements of the role. Candidates who can interpret performance, work with stakeholders and support commercial decision-making are in high demand, particularly where they also bring systems, reporting, data or transformation experience.”  

John Thistlethwaite, Principal Consultant

How to attract top finance talent

To attract the right finance candidates, it’s important to understand what matters most to them in the current market. 

Salary and benefits remain important, but candidates are increasingly assessing the full opportunity before deciding whether to move. 

This includes: 

• Flexible or hybrid working expectations 
• Progression and development opportunities 
• Leadership style and team culture 
• Workload, wellbeing and team stability 
• Role purpose and the impact they can have 
• Clear communication throughout the recruitment process 

In the public sector, purpose and long-term impact are often key motivators, particularly for candidates who want to contribute to services that support communities. In the private sector, candidates may be more focused on commercial exposure, pace of progression, earning potential and the opportunity to influence business growth. 

If you’re seeing challenges in attracting candidates, it may be worth reviewing how you are positioning your opportunities in the market, from the job advert and salary information through to the interview process and candidate communication. 

Focus on: 

• Writing stronger job descriptions 
• Salary transparency 
• Realistic requirements 
• Positioning the opportunity 
• Streamlining process 
• Communicating impact 
• Being clear about progression 

Even small changes in how a role is positioned can significantly improve the quality of the applications you receive. 

“Candidates are looking at the full opportunity, not just the salary. Flexibility, days in the office, work-life balance, wellbeing, leadership style, culture and progression all play a part in their decision-making. Employers who can clearly explain the value of the role, the team environment and the longer-term opportunity are more likely to engage experienced candidates.” 

John Thistlethwaite, Principal Consultant

“A finance role stands out when the opportunity feels clear, realistic and worthwhile. Candidates want to understand why the role is available, what they’ll be responsible for, who they’ll work with and what impact they can have. 

Salary matters, but so do flexibility, benefits, progression, leadership, culture and purpose. A job description that simply lists responsibilities is unlikely to be enough in a competitive market - employers need to explain the full value of the opportunity and run a well-organised hiring process.” 

Adam Rouse, Business Director 

Interviewing and hiring effectively

When the market is competitive, the hiring process itself can influence whether a candidate accepts, delays or drops out entirely. 

Lengthy or unclear hiring processes can quickly affect candidate engagement. Statistics show that almost 60% of candidates admit having abandoned a job application mid-way through because it was taking too long or was overly complicated. Additionally, more than 40% of job seekers say they suspect their applications never get reviewed by a human, making their experience even more frustrating.  

It’s also important to remember that top finance candidates are often speaking to more than one employer, so delays, unclear feedback or too many stages can increase the risk of losing them. 

A strong process should feel clear, organised and proportionate to the role. 

Before going to market, employers should agree: 

• The salary, benefits and working pattern 
• Who will be involved in the interview process 
• How many stages are needed 
• What each stage will assess 
• Interview availability and expected timelines 
• How feedback will be shared 
• Who has final sign-off 

To improve outcomes, employers should focus on: 

• Keeping the process streamlined 
• Communicating clearly and promptly at each stage 
• Confirming interview availability early 
• Ensuring interview questions are planned in advance 
• Keeping stages proportionate to the level of the role 
• Giving prompt, useful feedback 
• Keeping candidates engaged between interview and offer 
• Avoiding unnecessary extra stages late in the process 

For finance and accountancy roles, interviews should assess more than whether a candidate can meet the basic duties of the role. Employers may also want to explore how candidates solve problems, explain financial information, work with stakeholders, support decision-making and approach deadlines during month-end, year-end or periods of change. 

A well-managed, pre-planned interview process helps candidates understand the opportunity, the team and the expectations of the role. It also shows that the organisation is serious, prepared and respectful of their time. 

To understand how candidates may be preparing for finance and accountancy interviews, read our accountancy interview preparation guide. 

Retaining finance and accountancy talent

Attraction is only part of the challenge. Once you have secured the right finance professionals, retaining them is just as important. 

Finance and accountancy candidates may start to consider new opportunities if they experience: 

•  Limited progression opportunities 
• Lack of development or qualification support 
• Poor management or communication 
• Misalignment between the role they accepted and the reality of the job 
• Limited flexibility 
• Uncompetitive salary or benefits 
• High workload without enough support 
• Outdated systems or inefficient processes 
• Lack of clarity around future opportunities 

Retention often depends on whether employees can see a future with the organisation. That means providing clear development routes, reviewing roles regularly and making sure expectations remain realistic as responsibilities change. 

To improve retention, employers should focus on: 

• Reviewing salaries and benefits regularly 
• Providing clear career pathways 
• Supporting professional qualifications and ongoing development 
• Investing in finance systems, reporting processes and ways of working 
• Keeping role responsibilities under review 
• Giving employees access to wider projects, transformation work or stakeholder exposure 
• Maintaining regular manager conversations 
• Addressing workload and resourcing issues before they become retention problems 

For finance and accountancy teams, retention is closely linked to how well people are supported to develop. For example, a part-qualified accountant may be more likely to stay if they can see a clear route to qualification, broader exposure and future progression. A senior finance professional may be more likely to remain if they have influence, the right resources and the opportunity to contribute to wider organisational decisions. 

For some organisations, building and retaining a high-performing finance team may involve developing talent gradually through a mix of permanent and interim appointments. For others, it may mean reviewing job requirements, salary expectations, role structure or candidate messaging to improve attraction and reduce time to hire. 

Public vs private sector hiring: key considerations

Hiring challenges can vary depending on whether you’re recruiting for a public or private sector finance role. While many of the core skills are similar, the pressures, candidate expectations and recruitment processes can differ. 

Public sector finance hiring 

Public sector employers often need finance professionals who can work within structured frameworks and understand governance, accountability, compliance and value for money. Candidates may also need to understand how financial decisions affect services, communities and long-term outcomes. 

Common public sector hiring considerations include: 

• Competition with private sector salaries and contractor day rates 
• Structured approvals and potentially longer recruitment processes 
• Governance, accountability and compliance requirements 
• Candidate interest in purpose, stability, pensions and wider benefits 
• The need to communicate service impact and value for money 
• Pressure to secure interim support during transformation, restructure or reporting periods 
• Demand for candidates with local government, NHS, housing or wider public sector experience 

Public sector roles can be highly attractive, but employers need to explain the wider value of the opportunity clearly. This includes the impact the role has on services, the stability and benefits available, and the chance to support meaningful work across communities. 

Private sector finance hiring 

Private sector employers may face different pressures, particularly when recruiting commercially minded qualified candidates who can support performance, growth and decision-making. 

Common private sector hiring considerations include: 

• Competition for qualified finance professionals with commercial awareness 
• Faster-moving hiring environments 
• Salary, bonus and progression expectations 
• Retention pressure where candidates can move for stronger packages 
• The need to communicate growth, culture and commercial impact 
• Demand for systems, data, reporting and transformation experience 
• Expectations around flexible working, development and broader business exposure 

Private sector candidates may be particularly focused on progression, earning potential, leadership style and the opportunity to influence business performance. Employers who can clearly show how the role supports commercial decision-making, growth or wider transformation are more likely to engage strong candidates. 

Although the pressures differ, the fundamentals remain the same: employers need to understand what candidates value, position roles clearly and keep the hiring process moving. 

Understanding these differences can help you to develop a more effective hiring strategy.  

Alternative hiring solutions

In some cases, considering alternative hiring routes can help you to address skills gaps more effectively. 

In a competitive market, employers may need to think beyond a traditional permanent hire. Interim or contract appointments can help organisations maintain momentum, cover urgent gaps or bring in specialist expertise while a longer-term solution is developed. 

This can be particularly useful when there’s an immediate need for support, a specific project to deliver or a gap in the team that cannot wait for a permanent recruitment process to complete. 

Alternative hiring approaches may include: 

• Interim finance support during periods of change, restructure or absence 
• Contract professionals to support year-end, audit, budgeting or reporting projects 
• Project-based hiring for systems implementation, finance transformation or process improvement 
• Fixed-term appointments while permanent recruitment is ongoing 
• Bringing in specialist expertise for areas such as financial controls, statutory reporting, data, systems or business partnering 
• Building finance teams gradually across multiple hires, rather than trying to secure every skill set in one appointment 

These approaches can give employers greater flexibility and access to skills that may not be needed on a permanent basis. They can also help reduce pressure on existing teams, keep critical work moving and provide short-term support while longer-term workforce plans are developed. 

To learn more, read our guide for finance and accountancy contractors which explores how contract hiring can support business needs. 

Our experience in finance and accountancy recruitment

At Sellick Partnership, we support public, private and not-for-profit organisations with finance and accountancy recruitment at every level, from transactional and part-qualified roles through to qualified, senior leadership and interim appointments. 

We support permanent, interim, contract and fixed-term recruitment, helping organisations navigate market pressures, attract stronger candidates and shape effective hiring strategies. Our consultants work closely with clients to understand role requirements, candidate availability, salary expectations, timescales and the wider market conditions affecting each appointment. 

Building a finance team for the long term

Successful finance teams are built on more than just financial knowledge alone. The strongest teams bring together the right mix of skills, experience and capability to support both day-to-day delivery and longer-term organisational goals. 

Taking a strategic approach to hiring, team structure and workforce planning can improve performance, retention and long-term team stability. If you’re looking to strengthen your finance and accountancy team, having the right support can make a real difference. 

At Sellick Partnership, we work closely with organisations across the public and private sectors to understand their requirements and deliver tailored recruitment solutions. 

Whether you’re hiring for a single finance role or are building an entire team, we can provide practical advice, market insight, and access to high-quality candidates. Find out more about how we’ve helped businesses like yours in our case studies. 

If you’re looking to strengthen your finance and accountancy team, our specialist consultants can help you understand the market, shape your hiring approach and access suitable candidates. 

Submit a vacancy, browse our recruitment services or contact our Finance & Accountancy team to discuss your hiring needs.